"Tulips", 8"x6" woodcut done with five blocks, one for each color.
Xilogravure is similar to linoleum printing the exception being the block, as the name implies, it is done on a block of wood and the name that first comes to mind is Albrecht Durer, a very proficient German artist from the Renaissance period, (1500). The famous Japanese prints of artists like Utamaro, Hiroshige, and Hokusay, just to name a few, are all woodcuts.
The preparation of the wood block requires fine sanding and as an added step, one can use a wire brush, brushing in the direction of the grain. This will remove some of the softer fibers, emphasizing the grain pattern that will show in the print.
Some artists prefer to coat their woodblocks with shellac before printing, this might strengthen the fibers and enable one to pull a few more prints before the block starts breaking down.
The woodcut can also be printed like the linoleum, without a press, using a baren or a spoon.
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