Embrace the Delight (with narration) @seseragistudio

David Bull A 'real time' printing video from the Mokuhankan workshop in Asakusa, Tokyo. We see both workshop owner Dave Bull, and staff printer Natsuki Suga, while they each create an edition of the first two prints in the 2022 subscription series - Embrace the Delight.

[The video is being uploaded in two versions: this one with Dave's narration explaining many aspects of what you are seeing during the work, and another (visually identical) version that has just the natural background workshop sounds.]

No narration:
youtube.com/watch?v=6KZFq5-XNoM
With narration (this video):
youtube.com/watch?v=gkmWsaVeWnM

Links:
mokuhankan.com
twitch.tv/japaneseprintmaking
instagram.com/mokuhankan
patreon.com/mokuhankan

The print series featured in the video:
mokuhankan.com/subscriptions/delight.html

We currently have a waiting list for this print series. If you want to be notified when we open it for the next round, please use the contact form on our website to let us know:
mokuhankan.com/contact/contact.php

Table of Contents:
0:00 Introduction
5:57 Dave's printing session
34:50 Suga-san's printing session
50:07 The finished print
51:02 Interview with Suga-san

updated 2 years ago

Embrace the Delight (with narration)

David Bull 2022-02-15 | A 'real time' printing video from the Mokuhankan workshop in Asakusa, Tokyo. We see both workshop owner Dave Bull, and staff printer Natsuki Suga, while they each create an edition of the first two prints in the 2022 subscription series - Embrace the Delight.

[The video is being uploaded in two versions: this one with Dave's narration explaining many aspects of what you are seeing during the work, and another (visually identical) version that has just the natural background workshop sounds.]

No narration:
youtube.com/watch?v=6KZFq5-XNoM
With narration (this video):
youtube.com/watch?v=gkmWsaVeWnM

Links:
mokuhankan.com
twitch.tv/japaneseprintmaking
instagram.com/mokuhankan
patreon.com/mokuhankan

The print series featured in the video:
mokuhankan.com/subscriptions/delight.html

We currently have a waiting list for this print series. If you want to be notified when we open it for the next round, please use the contact form on our website to let us know:
mokuhankan.com/contact/contact.php

Table of Contents:
0:00 Introduction
5:57 Dave's printing session
34:50 Suga-san's printing session
50:07 The finished print
51:02 Interview with Suga-san

2023 Series Announcement - Part 1

David Bull 2022-11-30 | In this video, Tokyo-based woodblock printmaker Dave Bull announces his workshop's new series for 2023.

(A note on the audio issue that is bothering many people: I _did_ carefully produce the audio track, recording it separately, then editing it to remove unwanted noise, etc, and properly getting it compressed and normalized. But at the time of exporting the project, I neglected to mute the original camera audio, and this is what caused the echoed/reverby effect. YouTube doesn't let us edit the audio for uploaded videos, so there isn't anything I can do at this point ... Thank you for your patience with me!)

References:
The Mokuhankan workshop:
mokuhankan.com/index.html

The page where the new Subscription series will be found (from mid-December, when the subscriptions open up):
mokuhankan.com/subscriptions/index.html

A page on the British Museum site discussing the images:
britishmuseum.org/exhibitions/hokusai-great-picture-book-everything/rediscovery-hokusai-drawings-everything

More information on the subscription series will follow in the next video, by which time more details will be clear. Thank you for your patience!

For people who need a 'carving fix' right _now_, you can always see plenty of such work over on our Twitch channel, both 'live' and 'replay':
twitch.tv/japaneseprintmaking

Information on the festival scenes:
e-asakusa.jp/en/culture-experience/8881

Embrace the Delight - the August block set!

David Bull 2022-07-15 | This next video from the Mokuhankan printmaking workshop in Tokyo is all about carving. Dave creates the block set that will be used to make the August prints in this year's subscription series: Embrace the Delight!

Bonus content includes a trip to his Ome home/workshop, glimpses of the Ninja who work/play across the street from the Asakusa shop, a (rare) segment on inlaying boxwood into a cherry block, and a selection of clips from recent live streams.

Update: the prints are now finished, and can be seen on their subscription page: mokuhankan.com/subscriptions/delight.html

Links:
mokuhankan.com
twitch.tv/japaneseprintmaking
instagram.com/mokuhankan
patreon.com/mokuhankan

The print series featured in the video:
mokuhankan.com/subscriptions/delight.html

Embrace the Delight (no narration)

David Bull 2022-02-15 | A 'real time' printing video from the Mokuhankan workshop in Asakusa, Tokyo. We see both workshop owner Dave Bull, and staff printer Natsuki Suga, while they each create an edition of the first two prints in the 2022 subscription series - Embrace the Delight.

[The video is being uploaded in two versions: this one with no narration during the workshop scenes, and another (visually identical) version that includes Dave's narration explaining many aspects of what you are seeing during the work.]

No narration (this video):
youtube.com/watch?v=6KZFq5-XNoM
With narration:
youtube.com/watch?v=gkmWsaVeWnM

Links:
mokuhankan.com
twitch.tv/japaneseprintmaking
instagram.com/mokuhankan
patreon.com/mokuhankan

The print series featured in the video:
mokuhankan.com/subscriptions/delight.html

We currently have a waiting list for this print series. If you want to be notified when we open it for the next round, please use the contact form on our website to let us know:
mokuhankan.com/contact/contact.php

Table of Contents:
0:00 Introduction
5:57 Dave's printing session
34:50 Suga-san's printing session
50:07 The finished print
51:02 Interview with Suga-san

Mokuhankan Japanese Prints - 2021 Update

David Bull 2021-12-24 | This is the year-end update from David Bull's Mokuhankan printmaking workshop in Asakusa Tokyo. Of special interest is the announcement of the new subscription series for 2022 - 'Embrace the Delight', a unique collection of small prints, both reproduction, and original.

Mentioned in the video:

The 2022 subscription series: mokuhankan.com/subscriptions/delight.html

The previous series - Scenes of Nature
mokuhankan.com/subscriptions/koryusai.html

Our online catalogue, where all the other prints mentioned can be found: mokuhankan.com/catalogue/thumbnails.php

Our Twitch stream: twitch.tv/japaneseprintmaking

Our Patreon page: patreon.com/mokuhankan

Instagram: instagram.com/mokuhankan

Thank you for watching!

0:05 Introduction
7:40 Scenes of Nature
10:20 Embrace the Delight
17:54 What _didn’t_ get done!
29:00 Opening a special package

The Great Wave - Part 17

David Bull 2021-07-31 | Seven years after beginning his Great Wave project, Tokyo-based woodblock printmaker Dave Bull brings the latest update ... episode 17.

