Explaining the woodcut technique

Woodcut is the oldest form of printmaking. The process involves carving a design into a block of wood, inking the block, and then printing the design onto a piece of paper.

Henriette uses birch wood, and draws the design with a pencil on the block. She uses gouges and chisels to carve the design into the surface of the wooden block. Once the block has been carved, its remaining areas are inked with an ink roller, while areas that are cut away do not retain ink, and will remain blank in the final print. The inked block is printed by placing a piece of paper on it, and by putting pressure on the paper. This can be done by either rubbing the paper with the back of a spoon, or by passing the block with the paper through a printing press. Multiple colors can be printed by using more than one woodblock. Once printed onto its paper, the design appears in reverse of the original on the block. More than one print can be made. The prints are made in editions that are numbered. The first print will always remain in the studio, others can be exhibited or sold.