~~ Woodblock Printing Process Illustrated ~~

The Process of Color-Block Printing

 

 
S. Watanabe:
The Process of Color-Block Printing, Tokyo (Ginza), 32mo (3 5/8 x 5 5/8 in - 9.2 x 14.5 cm), not dated but believed to be ca 1950, decorated cloth over cardboard boards, paste on title on front cover, assembled accordion fold-out style booklet with pages jointed at the outer edge, 12 attached pages, 25 pages total counting the page attached to the back cover which has the final woodblock. This book illustrates the color woodblock printing process using an image of Mt Fuji and a wave. The image shows Mt Fuji in the background with a lake and boat below that and these framed by a wave. The first page after the blank paste down page contains a text section by Watanabe. This is followed by a blank page with the black and white key block (outline for the print) facing that page. On pages following the key block, the right page has the next color woodblock impression applied and the page to the left shows the cumulative state of the print. The woodblock progresses from the outline/key block through the application of 11 additional color woodblock impressions to the completed state of the print. In total, the book is created by using 12 woodblocks (key block and 12 color blocks).

 

The Completed Woodblock

 




Key Block

 
Books/Folios With Actual Color Woodblock Prints Illustrating the Process of Color Woodblock Printing:

  • 1907, Process of Wood-Cut Printing, The Shimbi Shoin, Tokyo, 127 pairs of prints.
  • 1907, Process of Wood-Cut Printing Explained, The Shimbi Shoin, Tokyo
  • c1916-c1920, Process of Wood-Cut Printing Explained, (Two Ladies in a Boat), The Shimbi Shoin, Tokyo, more information here.
  • c1920, Process of Wood-Cut Printing Explained (Lady Fishing), The Shimbi Shoin, Tokyo, more information here.
  • c1940, Process of Wood-block Printing, Nishinomiya & Hasegawa, Inc, Tokyo, more information here.
  • c1950, The Process of Wood-block Color Printing, Takamizawa Mokuhansha., Tokyo?, more information here.
  • c1950, Japanese Woodblock Prints, Uchida Wood Block Printing Co. Ltd, Kyoto, more information here.
  • c1950, The Process of Color-Block Printing (Fuji and Trees), S. Watanabe, Tokyo (Ginza), more information here.
  • c1950, The Process of Color-Block Printing (Fuji and Wave), S. Watanabe, Tokyo (Ginza), more information here.
  • c1953, Process of Wood-block Printing (Fuji and Wave), probably Nishinomiya/Hasegawa, Tokyo, more information here.
  • c1953, Process of Wood-block Printing (Winter Scene with Temple & Lantern), probably Nishinomiya/Hasegawa, Tokyo, more information here.
  • c1956, Process of Printing Wood Engravings, Unso-do Co., Kyoto, more information here.
  • c1963 The Process of Wood-block Color Printing, (Hiroshige's "Night Scene at Kambara"), H. Nakazawa., Tokyo, more information here.
  • c1970, Process Book of Woodblock Printing, Uchida Uchida Art Co., LTD., more information here.

 
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