This one deals with an issue upper-most in the mind of many of the fans and collectors - what is the condition of the set of woodblocks? After seven years in production, can more good prints really be made from them?

***

[ We're already getting requests ... I should have foreseen this ... but no, I'm sorry; the reject prints mentioned in the video are not for sale.]

***

The closeup print comparison images referred to in the video can be found in this directory of the Mokuhankan website:
mokuhankan.com/hokusai/images/2021_comparison

Information on the Mokuhankan edition of the Great Wave:
mokuhankan.com/hokusai

Our Twitch stream:
twitch.tv/japaneseprintmaking

Our Patreon page:
https://www.patreon/mokuhankan/

Our webshop:
mokuhankan.com/catalogue/thumbnails.php

Japanese Woodblock Printmaking Workshop - A Printers Tools and Workspace

David Bull 2021-07-21 | This is the second in our ever-growing series of videos demonstrating various traditional techniques and tools in the Japanese mokuhanga woodblock printmaking style and how we use them today here at Mokuhankan.

Today, Natsuki Suga gives us a tour of her printing bench and surrounding workspace. Watch to learn a bit more about each tool she uses in her daily work as a printmaker. We hope you will enjoy this overview and learn something along the way, as well.

We have a list of ideas and have started the process of making more of these - but please feel free to leave a comment about what techniques and tools you are interested in learning about so we can consider your ideas for future videos.

Printmaker and Host: Natsuki Suga
Video and Photos: Cameron Hilker
Hasegawa Typeface: Markku Mujunen (mokuhankan.com/fonts and http://markkumujunen.com)

To see Suga-san actually _using_ this space, watch this video:
youtube.com/watch?v=M8ma5q9-lA0

The Mokuhankan Twitch channel (where you can watch Dave use many of the tools shown here):
twitch.tv/japaneseprintmaking

The Mokuhankan website:
mokuhankan.com

Our Patreon campaign:
patreon.com/mokuhankan

Woodblock Printing Process ... in 3-D spatial audio

David Bull 2021-07-01 | In this video, Tokyo-based woodblock printmaker Dave Bull shows the entire process of making a batch of prints (8 sheets) from blank paper to finished print - in POV style (from the printer's Point Of View) - with each of the colour impressions happening in an uncut, unedited, uninterrupted flow. The viewers can get a very good feeling for the rhythm of the process, and can see just how the pigment/paste balance is controlled along the way.

As a kind of 'bonus', the entire video was recorded using binaural microphones embedded in Dave's ears - you hear _exactly_ what he heard, at every step of the way. (Use headphones!) The recording of each segment was done starting around 3:00 am, when Asakusa is as quiet as possible, but even then, there are residual sounds interrupting along the way (the occasional truck passing by, some rainfall for a few of the impressions, and unavoidably a large air conditioner on a building a few blocks away …)

The print used for this demonstration is ‘The Demon King’, which was designed for us by Jed Henry, creator of the famous Ukiyo-e Heroes prints. It is available as part of our 'Portraits Set #1’ subscription series; information here: mokuhankan.com/subscriptions/portraits.html

[Note: there is no narration included in this video, in an attempt to bring you into the undisturbed 'world' of a printer's work. If there is enough interest, we could perhaps upload a second 'cut' of this video, with Dave explaining things along the way ...]

The Mokuhankan website:
mokuhankan.com/index.html

Jed Henry’s Ukiyo-e Heroes:
ukiyoeheroes.com

Our Twitch stream (live three times a week):
twitch.com/japaneseprintmaking

The Mokuhankan Patreon:
patreon.com/mokuhankan

Trailer: Woodblock Printing Process ... in 3-D spatial audio

David Bull 2021-06-28 | This is a 'trailer' for the video coming in a few days - Tokyo-based woodblock printmaker Dave Bull will show the entire process of making a batch of prints from blank paper to finished sheets, in an uncut, unedited, uninterrupted stream.The viewers will be able to get a very good feeling for the rhythm of the process, and will see just how the pigment/paste balance is controlled etc. etc.As a kind of 'bonus', the entire video was recorded using binaural microphones embedded in Dave's ears - you will hear _exactly_ what he heard, at every step of the way. (Use headphones!) The recording of each segment was done starting around 3:00 am, when Asakusa is as quiet as possible ...

Japanese Woodblock Printmaking Workshop - Hakobi

David Bull 2021-05-27 | This is the first in a series of videos demonstrating various traditional techniques and tools in the Japanese mokuhanga woodblock printmaking industry and how we use them today here at Mokuhankan.

Today's video is about the pigment brushes our printers use, known as 'hakobi' (運び) or 'tokibo' (解き棒). First Suga-san tells us a little bit about what hakobi are for and why she makes her own instead of only using store-bought ones, and then she demonstrates the whole process from start to finish. Finally, we have a slideshow at the end going over the tying steps again for you to follow while making your own.

We have a list of ideas and have started the process of making more of these - but please feel free to leave a comment about what techniques and tools you are interested in learning about so we can consider your ideas for future videos.

Narration and demonstrations: Natsuki Suga
Cinematography: Yasuhiro Aoyama and Cameron Hilker
Editing and Subtitling: Cameron Hilker
Hasegawa Typeface: Markku Mujunen (mokuhankan.com/fonts and http://markkumujunen.com)

On Dave's personal website, there is more information on making these tools:
http://woodblock.com/encyclopedia/entries/001_13/001_13.html
http://woodblock.com/manga/hakobi/index.html

The Mokuhankan Twitch channel (where you can watch Dave use the tools shown here):
twitch.tv/japaneseprintmaking

The Mokuhankan website:
mokuhankan.com

Our Patreon campaign:
patreon.com/mokuhankan

Japanese Woodblock Printmaking - An Ukiyo-e Falcon

David Bull 2021-03-12 | This is the next in the series of videos that show our printing process from start to finish. Today we are featuring the third print in our 2021 ‘Scenes from Nature’ subscription series. This image is based on an Isoda Koryusai design of a falcon and is one of the twelve nature prints we selected from his enormous portfolio of work.

