This page contains links to articles and videos pertaining to various Japanese woodblock printmaking / mokuhanga techniques.

This is not, and could not possibly be, a comprehensive list of all resources for every technique; Instead, it is a collection of resources that I’ve found to be particularly informative. However, I’m sure that there are great resources that I haven’t found yet; So if you know of any great videos, articles, etc., which aren’t already listed here, feel free to share it in the comments, and maybe I’ll add it to the page.

The resources on this page are categorized by topic. The topics are generally in alphabetical order. However, there is a mix of English and Japanese terms, so if you’re looking for a specific topic, it may be helpful to use the “Find” feature in your browser. I’ve also added an Index at the bottom that might help you find what you’re looking for. Within each category, I’ll generally try to place the most didactic/exemplary resources first; but besides that, there is no particular order.

In woodblock printmaking, as with most things in life, there are often multiple approaches or solutions for the same problem. For some of the topics on this page, there multiple resources, each describing a different technique to achieve the same effect. I recommend checking out each of the resources, and find what works best for you.

For some video resources, the pertinent information appears at specific point in the video. The link should take you to the appropriate point in the video. However, if the link does not take you directly there, I’ve also included a timestamp (@ HH:MM:SS) in the link text. Some of the videos have Japanese dialog; however YouTube’s auto-translate closed captioning usually does a decent job of translating the gist of what’s being discussed.

For article/text resources, there is sometimes a video demonstration embedded within the article (the video will not be linked separately on this page). So I’d recommend checking those pages too, even if you’re looking for videos.

Finally, the links on this page typically go to a specific article or a specific point in a video; However, it is often worthwhile to watch the entire video, or browse the other articles or videos on the linked website. Often times, there is a wealth of information to be found.

Baren – Information

• Hidehiko Gotou – Definition/Structure of a Hon Baren @ 00:02:11
• Hidehiko Gotou – Making the ategawa disc demonstration @ 00:16:42
• Hidehiko Gotou – Making the bamboo coil @ 00:26:15
• Hidekatsu Kawashima – Making a baren coil @ 00:13:36
• David Bull – The ‘hon’ (real) baren
• David Bull – Alternatives to the ‘Hon Baren’
• Hidehiko Gotou – The effect of different barens during printing @ 01:12:51
• Naotaro Nagao – Discussing barens (in Japanese) @ 00:05:09 and Cont’d Here

Baren – Wrapping / Re-covering – Takenokawa

• Hidehiko Gotou – Wrapping a baren (IMC 2017) @ 01:38:30
• Hidehiko Gotou – Wrapping a baren (IMC 2021)
• Masahiko Honjo – Let’s go to a woodblock print class [Re-upholstering a baren]
• Terry McKenna – Tying Baren
• David Bull – Re-covering the baren
• Hidehiko Gotou, Mara Cozzolino – Wrapping a baren (POV, no commentary)

Block Preparation / Care

• John Amoss – Making cherry plywood blocks
• John Amoss – A New Way (for me) to Laminate Blocks
• John Amoss – Happiness is a Wet, Smooth Block
• David Bull – Making cherry plywood blocks [Warning: Audio may be loud]
• David Bull – How lumber was traditionally cut and prepared @ 00:46:43
• David Bull – Discussing how cherry plywood blocks are sanded @ 00:27:04

Brush – Care

• Katsutoshi Yuasa – How to care for Mokuhanga brush!!! 木版画ブラシのお手入れ方法
• John Amoss – Printing Brush Prep (w/ video)
• Richard Steiner – Splitting the Hair of Printing Brushes
• Naotaro Nagao – Using a hot iron plate & sharkskin @ 00:05:59 and Cont’d Here (in Japanese)
• John Amoss – Brush Care

Brush – Making Of

• Kumiko Miyagawa – Miyagawa Brush with English subtitles
• Kumiko Miyagawa – Miyagawa Hake Brush Mfg (in Japanese)
• Kinichi Taguchi – Brush making process @ 00:06:25 (in Japanese)

Carving – Brush Strokes / Calligraphy / Kasure

• Shoichi Kitamura – Carving Brush Strokes Demonstration @ 01:54:05
• Shoichi Kitamura – Kasure/Scratch Carving Demonstration @ 00:04:07
• David Bull – Procedure for carving calligraphy @ 00:45:53
• David Bull – Knife sharpening and then carving calligraphy @ 00:31:05
• Taran Casey – On the importance of understanding brush strokes @ 00:10:45

Carving – Carved Gradation / Ita Bokashi

• (see also: Printed Gradation / Bokashi)
• Shoichi Kitamura – Ita Bokashi Demonstration @ 01:00:40
• Susumu Ito – Carving an ita-bokashi @ 00:12:00

