I have a long-standing obsession with hand-carved woodblocks and I've amassed quite a collection. Some were purchased while I was in India, many more from suppliers there, and some from US-based companies who work with Indian artisans in a fair trade agreement to have them made. The patterns are intricate and beautiful but they can be tricky to print. I took a blockprinting workshop in India, but it can still be a struggle to get them to come out, and some of the blocks don't print evenly due to carving or age (I have a lot of vintage blocks, many of which were retired from printing "factories" in India.)
I've printed more than 30 of the designs in my collection, including a fish image that I designed and carved myself (rubber, not wood.) All have been printed with black fabric paint (so they're washable) on unbleached muslin cloth. It's dyable, but note that the edges have a tendency to fray.
Ideas for use:
I use these primarily as embroidery patterns. I love to add my own patterns with thread, fill in different areas, stitch over top of the lines, and add in beads, sequins, and other embellishments. You could also applique on top of larger areas. These can also be colored (lots of mediums will work on fabric, including paint) and then cut out or adhered as-is into art journals and mixed media artwork. Or you can stitch them into your textile artwork, turn them into brooches... so many options!
Details on printing & pricing:
I printed these on long lengths of cloth and cut them into individual images later so I've given approximate sizes in the drop-down selector. Note that the size includes the blank area around the image - it's the size of the cloth, not the print itself. I've also tried to highlight where I've cut especially close to the image or if there are irregular borders. Images that are marked as coming from vintage blocks may have gaps or light areas from wear or damage to the original block - it's just part of their charm. I've also indicated where I have "new" blocks that don't print well no matter what you do and I've adjusted the prices accordingly.
Also, these are hand printed... not only do the handmade blocks themselves have some things that impact the print quality, but there will be variations from print to print - some may be a bit lighter than the photos. I've gone through each print to pull out any that are too light or didn't print completely as well as 2-3 that had a bit too much paint. (I like to work with the rejects, so they go into my workbasket!)
Prices in general are determined first by the size of the image - the amount of cloth and paint it takes to print it. The second consideration is difficulty in printing as this translates to time, experience in being able to get a clean image, and a higher degree of waste (it takes HOURS to print this many images, not to mention the studio setup and tools - I don't do it often!) A larger image that's easy to print may be priced lower than a smaller one that has lots of detail and is harder to print, so I wanted to make sure I shared how that's determined - hopefully it helps!
I've printed more than 30 of the designs in my collection, including a fish image that I designed and carved myself (rubber, not wood.) All have been printed with black fabric paint (so they're washable) on unbleached muslin cloth. It's dyable, but note that the edges have a tendency to fray.
Ideas for use:
I use these primarily as embroidery patterns. I love to add my own patterns with thread, fill in different areas, stitch over top of the lines, and add in beads, sequins, and other embellishments. You could also applique on top of larger areas. These can also be colored (lots of mediums will work on fabric, including paint) and then cut out or adhered as-is into art journals and mixed media artwork. Or you can stitch them into your textile artwork, turn them into brooches... so many options!
Details on printing & pricing:
I printed these on long lengths of cloth and cut them into individual images later so I've given approximate sizes in the drop-down selector. Note that the size includes the blank area around the image - it's the size of the cloth, not the print itself. I've also tried to highlight where I've cut especially close to the image or if there are irregular borders. Images that are marked as coming from vintage blocks may have gaps or light areas from wear or damage to the original block - it's just part of their charm. I've also indicated where I have "new" blocks that don't print well no matter what you do and I've adjusted the prices accordingly.
Also, these are hand printed... not only do the handmade blocks themselves have some things that impact the print quality, but there will be variations from print to print - some may be a bit lighter than the photos. I've gone through each print to pull out any that are too light or didn't print completely as well as 2-3 that had a bit too much paint. (I like to work with the rejects, so they go into my workbasket!)
Prices in general are determined first by the size of the image - the amount of cloth and paint it takes to print it. The second consideration is difficulty in printing as this translates to time, experience in being able to get a clean image, and a higher degree of waste (it takes HOURS to print this many images, not to mention the studio setup and tools - I don't do it often!) A larger image that's easy to print may be priced lower than a smaller one that has lots of detail and is harder to print, so I wanted to make sure I shared how that's determined - hopefully it helps!