Carver: Noriko Kawasaki
Printer: Natsuki Suga
Cinematography: Yasuhiro Aoyama
Editing and Narration: Cameron Hilker
Guest Appearances: David Bull and Ayumi Ohashi

Subscription information:
mokuhankan.com/subscriptions

The Mokuhankan Twitch channel:
twitch.tv/japaneseprintmaking

The Mokuhankan website:
mokuhankan.com

Our Patreon campaign:
patreon.com/mokuhankan

00:00 Introduction and opening
04:12 0/11 - Moistening the Paper
05:51 1/11 - Key block
07:37 2/11 - Yellow on Falcon
09:32 3/11 - Gold Ornamentation
10:25 Adjusting the Kento Registration Marks
11:34 4/11 - Vermilion
12:45 5/11 - Blue Background
14:38 6/11 - Yellow Feet
15:57 7/11 - Pink Flag
17:24 8/11 - Pink Circles
18:30 9/11 - Blue Rope
20:08 10/11 - Blue on Wings
21:35 'Pearl' Pigment
22:22 11/11 - 'Pearl' Insignia
23:38 12/11 - Name Embossing
24:53 Drying the Prints
27:02 Slideshow
28:24 Chat with Suga-san

Note: although the series is being produced one by one during the course of 2021, we intend to keep the set of prints in production for many years, so if you are coming to this page at some future date, it should still be available!

David Bull - The Meaning(s) of Life

David Bull 2021-02-07 | This is a bit of an 'off the wall' video for Dave - there is none of his usual printmaking content at all. It's a one-hour presentation in which he puts forward some thoughts on a couple of ... 'big questions'.

***

Dave's woodblock print publishing venture - Mokuhankan - in Asakusa Tokyo:
mokuhankan.com

Dave does a Twitch stream a few days a week, with the camera pointed at his workbench:
twitch.tv/japaneseprintmaking

Dave's old and ramshackle personal website, dating back to 1997 ...
http://woodblock.com/front.html

Davids Choice - Episode #12: The Mokuhankan Collection

Mokuhankan Japanese Prints - 2020 Update

David Bull 2020-12-14 | This is the year-end update from David Bull's Mokuhankan printmaking workshop in Asakusa Tokyo. Of special interest is the announcement of the new subscription series for 2021 - 'Scenes from Nature', a set of prints based on designs by Isoda Koryusai.

Mentioned in the video:

The 2021 subscription series: mokuhankan.com/subscriptions/koryusai.html

The 'Eight Views of Cats' website: nekohakkei.com
Order here: mokuhankan.com/catalogue/thumbnails.php?search_key=8%20Cats

The 'Sushi Cats' can be ordered here: shop.ukiyoeheroes.com/collections/handmade-woodblock-prints

The Instagram of the young British carver mentioned at the end of the video: instagram.com/tarancasey

Our Twitch stream: twitch.tv/japaneseprintmaking

Our Patreon page: patreon.com/mokuhankan

Instagram: instagram.com/mokuhankan

The print shown on the Splash Screen: mokuhankan.com/catalogue/0394.php

Thank you for watching!

0:00 Introduction
1:13 How We Survived
7:45 Shipping Setbacks
9:13 2019 vs 2020
10:39 Reviewing 2020's Subscription Series
15:50 2021's New Series
18:47 New Tool Project Announcement
21:54 Eight Views of Cats Update
25:27 'It has been an absolutely incredible year...'

Davids Choice - Episode #11 Supplement

David Bull 2020-10-21 | This is a supplementary video to Episode #11 of our 'David's Choice' series, which featured woodblock prints of the Tōkaidō road by Hiroshige:
youtube.com/watch?v=GKoxt9Y2oMQ

This episode features a set of very small prints made in the Meiji era.

***

The Mokuhankan website is:
mokuhankan.com

The Mokuhankan Collection link to see the print set featured in this video is:
mokuhankan.com/collection/index.php?id_for_display=00089

Our Patreon page is:
patreon.com/mokuhankan

Our Twitch channel is:
twitch.tv/japaneseprintmaking

Thank you for watching!

0:00 Introduction and Overview
7:42 First Station - Shinagawa
8:24 Second Station - Kawasaki
8:54 Tenth Station - Hakone
9:49 Sixteenth Station - Yui
10:30 Seventeenth Station - Okitsu
10:51 Nineteenth Station - Fuchū
11:28 Twenty-third Station - Shimada
12:07 Thirty-fifth Station - Goyu
12:59 Forty-first Station - Miya
13:43 Arrival at Kyoto
14:24 Discussion

Davids Choice - Episode #11

David Bull 2020-10-11 | This is the next in our 'David's Choice' series, where Tokyo-based woodblock printmaker David Bull introduces some of his favourite prints. This episode takes on a very large topic - Hiroshige’s masterwork ’53 Stations of the Tōkaidō’.

***

The old restaurant mentioned in the video - at Mariko Station - is called Chojiya. Their English website is here:
chojiya.info/english

The Mokuhankan website is:
mokuhankan.com

The Mokuhankan Collection (antique prints in our own collection) is:
mokuhankan.com/collection

Our Patreon page is:
patreon.com/mokuhankan

Our Twitch channel is:
twitch.tv/japaneseprintmaking

Thank you for watching!

0:00 Introduction
4:22 Down the Tōkaidō Road: Starting at Nihonbashi
5:53 Tenth Station - Hakone
9:52 Seventh Station - Hiratsuka
12:17 Eleventh Station - Mishima
13:30 Twentieth Station - Mariko
14:52 Thirty-sixth Station - Akasaka
16:38 River Crossing Scenes
20:55 Ito Susumu, Kakegawa, and Discussion
26:39 Opening the Takamizawa Set
32:59 Looking at Smaller Sets
35:38 Bigger (Double Oban) Set and Weather on the Tōkaidō
38:43 Comparison of Different Editions of Chiryu
42:25 The Tōkaidō Then and Now
46:54 Story Time and Conclusion

Seditious Beauty - Can art change history?

David Bull 2020-06-04 | A short talk by Dave trying to explain the impact of traditional Japanese ukiyo-e prints on the society of the day. Illustrated with a selection of prints from his own collection.

00:00 Introduction
01:36 The Talk
11:33 The Prints

Notes about the 14 prints featured in the video (in order of appearance):

1) Lovers in an Autumn Field
Designed: Hishikawa Moronobu, approx 1680s
This print: 20th century reproduction by Adachi

2) Kaigetsudo genre print
Designed: unknown, 'in the style of' the original Kaigetsudo images
This print: Taisho era version (approx 1910~)

3) Shin bijin awase jihitsu kagami (A New Mirror Comparing the Calligraphy of Beauties)
Designed: Kitao Masanobu, 1784
metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/45278
This print: Taisho era version (1916)

4) Ohisa of the Takashima-ya
Designed: Kitagawa Utamaro, 1792
artsandculture.google.com/asset/kitagawa-utamaro-ohisa-of-the-takashima-tea-shop-a-colour-woodblock-print/pwGpuPRCj2skhg
This print: Showa era reproduction (mid 1980s)

5) Jidai Kagami (Mirror of the Ages) - Kouka era
Designed: Toyohara Chikanobu, 1896
ukiyo-e.org/image/metro/KA4704-037
This print: original from 1896

6) Ichikawa Danjuro
Designed: Kiyonobu, early 1700s
This print: Dave's reproduction (in the Mokuhankan catalogue)

7) Otani Hiroji III as Kawazu no Saburo (left), and Nakamura Sukegoro II as Matano no Goro (right), in the Play Myoto-giku Izu no Kisewata
Designed: Katsukawa Shunsho, 1770
This print: early 20th century reproduction by Takamizawa

8) Bando Mitsugorô II as Ishii Genzô
Sharaku: 1794
This print: Taisho era version (1915 or so ...)

