Printing 19th century wood engravings

Work has begun on printing the collection of 19th century wood engraving blocks loaned to me about a year and a half back. I’ve already taken proofs of the blocks, and will illustrate results in this blog as they come up.
I started out with the first block I proofed, a large engraving of a mouse [...]

Kelsey up and running

It would be almost two years ago that a very kind veteran antiques dealer of my acquaintance gifted me with a small, luggable platen press (chase size 5×8 in). When I received it, it was just a tad rusty, needed new rollers and a couple of replacement parts. About a year back I sent it [...]

Kilburn Page Layout

Every book requires a layout. In this case not so much a book as a small eight page covered pamphlet to go into the finished portfolio. Work begins with the schematic as shown below. Click on the image to see in up close. You should be able to see the faint lines I used to [...]

Kilburn Wood Engravings

December and January are gone, and it looks like February will be a printing month, or at least partially. I’m anxious to try out the newly de-glazed rollers on some type, to see if it makes a difference.
The next project will be the Kilburn portfolio. I can’t remember if I blogged about this or not [...]

Last Gates

Okay, time to catch up on projects I started prior to leaving for England. This linocut print was derived from a photograph I took while on assignment for The Upper Canadian, an antiques trade mag I used to edit. It was an estate auction for the late John DeWitt, formerly the proprietor of Long John [...]

Website Update

All through the holiday weekend, while I cut linoeum blocks, Holly worked diligently to get my website up-to-date. Here’s the link:
http://www.greyweathers.com

Summing up

Back again, after another month-long break from blogging. Part of this is thanks to an idle press, a heavy work-load, freelance assignments etc. Whatever the case, I should wrap-up the Vampire chronicles by saying a few words about the text.
About a year ago, the Ottawa Press Gang planned a collaborative project, the theme being [...]

Production

Printing V&7thD was a hard and physically difficult slog. At shows and at ease, when talking to people about the joys of letterpress, I never seem to remember the swollen feet, aching right arm and being generally sore all over. The motion of cranking the drum up and down is neither natural nor ergonomic, and [...]

Type and paper

During production of V&7thD, entire mornings would vanish in a flurry of proofs in an effort to achieve the perfect impression. I add ink slowly to the press because I have read again and again how the common error amongst novices and apprentices is over-inking. So while I build up the ink on the press, [...]

Judging the book by its cover

Still working backwards through production on the Vampire story, we come to the cover. Black stock seemed appropriate, in spite of the fact that I used the same on the last book, Tenebrismo. Ah well. The overall pleasing proportions of the pamphlet and the cover are really a credit to Holly’s impeccable design and artistry. [...]