Val Littlewood – Page 9 – Pencil and Leaf

Starting to Print 12 Trees

By Val Littlewood January 27, 2018 December 29, 2019 Uncategorized

This week the printing of my 12 Trees book got underway. I am printing the book at Logan Press with of course much help and guidance from everyone there, especially Patrick Roe, who owns the company, Tom who is an apprentice there and Bob the excellent compositor.
Before edition printing can start there is much to do in the way of testing paper, print quality, setting up the press etc etc. This takes quite a long time. Letterpress printing is not for the impatient.

Firstly the plywood plates have to be made up to type high. Here Patrick is setting up a test plate using low base and small clips to hold the plates in place. Getting the correct printing pressure is a mix of packing the plate and packing the paper and a sprinkling of magic dust.
Because the plywood can vary very slightly each and every plate..30 in all… have to be both set up and printed individually.

The plate must also be positioned correctly on the press bed to print in exactly the right place on the paper… each and every time.

Once the positioning and pressure were set up we made some test prints but found snags due to the length of the press bed, the roller, the positioning of the large plates on the page etc etc. We achieved a lovely print but the paper flipped up at the end of printing and caught on the block leaving marks on the margin of the paper. How frustrating!! Everything else was perfect. We tried many ways round this but in the end the decision was made to print the large images separately. There are often compromises in letterpress printing. Sometimes that can lead to a better result…? I am hoping this will be the case.Day two was setting up some test type and the tree name blocks to make sure the press could cope with the paper size, the position of the title blocks and texts and to see how the paper would print these two elements. I am hoping to use lovely Somerset paper produced by St Cuthbert’s Mill in Somerset which has a soft matt surface which will complement the woodcuts perfectly.

One of the tree name blocks set up for printing and

Two lines of type set…

then locked up in the chase with the help of Bob,

and on the press bed perfectly positioned.

One of the test prints on the Somerset which worked out beautifully. Day three, yesterday, we started to print the edition. This involves taking apart the dummy to get the correct pagination. The dummy is crucial as a guide as is page numbering!

Patrick set up the tree name blocks, looked after the individual packing and the press and I eventually took over the printing. I am printing 20 of each page hoping for an edition of 15 books, plus some extra sheets on cheaper paper for positioning the type/other images for the next print run.
Each piece of paper will go through the press 4 times so there are quite a few opportunities for error.. especially as I am doing some of the actual printing! Each sheet is hand fed through the press so concentration on the correct position of the paper in the gripper is essential.I calculated I printed 120 sheets yesterday ! …only 75 to go for the initial print run. Then do it all another three times, then print the large plates only, another 240 more impressions. After all that I will have the body of the books completed ! Hurrahh.Next it will be on to designing the endpapers, covers and then binding the edition..Phew… maybe they will be done by Xmas!

Almost done…part two…

By Val Littlewood January 16, 2018 December 30, 2019 Uncategorized

I have almost finished the woodblocks for the tree book. Hurraah.. It has been a long haul and a steep learning curve. Deciding to do this book has perhaps been a rather rash way to learn about woodcuts but I am so far down the road now that it really should be completed.Today has been trimming the text blocks, neatening edges, sanding and cleaning up the blocks before final proofing tomorrow. Then there is finalising the dummy book, layouts and pagination before hopefully printing next week.

Below two rather pleasing piles of blocks, 12 trees and 12 text blocks kept flat under weights.

It is at the stage where I am not fond of anything about it, seeing only errors and compromises. But that is an inevitable part of the process and what actually spurs me on to do better next time!

The proofing and printing will be more interesting to blog about than a pile of woodchips so more very soon!

A New Year and A Wolf Moon

By Val Littlewood January 2, 2018 December 30, 2019 Uncategorized

What could be better than to start this New Year with a magnificent Wolf Moon. It’s the first full moon in January, so called because wolves are thought to howl louder at this time of the year. Not only is it a full moon, it’s also a supermoon. I woke up at 12 midnight to see my workroom flooded with moonlight casting shadows of the trees on the door and walls.
So, to celebrate, 2 monoprint moons from my Moon book, still waiting to be bound. Maybe this year!Happy New Year!