9) Sagi Musume (Heron Maiden)
Designed: Suzuki Harunobu, 1760
http://enmokudb.kabuki.ne.jp/repertoire_en/鷺娘-the-heron-maiden
This print: Taisho era version (approx 1910~)

10) Wrestlers Contemplating the Child Wonder Daidozan Bungoro (leftmost panel of three)
Designed: Sharaku 1794
This print: early 20th century reproduction by Takamizawa

11) Nihonbashi, from the '53 Stations of the Tokaido'
Designed: Hiroshige, 1834~5
This print: Taisho reproduction set

12) Hara, from the '53 Stations of the Tokaido'
Designed: Hiroshige, 1834~5
This print: Taisho reproduction set

13) Akasaka, from the '53 Stations of the Tokaido'
Designed: Hiroshige, 1834~5
This print: Taisho reproduction set

14) Kanbara, from the '53 Stations of the Tokaido'
Designed: Hiroshige, 1834~5
This print: Taisho reproduction set

A text version of this talk is linked from here:
http://www.woodblock.com/encyclopedia/topics/toc_general_aspects.html

***

Our website:
mokuhankan.com

The shop:
mokuhankan.com/catalogue/thumbnails.php?search_key=general

Twitch stream:
twitch.tv/japaneseprintmaking

Patreon:
patreon.com/mokuhankan

Subscriptions:
mokuhankan.com/subscriptions

Remembering a Carver - The Sequel

David Bull 2020-05-04 | This video expands on the story of Dave meeting the woodblock carver Ito Susumu back in 1992. Using old video cassettes from the producers of the TV program made at that time - saved from the cutting room floor - we see Dave getting a 'master class' in traditional woodblock carving.

If you haven't seen the original 'Remembering a Carver' video, it is here:
youtube.com/watch?v=ij9KXgiyDAc

Links
The Mokuhankan website:
mokuhankan.com

Dave's Twitch stream:
twitch.tv/japaneseprintmaking

The Patreon:
patreon.com/mokuhankan

Mokuhankan print subscriptions:
mokuhankan.com/subscriptions

***

The web page discussing tying with string that was mentioned in the video:
http://woodblock.com/encyclopedia/entries/001_13/001_13.html

***

Comments on Dave's visit to Ito-san from the producer of the original TV program back in 1992, Ms. Reiko Furuichi

"I visited the carver Susumu Ito with David in 1992. Mr. Matsuzaki the printer had arranged the visit for us. (David has already written about this visit in this newsletter, but we TV people have another side to the story!)

Mr. Ito was an elderly 'shokunin' with sullen looks. I didn't even know how to talk to him, but began the interview with my heart in my mouth. It was a strange scene that David and Mr. Ito made, sitting side by side. Their body sizes were completely different and we were not able to shoot the scene in the usual way (Mr. Ito was small and worked with his body hunched over). David felt small sitting beside the 'master', but when we looked at them through the camera lens, it seemed just the reverse; it looked like as though David was bullying Mr. Ito.

So it was quite a difficult situation for our crew. The cameraman was struggling to take pictures of them as they sat on the tatami with tools scattered here and there. He had to work very unnaturally, shooting between their heads and shoulders, and he looked at me quite reproachfully. And what was worse, was that David's ability to listen to Japanese language was far from perfect at that time, and the way Mr. Ito spoke was not easy to understand even for us Japanese. Would this interview work out? We were quite concerned ...

And what happened? Well, Mr. Ito didn't care about the camera at all and eagerly started to tell a lot of things to David. We felt his extraordinary desire to pass on his knowledge to David. Two people have the subject in common. One is eager to tell what he knows, and the other is eager to learn it. It seems that nothing can disturb them. As time went by, the things that Mr. Ito said to David became more and more specific, and at last he was teaching David the 'secrets of carving' with 90% gestures and 10% Japanese that consisted of just isolated words. It seemed as though he was trying to teach David everything he knew in this few hours. It would take a few years to teach them at school. David listened to him with all his heart and mind and strength. Gradually Mr. Ito became to look big for us, too.

One knife came to David's hand and then back to Mr. Ito's hand. This was repeated again and again. It was a happy encounter beyond every difference - age, language, or nationality. Mr. Kenichiro Nakaba, the cameraman, kept taking shots of their hands as much as he could.

After we returned to our office, we talked about how beautiful the hands of the two men were. Why did Mr. Ito try to teach his techniques to David so eagerly? What was David trying to do? Do we really understand Japanese woodblock prints? What is happening in the traditional culture of Japan? ..."

***

0:00 Introduction
5:24 Going to Ito-san's Home
6:07 Ita Bokashi (Carved Gradations)
7:35 Sharpening
12:05 Brush Strokes
15:03 Blade Length and Wrapping
17:23 Dave Shares His Work
18:50 Ito-san Carving
25:10 Discussion and Ending

Japanese Woodblock Printmaking - Tokugawa Tea Bowl

David Bull 2020-02-18 | This is the next in the series of videos that show our printing process from start to finish. It's a bit of a different type of image from our usual ukiyo-e prints - this is a reproduction of a Meiji-era print depicting an old tea bowl. You will see our young printer Rei-chan work through the stages of printing, followed by a slide show of the steps ...

