The wood block is prepared as a relief pattern, which means the areas to show ‘white’ are cut away with a knife, chisel, or sandpaper leaving the characters or image to show in ‘black’ on the original surface level. As printing was done by hand, printers were able to achieve effects not possible with machines, such as the subtle blending or the gradation of colours. The Japanese water-based inks provide a wide range of vivid colours, glazes, and transparency. Production was divided: the artist designed the prints the carver cut the woodblocks the printer inked and pressed the woodblocks and the publisher, financed, promoted and distributed the works.Īlthough similar to woodcut in Western printmaking, the mokuhanga technique differs in that it uses water-based inks, as opposed to western woodcut, which often uses oil-based inks. Mokuhanga artists of the past rarely carved their own woodblocks for printing. It is best known for use in the ukiyo-e genre of Japanese art. In Japan, woodblock printing is known as mokuhanga, moku meaning wood and hanga meaning print. The process was only adopted much later for secular books, a Chinese-Japanese dictionary of 1590 is the earliest known example. In China, Korea, and Japan, the state involved itself in printing at a relatively early stage of development, as initially, only governments had the resources to finance the carving of the blocks for long works.īuddhist temples were among the first to use the woodcut technique in Japan, printing books of sutras, mandalas and other Buddhist texts, before later printing images. When Empress Shotoku commissioned one million small wooden pagodas containing short printed scrolls to be distributed to temples across the land. Woodcuts prints made their way across the East China Sea from China to Japan, the earliest known prints made in Japan date from 764-770 AD. Early woodblock printing was used to print text on textiles and then later on paper, the earliest surviving examples from date to before the Han dynasty (206 BC–220 AD). The technique replaced seals and stamps for making impressions and writing by hand for longer text. You can achieve simple to exaggerated color results using this process.Modern Japanese woodblock printing can trace its origins directly to China where it was invented in antiquity. The cool thing about this style is the ability to "Randomize Colors" throughout your artwork and the ability to replace any or all of these colors, using the full-spectrum color picker. The Multi-Block style uses 5 blocks of color pulled from your original image then divides the colors across your artwork giving the look of carving a separate woodblock for every color.By adjusting the "Image Color" slider you can reduce or add colors to your artwork giving it a variety of printed-styles, from a full-color block process to spot-color ones. The Multi-Color style uses all the original colors in your photo.Choose between two printing styles: "Multi-Color" or "Multi-Block".Control the color in your artwork with saturation, strength and image color sliders.Adjust the outline width, strength and how smooth or fluid your chiseled outline appears.
Automatically create a work of art with the look of hand chiseled outlines and brushed on color, fully adjustable with simple sliders.In printmaking the final image does rely on the choice of paper whether it is kozo fibers or rice paper - this will add an artistic quaility to your print and complete your Moku Hanga. Once the desired color is achieved complete your artwork with an artistic edge or paper. If the preset colors chosen for your work are not to your liking, there is the option to alter your palette colors. Choose from a range of bold chisled outlines, and bright to subtle color combinations. Presets are also available to give your project a quick start. Using sliders found on the adjust tab you can control the smoothness, width and strength of the chiseled outline to fit your composition. The outlines in Moku Hanga are extremely eye catching, replicating a hand chiseled relief-art. The Moku Hanga app, Moku the Japanese word for “wood” while hanga is known as “print”, allows you to create an artistic wood-block print from any picture or snapshot - no need for time consuming carving - the artists from JixiPix do all the work for you! With the power to fully customize your Moku Hanga, you can create a masterpiece artistic enough be part of printmaking history! Breathtaking landscapes, beautiful women, and busy cityscapes can be transformed into this exotic art known for flowing hand-chiseled outlines and brushed on color. You've discovered the fascinating art of Moku Hanga, the Japanese method of wood-block printing.