Jazz On Wood - The Art of making Woodblock prints

The purpose of this page is to describe the print making process used by Taka Watanabe to make Jazz On Wood’s woodblock prints. There are six steps in the development of a Jazz On Wood final product. They are:

Drawing the Design
Tracing the Design onto the Woodblock
Carving the Woodblock
Printing the carved woodblock on paper.
Test Printing & Re-carving
Stamping (or signing the print)

The tools and materials used in these steps include:

Computer/Graphics Software
Woodblock
Tracing Paper
Carving Knives
Pigment (Ink)
Roller
Brush
Baren
Printing Paper

1. Drawing the Design
Taka uses his personal computer to create the artwork for each design. It is Taka’s memory of the artists from his career as a music director and producer that allows him to add personality and character to the final likeness of some of music’s most recognizable faces.

2. Tracing the Design onto the Woodblock
Once Taka is satisfied with his computer generated artwork, he begins the process of tracing the design onto the woodblock print. This is in preparation for the actual carving of the image.

3. Carving the Woodblock
When the image has been successfully traced onto the woodblock, Taka uses the carving knives to develop the woodblock carved image for printing.

4. Printing the Carved Woodblock on Paper
When the initial carving process is complete, pigment (ink) is applied to the woodblock using the roller and the brushes. Then, the first print is made using Japanese washi (special Japanese hand crafted paper). It is applied to the paper by using the baren.

5. Test Printing & Re-carving
The carving and printing process may be repeated many times until Taka is satisfied with a final image. When he is happy with the final carving, the prints are made using Echizen paper or Mino paper, special Japanese handcrafted paper (washi) that is known for its richness, texture and strength.

6. Stamping (or signing the print)
Finally, Taka applies his personal Stamp to the finished print. This is equivalent to signing an artwork in the West.