The print is available in our catalogue here:
mokuhankan.com/catalogue/0275.php

Our website:
mokuhankan.com

Our Twitch stream:
twitch.tv/japaneseprintmaking

Our Patreon campaign:
patreon.com/mokuhankan

00:00 Introduction
04:29 1/17 - Background (First Impression)
06:12 2/17 - Background (Second Impression)
07:37 3/17 - Key block
08:52 4/17 - Bowl Background
10:15 5/17 - Darker Bowl Background
11:28 6/17 - Bowl Bottom Gradation
12:45 7/17 - Gradation to Darken the Bowl
14:38 8/17 - Reddish Gradation Inside the Bowl
15:57 9/17 - 2nd Reddish Gradation Inside the Bowl
17:26 10/17 - Blue Wave Pattern
18:18 11/17 - Dark Brown Speckling
19:14 12/17 - Dark Brown Crescent
20:07 13/17 - Yellow in Upper Chipped Section
20:38 14/17 - White Wave Patterns
21:27 15/17 - Shadows at Bottom of Bowl
22:32 16/17 - Subtle Scratches on Sides
23:35 17/17 - Inner Darker Background
25:17 Slideshow
27:10 Wrap-up

Mokuhankan Japanese Prints - 2019 Update

David Bull 2019-12-30 | This is the year-end update from David Bull's Mokuhankan printmaking workshop in Asakusa Tokyo. Of special interest is the announcement of the new subscription series for 2020 - 'A Woodblock Pilgrimage', which features twelve places that inspired scenes from famous animated feature films.

Mentioned in the video:

The 2020 subscription series: mokuhankan.com/subscriptions/pilgrimage.html

The 'Eight Views of Cats' website is: nekohakkei.com

Our Twitch stream is at: twitch.tv/japaneseprintmaking

Our Patreon page is: patreon.com/mokuhankan

Thank you for watching!

Eight Views of Cats - Update #1

David Bull 2019-09-04 | Woodblock printmaker David Bull brings an update on the Eight Views of Cats project being undertaken by his Mokuhankan print workshop in Asakusa, Tokyo.

The project got under way in June 2019, and after three months, a number of interesting designs have been received, and are introduced here.

The project schedule - it was originally intended that submissions would be accepted only through the summer of 2019 - has been extended, and submissions will now be accepted on an open-ended basis until each of the eight themes has been decided. For more details, please see the project website:
nekohakkei.com

Here are links to see more work from the designers featured in this video:
Randall Hall
instagram.com/randyhallht

Deiniol Owan
instagram.com/illustrationsbyfulmar

Vivian Uhlir
http://vivianuhlir.com

Evelyn Szawerski
namakemono-illustration.com

Aafke Ytsma
http://aafkeytsma.nl/artwork03.html

Sherbett Hopkins
instagram.com/rincs.art

Anselmo Coelho
anselmocoelho.com

Jonathan Huff
instagram.com/jonathandoesart_

Other links:
The Mokuhankan website:
mokuhankan.com

Our Patreon page:
patreon.com/mokuhankan

Our Twitch stream:
twitch.tv/japaneseprintmaking

Thank you for watching!

Davids Choice - Episode #10

David Bull 2019-08-24 | This is the next in our 'David's Choice' series, where Tokyo-based woodblock printmaker David Bull introduces some of his favourite prints. This special episode has a ‘double punch’ - not only will you learn about a beautiful set of old Meiji-era woodblock books, but an important part of those books has come to life for you to use here in the modern day ... the original typeface has been recreated!

***

The download page for the Hasegawa font is:
mokuhankan.com/fonts

Many many thanks to Markku Mujunen for the huge amount of work and dedication he brought to this project!
If you are enjoying having this font for use, please take a minute to let him know, through his website:
http://markkumujunen.com

***

The music used in this video was composed by Bzaurie, and is entitled 'The Invisible Library':
bzaurie.bandcamp.com/track/the-invisible-library
Hear more at: bzaurie.bandcamp.com

***

The poetry reading was done in the only place in this building where I could 'escape' from all the noises of this community ... our bathroom. Please excuse the resulting audio 'effects' ...

***

More information:
Fellow book/print collector Marc Kahn has let me know about other 'sightings' of the Hasegawa font used extensively in some of their books.
-----
- "Japanese Pictures of Japanese Life" - This is the same book illustrated on the cover of Frederic Sharf's book about Takejiro Hasegawa.
- "Monthly Changes of Japanese Street-Scenes - Calendar for 1908" - In addition to just being a calendar, each month has some descriptive text.
-----
Thanks, Marc!

***

The Mokuhankan website is:
mokuhankan.com

Our Patreon page is:
patreon.com/mokuhankan

Our Twitch channel is:
twitch.tv/japaneseprintmaking

Thank you for watching!

Easter Eggs in Japanese Woodblock Prints

David Bull 2019-07-29 | Tokyo woodblock printmaker Dave Bull introduces a bit of a different video … showing some hidden ways to enjoy your traditional woodblock prints!

For those who don't understand how this works, please look up the phrase 'Chroma Key' ... If you want to try this at home, you’ll need some woodblock prints (or any other image) with a smooth background, like the ones used in the video. The app Dave used to create the ‘hidden world’ effect was 'Green Screen’, published by 'Do Ink’, from the Apple app store. Many similar apps are available, both for iOS and Android.

Information on the woodblock prints shown in the video is here:
mokuhankan.com/subscriptions

The Mokuhankan Twitch channel is here:
twitch.tv/japaneseprintmaking

The Patreon:
patreon.com/mokuhankan

The Mokuhankan website:
mokuhankan.com

The three video clips used in the backgrounds were taken from these videos:
youtube.com/watch?v=vla-uUw8EwM
youtube.com/watch?v=lXg3e_ZTZoI
youtube.com/watch?v=HKA0lZ4hubg

Thanks for watching!

Woodblock Printing Process - A Japan Journey

David Bull 2019-07-19 | Tokyo-based woodblock printmaker David Bull narrates a video showing the step-by-step process of making one of the woodblock prints in the 2019 subscription series 'A Japan Journey', designed by Jed Henry.

This image is the August print - Summer Tea Fields - and is being made by our young printer Natsuki Suga.

Subscription information:
mokuhankan.com/subscriptions

The Mokuhankan Twitch channel:
twitch.tv/japaneseprintmaking

The Patreon:
patreon.com/mokuhankan

The Mokuhankan website:
mokuhankan.com

Note: although the series is being produced one by one during the course of 2019, we intend to keep the set of prints in production for many years, so if you are coming to this page at some future date, it should still be available!

00:00 Introduction
02:06 1/10 - Background Orange
03:35 2/10 - Keyblock
04:34 3/10 - Sky Blue and Shadows
05:49 4/10 - Green
07:13 5/10 - Shadows
08:26 6/10 - More Shadows
09:29 7/10 - Darker Green
10:48 8/10 - Tree Shadows
11:35 9/10 - Foreground Shadows
12:32 10/10 - Blue Sky Gradation
13:49 11/10 - Embossing
14:11 Slideshow

Davids Choice - Episode #9

David Bull 2019-06-28 | This is the next in our 'David's Choice' series, where Tokyo-based woodblock printmaker David Bull introduces some of his favourite prints. This episode shows and discusses the famous 'Fairy Tales of Japan' books published by the Hasegawa Company in the Meiji era.