Almost done…

By Val Littlewood December 21, 2017 December 30, 2019 Uncategorized

It would be very boring to keep posting yet another woodcut in progress but I am pleased to say I’m just a few days away from completing the set of 12 trees and their text panels. Then there will be proofing and the inevitable last adjustments. Then the start of more decisions, title page, endpapers, colophon etc etc. Then hopefully printing in January… then binding.

Xmas will just come and go as not only have I this book to complete, but also a set of delightful pig linocuts…more of that very soon.

So, a very Happy Christmas to all my readers. There may well be a” Wassail print” to welcome in the New Year. 2018 is looking busy!!

Cutting the Wood. Inevitable Dilemmas.

By Val Littlewood December 6, 2017 December 30, 2019 Uncategorized

Cutting these blocks is challenging. In my new printmaking journey there have been only a few woodcuts, so I knew this would be a learning process. However I chose wood to match my subject. It is the most appropriate and sympathetic material for trying to catch the essence of trees and that’s my main aim.

I am using very basic ply wood so cutting it is tricky because, as with all media, it has its own qualities and drawbacks. Unlike wood engraving blocks or quality solid woodblocks, it chips easily, does not take fine details and has a mind of its own, sometimes taking the cut in a different direction to the knife and it snags horribly if the knife is not sharp.
The plus side is that it is easy to physically cut.
The most intimidating aspect though is the “when its gone, its gone” problem. One slip of the knife, one thoughtless cut cannot be easily rectified, so there has to be some planning. But over-planning and following a careful drawing can make for a still, formal image … very good for some subjects but not for my trees! They need life and character.

My tools are very simple. So far I have used 3 main cutters, 2 x V points and a U shaped gouge. I keep a trial cutting block on the desk to try out ideas for cuts.

I spend probably too long looking at the rough drawing, trying to work out some basic lights and darks and the day slips by. Plans for careful cutting and planning go out of the window and I have to “ just do it”.
Sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn’t. At this stage, about half way through the series I have made the main cuts on 8 of the blocks. The plan then is to proof them and see what I have and how they work as a series. Then I will work on the details to adjust the tones and clean up the blocks. If I have cut away too much I will have to start again…angst levels are high.

A pile of rough working drawings.

And taking the block out again, this time to the field maples.There is nothing like working direct.

A series of anything are interesting to work with and I love the design stage. You need variety but also something to link the images, style, subject etc. This will be a simple book with minimum text, so each turning page needs to bring some delight, something visually interesting, and intriguing, which makes you look forward to the next turn, each image adding something new to the “treeness” of the book.

Ideally the complete book, the paper, the binding, the endpapers and the printing, will become a thing greater than the sum of its parts.
As I said, it is all a challenge and I am finding the fear of the pristine wood surface is even greater than that of blank white paper. I never thought I would find something more intimidating than that!

Block Cutting, Print Trials and more Sketching

By Val Littlewood November 22, 2017 December 30, 2019 Uncategorized

This last week there has been more sketching, first print trials and block cutting for 12 Trees.It seems slow progress at the moment but there is so much prep to do before I can even start to cut the blocks, roughs to work out, blocks to cut and prepare and more sketching and research on the trees.
However I have started trial cutting the text headers today.

Elder, Elm, Beech, some too big, some too small.
It’s trial and error.
What looks fine on the block sometimes doesn’t look great when printed and next to one of the large images.

5 Part cut blocks..

More sketches while the weather is OK and there are a few leaves left.

Field Maples,who seem to like to be in companionable threes.

Ash Trees with their upturned branch ends and handsome black buds.

Last Friday I started looking at type at Logan Press and hand setting a few lines, proofing on a lovely little Albion

Slow .. but progress.

Reference Sketching.

By Val Littlewood November 12, 2017 December 30, 2019 Uncategorized

This last week I went out most days to make small sketches of the trees for the book. I find that just a short time sketching is a million times better than working from photos.
Making a sketch, especially on a very cold day, requires you look hard and make fast, hopefully intuitive, decisions. So you tend to record just the essence of tree, very useful for the woodcuts which will have to be bold and simplified.

