Uploaded April 2014 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
Here is an update to the Ukiyoe Heroes print series, showing the process of proofing the block set for the Jed Henry design known as 'Flight of Fantasy'. It was shot in the Tokyo workroom of woodblock printmaker David Bull on April 14/15th, 2014.
You see Dave himself doing this proofing work. Once further proofing is done (block adjustments, colour decisions, etc.) the block set and the master proof copy, along with a stack of high quality washi, will be delivered to printer Shinkichi Numabe for pulling the initial batch of a hundred or so copies for sale.
Jed is now taking orders for the prints over on his website at: ukiyoeheroes.com
Some notes from Dave on the video:
- There were only four sheets of paper in the 'stack' for this print run, which was the initial test of the block set. There was no intention at this point to produce a 'final' version of the print, but simply to verify the carving.
- This test run did indeed turn up some problems in the block set. Can you spot the rather large mistake on impression #3? (This will have to be repaired/replaced, before 'real' printing can begin.)
- All these impressions followed one another quite quickly - rather than leaving time for the paper to 'settle' between them, as is normal in a real printing run. Some of them are thus a bit 'watery', and certainly not as smooth and rich as they will be in the actual print.
- I was quite serious about the point I made in my closing remarks. I honestly believe we are making (print) history with this series, and particularly with these most recent two designs. Nobody has published work of this quality and complexity for well over half a century ...
- Don't waste any time trying to find the Reddit comment I mentioned in my closing remarks. The person who made it has already self-edited his comment ... :-)
Music credits: the track is entitled 'Drops of H2O', and is a mix by djlang59, who can be found on ccmixter.org at:
ccmixter.org/files/djlang59/37792
We very much appreciate his cooperation!
Here is an update to the Ukiyoe Heroes print series, showing the process of proofing the block set for the Jed Henry design known as 'Flight of Fantasy'. It was shot in the Tokyo workroom of woodblock printmaker David Bull on April 14/15th, 2014.
You see Dave himself doing this proofing work. Once further proofing is done (block adjustments, colour decisions, etc.) the block set and the master proof copy, along with a stack of high quality washi, will be delivered to printer Shinkichi Numabe for pulling the initial batch of a hundred or so copies for sale.
Jed is now taking orders for the prints over on his website at: ukiyoeheroes.com
Some notes from Dave on the video:
- There were only four sheets of paper in the 'stack' for this print run, which was the initial test of the block set. There was no intention at this point to produce a 'final' version of the print, but simply to verify the carving.
- This test run did indeed turn up some problems in the block set. Can you spot the rather large mistake on impression #3? (This will have to be repaired/replaced, before 'real' printing can begin.)
- All these impressions followed one another quite quickly - rather than leaving time for the paper to 'settle' between them, as is normal in a real printing run. Some of them are thus a bit 'watery', and certainly not as smooth and rich as they will be in the actual print.
- I was quite serious about the point I made in my closing remarks. I honestly believe we are making (print) history with this series, and particularly with these most recent two designs. Nobody has published work of this quality and complexity for well over half a century ...
- Don't waste any time trying to find the Reddit comment I mentioned in my closing remarks. The person who made it has already self-edited his comment ... :-)
Music credits: the track is entitled 'Drops of H2O', and is a mix by djlang59, who can be found on ccmixter.org at:
ccmixter.org/files/djlang59/37792
We very much appreciate his cooperation!