***

The Mokuhankan website is:
mokuhankan.com

Our Patreon page is:
patreon.com/mokuhankan

Our Twitch channel is:
twitch.tv/japaneseprintmaking

Thank you for watching!

New Series - Eight Views of Cats

David Bull 2019-05-31 | [Important Notice: due to the massive interest in this project, we have restructured the timetable. Instead of trying to get all eight designs selected up front, we are going to finalize them one-by-one as we move forward with the actual printmaking. So the original 'deadline' of late August 2019 has been removed, and we will be accepting submissions for the as-yet-undecided themes on an ongoing basis.]

The Mokuhankan print workshop in Asakusa, Tokyo is announcing a new print series today, with a difference! We are looking for collaborators to help us come up with an interesting set of designs.

The series of eight new prints will be published beginning in September of 2019, and during the course of the project we will be accepting submissions of potential images from designers around the world.

Information, and the submission page, can be found on the special website set up for the new series:
nekohakkei.com

***

Notes:

1) Audio

It seems that I screwed up the audio quite badly. When I prepared the video I tried to do too many things at the same time (I live streamed the recording session on Twitch), and ended up doing it with the gain switch on my digital recorder at the ‘low’ setting, leaving me with a very bad signal/noise ratio. But even so, I was very surprised to see just how many people have left comments on the audio - I myself hadn't thought that it was _that_ bad. I suspect now, that at age 67, I'm obviously not hearing the same thing that many of the viewers are hearing ... I will take this into account from now on, and will do two things: 1) get some better equipment, and 2) start using another pair of (younger) ears during this editing process ... Thank you for your patience while I work this out!

***

The Mokuhankan website is:
mokuhankan.com

Our Patreon page is:
patreon.com/mokuhankan

Our Twitch channel is:
twitch.tv/japaneseprintmaking

Davids Choice - Episode #8 Supplement

David Bull 2019-05-20 | The next in our 'David's Choice' series, where Tokyo-based woodblock printmaker David Bull introduces some of his favourite prints. This episode is a supplement to the previous video, the one discussing the theme of Hakkei - or ‘8 Views’. In this video, the focus is on the famous set of woodblock prints designed by Suzuki Harunobu in the 1760s - 'Zashiki Hakkei' (Eight Views in the Home).

The YouTube system doesn't let us include here the text of the pamphlet featured in the video, as it is too long. So we have uploaded it to a file here:
mokuhankan.com/temporary/video_supplementary-notes.txt

***

The Mokuhankan website is:
mokuhankan.com

Our Patreon page is:
patreon.com/mokuhankan

Our Twitch channel is:
twitch.tv/japaneseprintmaking

Thank you for watching!

Davids Choice - Episode #8

David Bull 2019-05-12 | The next in our 'David's Choice' series, where Tokyo-based woodblock printmaker David Bull introduces some of his favourite prints. This episode shows and discusses prints related to the theme of Hakkei - or ‘8 Views’, centering on the iconic ‘Omi Hakkei’ (Eight Views of Omi) by Hiroshige.

Update: we now have a supplementary video to this one, showing more closeups of the Harunobu designs:
youtube.com/watch?v=VDQpAmIEbn4

Some reference links related to this video:

Original Chinese 8 Views:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eight_Views_of_Xiaoxiang

Some of Hiroshige’s many Omi Hakkei series:
http://www.hiroshige.org.uk/hiroshige/Views_Of_Omi/Views_Of_Omi.htm

Information on Harunobu’s Zashiki Kakkei (contains erotic imagery):
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zashiki_Hakkei

An interesting page with more examples and information on the concept:
behance.net/gallery/4807191/The-Eight-Views-of-Omi-and-its-Parodies

The Mokuhankan website is:
mokuhankan.com

Our Patreon page is:
patreon.com/mokuhankan

Our Twitch channel is:
twitch.tv/japaneseprintmaking

Thank you for watching!

Ukiyo-e Heroes (25) : Two Souls Entwined

David Bull 2019-03-08 | Here is the next in the ongoing series of videos showing how Jed Henry's 'Ukiyo-e Heroes' woodblock prints are made. This one is the design known as 'Two Souls Entwined', and was shot in the printer's room on the 3rd floor of the Mokuhankan building in Asakusa, Tokyo, in February of 2019.

The young printer you see in the video is Natsuki Suga, who has been working here at Mokuhankan for a few years now. Staffer Cameron Hilker spent hours upstairs with her while she worked on this print, and this video is put together from the clips he took during the process. (Cameron also did the editing of the whole thing ...)

The print in this video is now available from Jed's webshop here:
shop.ukiyoeheroes.com/collections/handmade-woodblock-prints/products/two-souls-entwined-woodblock-print

The rest of the famous Ukiyo-e Heroes prints can be seen here:
mokuhankan.com/heroes

***

We stream our printmaking activities live from our Tokyo workshop three days a week over on Twitch:
twitch.tv/japaneseprintmaking

... and we have a Patreon page at:
patreon.com/mokuhankan

Thanks for watching!

00:00 Introduction
02:32 1/13 - Key Block
04:06 2/13 - Blue Dragon Key Block
05:17 3/13 - Skin Tone
06:14 4/13 - Green Accents
07:07 5/13 - Armour Grey
08:10 6/13 - Metal Grey
09:09 7/13 - Dark Blue Clothing
10:39 8/13 - Black Clothing
12:46 9/13 - Background Teal
14:37 10/13 - Green for Dragon
15:46 Suga-san talks about her blue pigments
16:00 11/13 - Blue for Dragons
17:19 12/13 - Teal Accent on Waves
18:28 13/13 - Tattoo
19:17 14/13 - Name Embossing
20:06 15/13 - Shomenzuri on Fabric
20:54 Slideshow
21:29 Wrap-up

Davids Choice - Episode #7

David Bull 2019-02-01 | The next in our 'David's Choice' series, where Tokyo-based woodblock printmaker David Bull introduces some of his favourite prints. This episode shows and discusses a selection of small 'match label' woodblock prints from his collection, and we get to see some being made!

The Mokuhankan website is:
mokuhankan.com

Our Patreon page is:
patreon.com/mokuhankan

Our Twitch channel is:
twitch.tv/japaneseprintmaking

Thank you for watching!

A Japan Journey

David Bull 2018-12-26 | Dave announces the new subscription series for 2019 - A Japan Journey!

Subscription information:
mokuhankan.com/subscriptions

The Twitch channel:
twitch.tv/japaneseprintmaking

The Patreon:
patreon.com/mokuhankan

The Mokuhankan website:
mokuhankan.com

Note: although the series is now being introduced here at the end of 2018, we intend to keep it in production for many years, so if you are coming to this page at some future date, it will still be available!