Also I have to say that once I have sketched something I understand much more about the thing, how it is put together, what interests me about it and I remember all those things more easily, especially if I make notes.
I am in a hurry too because I need to draw the trees before they all lose their leaves. I need to make sure I draw the right tree. My bark ID skills are not brilliant

.
Hazel and Lime

Alder and Elm

Beech

Elder
I have a tight deadline so I also took the woodblock out to draw directly from the elder tree. This old, much pruned, tree has snaky spotted branches which twist back on themselves. Wonderful and slightly sinister as befits the magical elder!

The tree prints will be based on trees I know well, what I like about them and what I know about them. A personal view rather than an archetype. I have discovered that one elm can look very different from another :).

Twelve Trees Book at The Logan Press

By Val Littlewood November 6, 2017 December 30, 2019 Uncategorized

Over the last few weeks I have been planning a book to showcase just 12 of my favourite trees from the Spinney. I have been working up to making a proper book with letterpress type and the illustrations printed from the original woodblocks.Now it is a little bit closer to becoming a reality.

I am delighted to say that Patrick Roe at Logan Press has agreed that I can print the book with him. I will learn a huge amount, building on the work I did with Thomas Gravemaker at Letterpress Amsterdam who I hope to be seeing again in Feb to print “The Pig Book”.
So lots to do in the next few months.
I will be documenting the progress of Twelve Trees on the blog and also on Instagram etc. It will be a 32 page book with 12 full page woodcuts and a small amount of type based on old sayings, superstitions and the characters of the trees.
The format is a nice generous 350 x 250mm portrait with full bleed images and hand cut titles. Roughs and layouts and first cuts are underway!

Rough layouts for the twelve images and first roughs.

First block, rough and my original sketchbook drawing from last year on the blog here; “ In the Woods,some Useful Sketches.” I just knew they would be useful someday!

Tiny Brushes and Faint Owl

By Val Littlewood October 26, 2017 December 30, 2019 Uncategorized

Last week I attended a workshop with Dr Veeda Ahmed looking at 2 different forms of Middle Eastern and South Asian miniature painting, Neem Rang and Siyah Qalam. “Neem Rang, meaning ‘half-painted’, is a style of miniature that features finely shaded images with selected bursts of colour. In Siyah Qalam or ‘black pen’ paintings, figures are sparingly and subtly shaded.”

I have always loved these beautiful drawings so was very keen to take the chance to learn something more about them. On many levels it was fascinating; the history, the techniques and the materials and the possibilities of learning classical techniques and then using those techniques for more contemporary imagery. I was most interested in the technique of drawing with a brush, but I had not quite appreciated how very tiny the brushes would be. I could barely see the tip of this tiny thing with its curved hairs squirrel hairs.

In the right hands it can give a super fine, precise and most elegant line. In my hands it did not. However after a couple of days I began to get the hang of it in a very rough and ready way.

We worked from copies of traditional images which is a good way to learn but a copy can be deceiving and what appears to be one beautiful ink line is, in fact, made up of many tiny lines starting with an almost ghost image in pale grey, the thickness of the line being built up in certain places to emphasise and describe form. The originals are exquisite.Needless to say I did not finish anything but just trying these techniques made me understand and appreciate even more the skill and finesse of these wonderful artists and probably improved my hand eye coordination quite a bit.

3 practise pieces.

I think I have now done just 6 of the 10,000 hrs of practise.. way to go.. Meanwhile I am working on some much bigger, bolder, woodcuts… vive la difference!

Colour Sketches from the Wood

By Val Littlewood October 15, 2017 December 30, 2019 Uncategorized

Some small sketches from the wood to make some colour notes as the weather changes. They will help so much for printmaking. I start with a pen sketch just quickly getting down some main lines and lights and darks and then follow up with the colour notes.
I have wanted to do this for some time dithering about what paint etc as I need a quick drying paint for working outside.
In the end I used gouche. Gouache is still my go to paint for these quick colour notes. I love its thick slightly chalky texture.