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Carving the key block of a harbour scene
How I cut the outline of a harbour into a block of wood, line by line, with two gouges.
Lifting the first print from the block
Ink, paper, a few firm rubs and the moment of lifting the paper to see how it came out.
Choosing colours from a morning sky
A quiet harbour at dawn, and how I turn what I see into three soft colours.
My carving tools, laid out
Each gouge and knife on the bench, what it cuts and which ones I would buy first.
Drying a print on the line
Damp paper, wooden pegs and why a print should dry slowly and flat.
Planning a carving from a printed guide
Laying a paper guide beside the block so each cut is made in the right order.
A day at the workbench
From the first cut in the morning to the last print at night, in one quiet day.
Sketching a stairway for the next print
Old houses, steps and a sea behind them: a pencil sketch before the block is chosen.
Lining up three colours with registration marks
How two small notches keep each colour in the right place from the first print to the last.
Carving fine lines without breaking the wood
Which way to cut, how deep to go and what to do when a thin line starts to lift.
The Block Letter
A short letter every Thursday: one print, one tip on carving and one thing to try on your own block.