Ukiyo-e Heroes (24) : Times Burned Bright

David Bull 2018-09-21 | Here is the next in the long series of videos showing how Jed Henry's Ukiyo-e Heroes woodblock prints are made. This one is the design known as 'Times Burned Bright', and was shot in the printer's room on the 3rd floor of the Mokuhankan building in Asakusa, Tokyo, in the autumn of 2018.

In a new twist for our videos, this one was produced in its entirety by Mokuhankan staff member Cameron Hilker. Look out for more coming soon!

The famous Ukiyo-e Heroes prints can be seen here:
mokuhankan.com/heroes

They can be ordered online at:
ukiyoeheroes.com

The print in this video can be ordered here:
shop.ukiyoeheroes.com/collections/handmade-woodblock-prints/products/times-burned-bright-woodblock-print

We stream our printmaking activities six days a week over on Twitch:
twitch.tv/japaneseprintmaking

... and there is a Patreon page at:
patreon.com/mokuhankan

Thanks for watching!

Beginnings (part 2)

David Bull 2018-09-04 | This is the second in a two-part set covering Dave's early beginnings in woodblock printmaking, and focusses on his interactions with Mr. Isamu Adachi, the operator of one of Tokyo's most respected traditional print publishing houses.

Dave's personal website (kind of old-fashioned) is at:
http://woodblock.com/front.html

His newer work with the Mokuhankan venture is at:
mokuhankan.com

The famous Ukiyo-e Heroes prints can be seen here:
mokuhankan.com/heroes

Dave streams many days each week over on Twitch:
twitch.tv/japaneseprintmaking

... and there is a Patreon page at:
patreon.com/mokuhankan

Thanks for watching!

Beginnings (part 1)

David Bull 2018-08-14 | Another 'ramble' video from woodblock printmaker Dave Bull in Tokyo. This is the first of a two-part set that will cover Dave's early beginnings in woodblock printmaking, and focusses on the first prints he ever bought - a set of four designs based on the old novel 'Genji Monogatari'. They were designed by Okada Yoshio, and published by the Yuyudo Company in Tokyo in the late 1970s.

The images of the prints contained in this video are copyright Mr. Yoshio Okada. (People have been asking about how to obtain the book that I show in this video. The book has no ISBN, so I can't give you a definitive link, but the title in Japanese is 絵草紙源氏物語 (E-zoshi Genji Monogatari), and it was written by Tanabe Seiko and illustrated by Okada Yoshio. Published by Kadokawa Shoten in 1979.

[Update: the four prints are now available to view in the Mokuhankan Collection here: mokuhankan.com/collection/index.php?id_for_display=00070]

Dave's personal website (kind of old-fashioned) is at:
http://woodblock.com/front.html

His newer work with the Mokuhankan venture is at:
mokuhankan.com

The famous Ukiyo-e Heroes prints can be seen here:
mokuhankan.com/heroes

Dave streams many days each week over on Twitch:
twitch.tv/japaneseprintmaking

... and there is a Patreon page at:
patreon.com/mokuhankan

Thanks for watching!

Print Party - and Asakusa Festival!

David Bull 2018-05-29 | This video was recorded during the famous Sanja Matsuri here in Asakusa Tokyo, and is in two parts: we start with a complete and uncut Print Party session, showing a group of four young people from California making our Peach Boy print. This is followed by a few clips of the festival action, taken with the camera placed out on the balcony of our shop, which overlooks the very busy Roku-dori street in Asakusa.

Print Party information:
mokuhankan.com/parties

Our Twitch channel:
twitch.tv/japaneseprintmaking

Our Patreon page:
patreon.com/mokuhankan

Davids Choice - Episode #6

David Bull 2018-05-09 | The next in our 'David's Choice' series, where Tokyo-based woodblock printmaker David Bull introduces some of his favourite prints. This time, it's not a single print being featured, but a genre - Dave introduces some woodblock-printed melodramatic Edo-era novels.

Our website is:
mokuhankan.com

Our Patreon page is:
patreon.com/mokuhankan

Our Twitch channel is:
twitch.tv/japaneseprintmaking

Thank you for watching!

Ukiyoe Heroes (23) : Proofing The Serpent Strikes

David Bull 2018-03-24 | 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 'The Serpent Strikes'. It was shot in the Tokyo workroom of woodblock printer Kenichi Kubota in March of 2018.

Shortly after this trial printing was completed, Kubota-san began work on the initial batch of production prints, which were sent over to Jed a couple of weeks later. The print is now in regular production, and can be found in the catalogue at:
shop.ukiyoeheroes.com/collections/handmade-woodblock-prints/products/the-serpent-strikes-woodblock-print

Ukiyo-e Heroes Book - Part 2

David Bull 2018-02-12 | This is the second of a couple of videos that show how Tokyo-based woodblock printmaker Dave Bull is making the Ukiyo-e Heroes books that were promised as part of the recent Kickstarter campaign (autumn 2017).

Each of the books contains ten actual woodblock prints - the first ten designs created in the series (from 2012 ~ 2014), and is bound in the traditional Japanese 和綴じ本 style (sewn with silk thread).

The (closed) Kickstarter campaign is here:
kickstarter.com/projects/1499165518/ukiyo-e-heroes-boss-fights/description

Ukiyo-e Heroes information is here:
http://mokuhankan.com/heroes
http://ukiyoeheroes.com

The Mokuhankan Twitch channel is here:
twitch.tv/japaneseprintmaking

The Mokuhankan Patreon page is here:
patreon.com/mokuhankan

Woodblock Print - start to finish (edited version)

Woodblock Print - start to finish (in real time)

David Bull 2018-01-08 | Tokyo-based woodblock printmaker Dave Bull presents a recorded Twitch live stream showing the entire process of making a woodblock print, from blank block right through to the completed print, in one uncut session (over three hours).

It was recorded on January 8, 2018 in his Asakusa workshop, and illustrates the production of a design by Ichijô Narumi (1877~1910).

