The Anatomy of Rosita

One of my favorite recent pieces is titled, "Rosita." When I created her, it was my first time using the technique of Moku Hanga, the Japanese term for woodblock print (moku means wood and hanga means print). Japanese woodblock prints are known especially for their intense use of color and for the fact that the pigments are water-based rather than oil-based. All that is needed to produce a Japanese style woodblock print is wood, water, pigment, paper, a few carving tools, some brushes and something to rub the paper with - simple materials that anyone can easily acquire and get started with right away. The process, however, is far from simple. It involves many steps - developing a design, transfering the design to the wood blocks, carving the blocks, choosing paper, printing the blocks - and each step introduces many variables so there are many challenges to this art form. This is why I love it so much.

The piece is based on a fictional woman named "Rosita," who I drew during one of my trips to Mexico City. There is not much to say about Rosita except that the two sides of her eccentric personality are always competing for attention.

Here is how the process works. Click on each picture to see it bigger.

1. Rosita began as a quick idea in my sketchbook.

2. I copied her onto woodblocks, and carved out four blocks, one per color. (sorry no pic available)

3. Prior to any printing, the paper has to be wet. Here is the paper on some plastic. The towel is used to blot some water out of it.


4.Here I am putting the first color on, which will be a light blue.

5. The paper is put face down on the block

6. Then comes the next color

7. Looking good so far, notice how I can get different shades of the inks

8. The yellow is applied

9. And finally the black. Show below is my black block with ink. The black color, which is usually the guide for the other colors, is called a "Key Block."

10. And here is Rosita after she has been printed on some nice Japanese paper. ¡Orale Rosita, you looking really good!