Carving a Block for Rockin' Rollin' Prints!
Welcome to SteamRoller Printmaking
where size does matter.
“Under Pressure” - Rockin’ Rollin’ Prints 2016
This year is the return of Rockin’ Rollin’ Prints to Houston, and the theme is “2020 Vision”. I’m looking forward to seeing all the interpretations from participating artists. However, before we can all enjoy the finished prints, we need artists to carve blocks.
The matrix we are using for carving is 3 x 5 foot MDF board. This is a great material for carving, there is no grain in the material, and it is relatively soft and easy to carve. We use a three-quarter inch board, which is a good thickness for rolling over with a steamroller. It allows for deep carving in large areas of relief which helps with inking.
While working on the board the most important things are to keep it dry, and prevent warping. The MDF board will swell and disintegrate if it gets wet. Also, the weight of the material can cause it to warp if it is not supported. If you are using sawhorses to support the board while carving, do not leave it on the sawhorses for long periods of time. Warped boards will cause problems with inking and paper placement on the press, which could lead to bad prints.
There are many ways to approach putting the image on the plate. It is a large surface to reach across. I will either lay the board on the ground and sit on it while drawing (remember it’s gonna have a steamroller on it at some point, you won’t hurt it), or I’ll prop it up on the wall like an easel (of course taking care not to let it warp). Some artists like to paint the surface before drawing their image on it. I believe this is to make it easier to see the carved areas. I personally like to use charcoal for laying out the image on the board. The smooth surface makes erasing easy because I tend to adjust my image while I carve.
Another bonus of using the three-quarter inch boards is that you have another side if you reach a point and are completely unhappy with what you’ve got done. Several of my boards have a whole other image on the reverse, of course once you’ve started carving you might not be able to do this so be happy with your image before you carve!
Let’s talk about carving for a moment. I tend to use the same set of hand gouges that I use for smaller relief prints. At least for the detailed areas of the block. However, when I have large areas of material to remove, I will reach out for the power tools. I find a router to be most useful, since you can set the depth of the cut, and remove large sections of material quickly. Anything that makes a mark on the surface will work though. Some artists will use hand-held carving tools. Be creative, but don’t destroy the board (chainsaws are discouraged) There still needs to still be a 3 x 5 foot rectangular board at the end of the process.
Once carving is complete, it’s time to seal the board. I use a combination of shellac and denatured alcohol in a one to one ratio, and paint this over the board using a foam brush. After letting a coat dry for a couple of hours I will lightly sand it and apply another coat. I may put three or four coats on a board depending on the carving. Other artists have I have spoken with use a spray polyurethane. I prefer painting the sealer directly on the board since it is so large and spraying can cover everything around the board. If you want to be extra protective, you can seal the sides and back of the board, though this isn’t necessary for the printmaking process.
Now you have a block ready for press!