The video is also available here on YouTube in an edited version (about 42 minutes long):
youtube.com/watch?v=ucdcFCxkvTI

The print is now available here:
http://mokuhankan.com/catalogue/0335.php

Dave's Twitch stream is here:
twitch.tv/japaneseprintmaking

The Patreon page is here:
patreon.com/mokuhankan

0:00 Getting Started
2:55 Pasting the First Hanshita Down
7:40 Peeling the Gampi Paper
11:33 Sharpening the Knife
18:07 Carving Ripple Outlines
1:06:10 Clearing Ripples
1:13:02 Carving the Woman
1:33:40 Carving the Border
1:37:12 Clearing the Border
1:49:15 Clearing the Woman
1:57:30 Finishing Touches on First Block
2:13:40 Pasting the Hair Hanshita Down
2:15:52 Peeling Gampi Again
2:17:26 Carving the Hair
2:30:55 Clearing around the Hair
2:36:10 Final Touches around Hair
2:41:52 Carving is Done - Printing Prep!
2:50:23 Test Printing of First Block
2:57:05 First Block Washi Printing
3:08:37 Hair Block Test Printing
3:10:57 Hair Block Washi Printing
3:18:39 Final Print and Wrap-up

Ukiyo-e Heroes Book - Part 1

David Bull 2018-01-04 | This is the first of a couple of videos that show how Tokyo-based woodblock printmaker Dave Bull will make the Ukiyo-e Heroes books that were promised as part of the recent Kickstarter campaign (autumn 2017).

Each of the books will contain ten actual woodblock prints - the first ten designs created in the series (from 2012 ~ 2014), and will be bound in the traditional Japanese 和綴じ本 style (sewn with silk thread).

The (closed) Kickstarter campaign was here:
kickstarter.com/projects/1499165518/ukiyo-e-heroes-boss-fights/description

Ukiyo-e Heroes information is here:
http://mokuhankan.com/heroes
http://ukiyoeheroes.com

The Mokuhankan Twitch channel is here:
twitch.tv/japaneseprintmaking

The Mokuhankan Patreon page is here:
patreon.com/mokuhankan

Legendary Loot Series

David Bull 2017-12-22 | Dave announces the new subscription series for 2018 - the Legendary Loot!

Subscription information:
http://mokuhankan.com/legendary_loot

The Twitch channel:
twitch.tv/japaneseprintmaking

The Patreon:
patreon.com/mokuhankan

The Mokuhankan website:
http://mokuhankan.com

Note: although the series is now being introduced here at the end of 2017, we intend to keep it in production for many years, so if you are coming to this page at some future date, it should still be available!

The Great Wave - Part 16

David Bull 2017-12-05 | After a two-year gap, this is the next episode in a series documenting the production of a new hand-carved reproduction of Hokusai's iconic image of the Great Wave, by Tokyo-based woodblock printmaker David Bull.

This episode focusses on the question of how much these woodblock wear down after heavy use ...

Information on the print is at:
http://mokuhankan.com/hokusai

It can be ordered here:
http://mokuhankan.com/catalogue/0293.php

Dave's Patreon page is at:
patreon.com/mokuhankan

Dave's Twitch account - where live streams happen most day each week, is at:
twitch.tv/japaneseprintmaking

Thank you for watching!

Davids Choice - Episode #5

David Bull 2017-10-23 | The next in our 'David's Choice' series, where Tokyo-based woodblock printmaker David Bull introduces some of his favourite prints. This time, the print(s) being featured are from the old Doi Hanga Company, and are two different scenes of the Kagurazaka district of Tokyo. The designers were Tsuchiya Koitsu, and Noel Nouet, and the prints were originally published in the late 1930s.

More information on the prints is here:
http://mokuhankan.com/catalogue/DH07.php
http://mokuhankan.com/catalogue/DH04.php

Our Patreon page is:
patreon.com/mokuhankan

Our Twitch channel is:
twitch.tv/japaneseprintmaking

Thank you for watching!

Ukiyo-e Heroes 2017 Kickstarter - wrapping up

David Bull 2017-10-08 | Dave's wrap-up of the 2017 Kickstarter campaign, which - at the time of uploading this video - had four days to run.

The campaign page:
kickstarter.com/projects/1499165518/ukiyo-e-heroes-boss-fights

The Ukiyo-e Heroes website:
http://ukiyoeheroes.com

The Twitch channel:
twitch.tv/japaneseprintmaking

Dave's Asakusa shop:
http://mokuhankan.com/parties

The Patreon page:
patreon.com/mokuhankan

Japanese Printmaking - Twitch stream highlights 2017/09

David Bull 2017-09-30 | This video is a short compilation of 'highlights' from Twitch streams produced by Tokyo-based woodblock printmaker David Bull (originally streamed in September 2017).

The Twitch channel is:
twitch.tv/japaneseprintmaking

Dave's Mokuhankan website is:
http://mokuhankan.com

Dave's original website (with his personal work) is:
http://woodblock.com

And his Patreon page is:
patreon.com/mokuhankan

Thank you for watching!

Ukiyo-e Heroes - 2017 Kickstarter Introduction Video

David Bull 2017-09-13 | The video that introduces the Ukiyo-e Heroes Kickstarter campaign for 2017, brought to you by illustrator Jed Henry, and woodblock printmaker David Bull.

The Kickstarter page is here: kickstarter.com/projects/1499165518/ukiyo-e-heroes-boss-fights/description

Ukiyoe Heroes is here:
http://ukiyoeheroes.com

Our Patreon page is here:
patreon.com/mokuhankan

Yokai Printing - Introducing Suga-san

David Bull 2017-08-28 | Another 'process' video from the Mokuhankan workshop of printmaker David Bull. It shows the progression of colours coming to life on the September pair of prints from our 'Yokai Faceoff' series, designed by Kawanabe Kyosai and Jed Henry.

The young printer in this session is Natsuki Suga, who has been with our workshop for nearly a year now.

The Twitch channel mentioned in the video is here:
twitch.tv/japaneseprintmaking

The Yokai series website is here:
http://mokuhankan.com/yokai ... and subscriptions to the set can start anytime.

Our Patreon page: patreon.com/mokuhankan

Making some Chibi Prints - Part Three

David Bull 2017-08-18 | Tokyo-based woodblock printmaker David Bull introduces the third in a three-part series showing the production of a pair of woodblock prints ... from design, through carving, then printing.

This episode shows Dave working through the proof printing process, beginning with moistening the paper, and progressing through the sequence of colour blocks.

The prints are the ones that will be sent to the backers of Dave's Patreon campaign over the next few months:
patreon.com/mokuhankan

More information on the work is on Dave's websites at:
http://woodblock.com
http://mokuhankan.com

Making some Chibi Prints - Part Two

David Bull 2017-08-10 | Tokyo-based woodblock printmaker David Bull introduces the second in a three-part series showing the production of a pair of woodblock prints ... from design, through carving, then printing.

This second part covers the process of making the colour separations, and carving the colour blocks.

The two prints illustrated are the ones that will be sent to the patrons of Dave's Patreon campaign:
patreon.com/mokuhankan

More information on the work is on Dave's websites at:
http://woodblock.com
http://mokuhankan.com