Wood engraving is a relief printmaking process that involves using engraving tools to carve into the end grain of dense wood, thus enabling the artist to create highly detailed images and tonally complex compositions. Used as the primary means for printing illustrations alongside of moveable type from the late eighteenth century through most of the nineteenth century, wood engraving is still a great way to incorporate imagery into letterpress cards, printed ephemera, artist books, broadsides, and of course to develop graphic stand-alone images, especially when there is a need to work small. 

In this three-hour workshop, students will be introduced to basic wood engraving tools, and use them to practice a range of mark-making strategies to produce a sampler. Then, students will have the opportunity to begin a block of their own design, applying those marks to make a tonally rich image. Students should come to the workshop prepared with a simple 2” x 2” drawing, design, photograph, or letterform to work from. Note that wood engraving is a very slow process, and participants might not be able to complete their second block. 

Registration is limited to 12.