Puppies Woodcut Demonstration

Most of you know me as a pet and childrens' portrait artist But I've mentioned my new medium that I love, woodcut printing.

Today I'm working on the finishing touches of a woodcut print of two pitbull...or some type of pit or bulldog mix puppies who were found abandoned and were rescued. You know I love pitbull mix pups!

After playing with woodcut tools, for the most part, I really like a straightedged razor blade for the details. This started as a piece of white pine. I drew the white parts with a pastel pencil...they all got cut out. And the dark parts you see now were drawn on with a dark pastel pencil. Cut out the white, leave the dark. Opposite of how you draw! After I did most of the cutting, I did a quick "proof", which is a test run of sorts. Amazing how you can see more you'd like to get done!

So now I think this is done and ready to print. I'm tearing my Japanese print paper today and inking up! This is the first time I'm printing at my own home studio. I was lucky enough to take classes this summer at Fleischer Memorial in South Philly from the very talented printmaking artist and teacher, Jeff Dentz.

Anyway, off to printing! If you missed my post about my Otto, here's the link.

http://artandanimals.blogspot.com/2008/08/otto-boxer-bull-mastiff-who-turned-into.html

I had just finished...or so I thought...cutting out my piece of pine, but after a couple of test prints, I refined it and cut out more. It looked too busy to me. But finally I was happy with my cut and began the printing part.

First, I laid a line of oil based printmakers ink on the top of a large piece of palette paper, which I have taped all around to keep from slipping.

Next, I roll my brayer through the ink, bringing it down the palette to get it even. Then, ink up the block. See how the ink hits the part I didn't cut out and doesn't go into the grooves of my design?

Sorry for the photo lighting ... my second story studio faces west, not nice even lighting ... but I enjoy it because it's up in the sycamore leaves and I actually enjoy the afternoon light changes. The table I'm using to print on is right up against the window. I don't use it for drawing or painting, but for other art activities, it's fine.
Earlier in the day, I had ripped all my paper to size on this table.

Now that the block is all inked up, back and forth, turning the block to ink, I'm ready to lay my block into place. I've made up a jig to hold the block in the same exact place, with the paper being laid in the same exact place.

Now, I gently lay my paper in place, press it to the plate with my left hand, and with the back of an ordinary kitchen spoon, begin rubbing the back of the paper to transfer the ink. VERY important at this stage to keep the paper in place so the ink doesn't smudge into the white parts.

Look closely! Can you see the puppies design coming through the paper? Next, we'll peel off that paper and see the completed print. But that's for tomorrow. Gotta run.

The next and final step, of course, is to gently peel the paper off and turn it rightside up and see the magic! Here's the print! The white is where I cut the wood, the black is where the ink hit the uncut wood.

One more step...what to title it? I'm calling this print "Sleepless in Savannah". My photo reference was provide by the wonderful folks at

the Humane Society Savannah/Chatham, who rescued them. These pups...thought to be pitbull but maybe another kind of bulldog or mix. These girls were dumped outside the Society building and left to fend for themselves...at their age! The gal with her "arm" around her sister was found first, her sister wandered up a few days later.

Now, here's the wonderful news...the gal on the bottom has been adopted and...at least a month ago...the gal on the top, looked like she was about to be! I loved this photo, which I use with the permission of the Savannah Humane Society/Chatham, because I love that arm. See the little toenails I cut out? I also love the different expressions...one drowsy, one alert.

Now for the "background"...I totally made that up. Put them on a fat cushion on a hardwood floor.

Now, I've already gotten some emails from my wonderful readers here, asking if this open edition of woodcut prints will be offered for sale. And yes, I am! If you would like to own one of my signed prints of "Sleepless in Savannah", please just email me at robinzebley@gmail.com. The price for one of these original, handpulled prints is $25, are 7.5 x 6 inches of printed image, with about an inch all around. Each will be signed by me.

I'd love to also hear questions and comments!