Step Thirty-six ...

Applause from the studio audience! :-)

Yes, the paper fits perfectly in place, to allow the front plume to be darkened - sending the other plume back into a separate 'plane'. (In case you are curious, this is done by inking the entire top section of the block, then 'masking' out the left plume with a pre-trimmed leaf of aluminum foil.)

Your applause of course, was for the papermaker, not the printer! This paper - known as Echizen Hosho - is famous in Japan for its high quality. It is very stable, and can take incredible amounts of punishment without breaking down. If you were to see this print in person, under a nice horizontal illumination, you would see a breathtaking saturation of the paper fibres by the pigment. The overlaid areas especially have a wonderfully deep appearance ...

So there are really three people responsible for bringing you this print: papermaker Mr. Ichibei Iwano, designer John Amoss, and cutter/printer Dave Bull. We thank you for following along, and hope you enjoy our work!

Click here to inspect a double-size closeup over in the other window (about 180Kb) ...

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