3 Consecutive days, June 7th, 8th, & 9th (Saturday - Monday), 9am - 5pm
Instructor is Wesley Bates
Day 1
- Welcome and introductions
- Brief history of Wood Engraving
- Description of various tools and their use
- Wood blocks and types of wood
- Kinds of paper that work best for wood engraving
- Thinking in White line >< Black line exercise
- Starting to engrave on a practice block
- Thoughts on drawing and composition for wood engraving
Day 2
- Arrive with sketch prepared to size. 3” x 4” block
- Talk about adjusting drawing
- Discussion of methods for transferring drawing to the block
- Transfer the drawing and tone the block
- Begin engraving
- Discussion on proofing “stage proofs”
Day 3
- Carry on engraving
- When ready, make a short edition of your wood engraving.
- For printing we will use a simple jig to hold the block and register the paper.
- Printing will be done by burnishing
- Learning to get a good proof with this simple process, makes printing wood engravings at home doable.
All Materials Included
Wesley W. Bates studied painting and printmaking at Mount Allison University. He works full time as a printmaker and letterpress printer under his own imprint at West Meadow Press in Clifford Ontario. Wesley's wood engraved prints have been exhibited widely and are held in public and private collections in Australia, Spain, Japan, England, the U.S.A. and Canada.
Bates has illustrated for the major publishers in Canada and the United States and for Private Presses in North America and England. He is the author of Five books POINT OF THE GRAVER, IN BLACK & WHITE, FLIGHT ( a wordless poem ) and OUT OF THE DARK. Bates also co-authored with Robert Reid CASTING INTO MYSTERY a book on Fly Fishing published by Porcupine’s Quill.
Bates was commissioned to engrave twelve images for a film documentary, LOOK & SEE; A portrait of Wendell Berry, by Two Birds Film, Directed by Laura Dunn. Wesley Bates is presently at work on a wordless graphic novel illustrated entirely with wood engravings.
Bates has taught printmaking and illustration at the Dundas Valley School of Art, Sheridan College, Woodstock Art Gallery, St. Michael’s Printshop, Vancouver Museum, Cincinnati School of Art, University of Lexington and Larkspur Press.
email - wesley@wesleybates.com
website - wesleybates.com
Instagram - @westmeadowpressgallery
Facebook - wesley.bates.