Carving – Clearing Waste Wood

• Taran Casey – Clearing method to prevent wood splitting @ 00:22:58

Carving – Curved Lines

• Taran Casey – Method for carving curved lines @ 00:04:50

Carving – Front Rubbing / Shomenzuri Block

• (see also: Printing – Front Rubbing / Shomenzuri)
• David Bull – Carving a block for shomenzuri

Carving – Hair

• David Bull – Technique for carving hair @ 00:11:30 and additional footage here
• David Bull – More hair carving
• Susumu Ito – Short example of carving hair @ 00:08:41

Carving – Kento / Registration Marks

• Terry McKenna – How to Cut Kentou
• Laura Boswell – Cutting Kentos
• Taran Casey – Shaping the kento @ 00:33:32

Carving – Relief Cuts / Sute-bori

• David Bull – Explaining why, how, and when to use relief cuts @ 00:47:23
• Shoichi Kitamura – Demonstrating relief cuts @ 00:22:40

Carving – Repairs / Fixes / Plugs / Inlays

• David Bull – Demonstrating how to fix a small carving mistake @ 00:47:51
• Taran Casey, Motoharu Asaka – Added a large inlay/plug @ 00:23:37
• David Bull – Adding a plug to block to fix a carving mistake
• David Bull – Fixing small carving omissions @ 00:02:41
• Karen Pittman – Adding a small plug to fix a mistake

Carving – Straight Lines

• David Bull – Explaining his method for carving straight lines @ 00:40:52
• David Bull – Explaining knife angle and when to use a ruler @ 00:37:23
• Shoichi Kitamura – Cutting against a ruler w/ left-handed knife @ 00:18:40

Carving – Tools

• Taran Casey – Describing how to hold the knife/hangi to @ 00:08:00

Hanshita / Key Line Sheet

• Shoichi Kitamura – Pasting down and peeling the hanshita @ 00:03:48
• David Bull – The Traditional ‘Key Block’ Method
• David Bull – Making the hanshita with a copy machine
• Katsutoshi Yuasa – How to transfer the photo image to the plywood
• Diode Press – Image transfer using a blender marker @ 00:02:20

Kyogo / Color Transfer Sheets

• David Bull – Creating a transfer sheet for a color block @ 00:10:20
• Taran Casey – Creating color transfer sheets @ 00:01:12
• Susumu Ito – Iro-sashi/Coloring in kyogo sheets for color blocks @ 00:09:41
• Shoichi Kitamura – Creating transfer sheets for color blocks @ 00:39:10
• Shoichi Kitamura – Using sugary syrup to mitigate paper expansion @ 00:39:58
• David Bull – Pre-moistening paper to mitigate paper expansion @ 00:06:18
• Shoichi Kitamura – Pasting down the transfer sheet to the color blocks @ 00:49:35
• David Bull – Making Colour Separations

Papermaking

• Corsoyard – Making of CORSOYARD PAPER 2020 with Commentary
• 綾部市観光協会 – Kurotani Washi
• Ryunohara, Makoto Okuno – Harvesting & steaming kozo
• Ryunohara, Makoto Okuno – Papermaking & kozo processing
• David Bull – Documenting Iwano’s process: kozo cooking @ 01:03:25
• UNESCO – Sekishu-Banshi: papermaking in the Iwami region of Shimane Prefecture
• Taki Paper, Yamaki Paper – Short video about making gampi paper (in Japanese)
• Tokyo rural life channel – Explanation of how to make Japanese paper, a one-year handmade experience Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6 (in Japanese)
• Steven Mann – Educational videos about Western papermaking

Paper Sizing / Dosa

• David Bull, Yoko Ishikawa – Explaining his method for sizing paper
• David Bull – The Basic Sizing Procedure
• David Bull – A Collection of Sizing Recipes
• Miwa Hiduki – [for Japanese painting] How to make and use dosa

Paste / Nori

• Kitsune Prints – Preparing Nori paste for Mokuhanga prints
• Laura Boswell – Making Nori Rice Paste for Japanese Woodblock
• John Amoss – Lotsa Nori! – DIY Nori
• David Bull, Sadako Ishizaki – Paste Recipe for Woodblock Printmaking

Pigments

• Kyoko Hirai – Describing how she prepares pigments @ 00:13:58
• David Bull – Preparing powder pigments
• John Amoss – Traditional Mokuhanga Pigment Mixing: Using a Wooden ‘Mortar and Pestle’ (w/ video)
• John Amoss – Mixing Batch Water-based Ink
• Mara Cozzolino – Making my own Sumi
• Bruce MacEvoy – Guide to watercolor pigments
• David Myers – Color of Art Pigment Database

