Preface My love of printmaking -- some would call it an obsession -- began with the discovery of the powerful graphic novels of Flemish artist and pacifist Frans Masereel. As I turned the pages of his books, I began to realize that I too could use this art form to communicate my own ideas. Because they don't depend on words, prints can be understood by anyone, anywhere, and all you need to make one is a graver, a piece of wood, ink, a roller, paper and a spoon. Masereel's novels of the 1920S led me to the work done a decade later by Lynd Ward, who also portrayed the struggle for social justice and the search for meaning in an often cruel and unforgiving world. As I learned about the history of printmaking, I was struck by how often the wood-block print had been used over the years as a tool of social change and revolution. In my own small way, I joined that long tradition. When I was nineteen, I lived in a rundown apartment building in the heart of Toronto. The roof leaked and every apartment was infested with cockroaches. One day the landlord disappeared, taking that month's rent money with him. The bank soon closed in, demanding that the tenants pay all the stolen rent money. We had no money for a lawyer, so I pulled out my ink, found a piece of wood and printed copies of a poster with a vulture on it. When the bank sent inspectors to examine the building and meet with the tenants, they found the halls and doors plastered with my prints. The posters brought the tenants together as a group and gave a voice to our anger and frustration. In the end, we were able to keep our apartments without paying for our landlord's crime. I continue to be inspired by the rich blacks, cut marks and impressed lines of wood-block prints. There isn't a single method of learning the secrets of this art. Mastering it requires a journey that each of us begins with our own unique experiences, bringing a personal style that makes our work distinctive. The Woodcut Artist's Handbook will help you with the technical stuff and provide some tips and tricks to make the journey a pleasant one. The best training in technique is to look at the work of other artists. The generosity of those who have allowed their work to be displayed in these pages is truly appreciated. Unfortunately, some of the richness in the blacks and subtleties of hue that can be controlled in handprinted images are lost in the reproduction process. Nevertheless, the bold gesture of the line and the character and feeling of the original images remain. As you enjoy the prints in this book and begin making them, I hope you will begin to understand my personal obsession with the wood-block print and, in time, develop an obsession of your own. Excerpted from The Woodcut Artist's Handbook: Techniques and Tools for Relief Printmaking by George A. Walker All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