Printing – Flat Colors / Betazuri

• Hidehiko Goto – Printing the Deepest Black @ 00:18:48

Printing – Front Rubbing / Shomenzuri

• Natsuki Suga – Shomenzuri example @ 00:20:06
• (see also: the above shomenzuri block being carved)

Printing – Gomazuri

• Wuon-Gean Ho – A scientific approach to creating gomazuri

Printing – Gradation / Bokashi

• David Bull – Basics of Gradation Printing (‘Bokashi’)
• David Bull – Example of Gradation Printing
• David Bull – Printing a Curved Gradation
• David Bull, et al – More Basics of Gradation Printing (‘Bokashi’)
• John Amoss – Some Bokashi Printing Considerations (w/ video)
• John Amoss – Bokashi Quest #2® (w/ video)
• John Amoss – A Circular Bokashi Jig-thingie (w/ video)
• Kyoko Hirai – Bokashi Demonstration
• Keizaburo Matsuzaki – Printing a solid area with a gradation at the edge @ 00:15:02
• Hiroki Morinoue – Bokashi demonstration
• Laura Boswell – Printing a Bokashi Shading, Japanese woodblock

Printing – Large Prints

• Terry McKenna – How to hold and place large washi for mokuhanga
• Katsutoshi Yuasa – (Very) Large Mokuhanga Printing

Printing – w/ Metal Powders (Gold, Silver, Bronze, Aluminum, etc)

• David Bull – Printing with Metal Powders
• Kyoko Hirai – Printing Gold Lines Demonstration @ 00:33:37

Printing – w/ Mica Powder / Kirazuri

• Kyoko Hirai – Printing with Mica Powder Demonstration @ 00:18:11
• David Bull – Printing with Mica Powder
• David Bull – Printing a Mica Background
• David Bull – Printing with mother of pearl powder @ 00:04:40
• Naotaro Nagao – Example of mica powder background being applied @ 00:01:40
• Natsuki Suga – Example of printing with wet mica pigment (Surikira) @ 00:21:36
• Komuro Kana Paper Studio – Mica printing for karakami, Alternate angle

Registration / Kento

• (see also: Carving – Kento / Registration Marks)
• David Bull – Explanation of the kento/registration system @ 00:30:40
• Hidekatsu Kawashima – Adjusting registration w/ a shim (Kui-ki) @ 00:10:00
• Isao Sekioka – Adjusting registration w/ a shim (Kui-ki) @ 00:06:16

Sharpening

• Terry McKenna – Mokuhanga tool sharpening – Hangi-tou
• Laura Boswell, William Francis – Sharpening Woodblock Tools with Will Francis
• David Bull – Aisuke chisel sharpening
• William Francis – Knife angle @ 00:32:15
• David Bull – Basic sharpening procedure
• David Bull – Reducing knife breakage
• David Bull – Sharpening narrow chisels
• David Bull – Making sharpening stones for curved chisels

Miscellaneous Videos

Various videos which, while not illustrating a specific technique, may still be worth watching. These videos generally consist of: craftsmen at work, documentary films, and presentations.

• Living in Tradition Woodblock Printing Susumu Ito (1988)
• Living in Tradition Woodblock Printing Keizaburo Matsuzaki (2012)
• Ukiyo-e woodblock printmaking with Keizaburo Matsuzaki
• Living in Tradition – Arakawa’s Craftsmanship – Woodblock Printing by Hidekatsu Kawashima (2018)
• Living in Tradition Woodblock Printing Isao Sekioka (1985)
• Ukiyo-e printer, a traditional technique still alive in the downtown area (Naotaro Nagao) Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
• Tokyo fantasy song (Naotaro Nagao) (1986) Part 1, Part 2
• Naotaro Nagao, one of the masters, Japanese traditional woodblock print world, legendary printer [Warning: Bad audio/May be loud]
• Living in Tradition, Tebu Brush Kinichi Taguchi (1997)
• Hand-planted brushes, a traditional technique still alive in the downtown area (Aiko Miyagawa) Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5
• Hokusai Returns: Japan’s Greatest Ukiyo-e Artist (1987)
• A Life in Prints: Kawase Hasui (1956)
• Japanese Woodblock Printing with Paul Binnie

Miscellaneous Books

• “Japanese wood-cutting and wood-cut printing” (1892) by T. Tokuno (also available via Archive.org, Google Books, and David Bull’s Woodblock.com)
• “Wood-Block Printing” (1916) by F. Morley Fletcher (also available via Google Books, Project Gutenberg, and Woodblock.com)
• “The Technique of the Color Wood-Cut” (1926) by Walter J. Phillips (also in HTML/web format here)

Index