Ukiyoe Heroes (18) : Making 'Infestation'
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- čas přidán 13. 09. 2024
- This is the most recent update to the Ukiyoe Heroes print series, showing a general overview of how 'Infestation' was made. It was shot in the Seseragi Studio workroom of woodblock printmaker David Bull in Tokyo during April of 2013.
The completed print is now available for purchase over on Jed's website at: www.ukiyoeheroe...
(There have been requests for more information on the webcam mentioned in the video. You can find it at:
woodblock.com/w... )
I am so grateful to be working with you, Dave. I know I'm your partner in crime, but I'm also a big fan! :)
In many of your videos, you say you worry that the content is similar and/or repetitive. Please don't stop putting up videos for that reason alone. I enjoy watching the process. All of the steps are pleasant to observe, each stage has its own beauty, and it's relaxing to watch and listen. If repetition were a problem, I wouldn't have watched each of these more than once! :)
amen. its like bob vila repairing the same old house every episode. runs for decades.
getting to be the fly on the wall with a master at work
I've never played these games, and my knowledge of the characters is limited to general cultural knowledge (who doesn't know about Mario?!) As for playing now, it would be fun I guess to try, but our schedule just doesn't allow for that kind of playing around!
And among Jed's images, the one I have been most looking forward to working on is the next one in line, the one he calls 'Soul Eater'. I think the image he produced for this is hugely dramatic and entertaining.
i thought i was going to be bored to pieces, but every moment of your video kept me riveted. its like the powerful relaxation of bob ross combined with a clearly rare mix of cultures and generational pop media. man i wish i had your life.
Drawn by hand, of course. The designers would use very fine brushes, and simply draw what they wanted to be carved. Each major publisher also had specialists on staff who could do very delicate work, and these men did such things as repeated fabric patterns, calligraphy, and border decorations, etc. It was all done with standard sumi ink, and a strongly sized gampi paper.
This is very much an idea. I'm a bit hesitant to put out feelers among the video/film community, because I know from previous experience just how much time it takes to do good video work. But yes, given the success of last year's Kickstarter campaign, I think a proposal there for funding for somebody to come over here, rent equipment, and do a nice documentary, wouldn't have much trouble finding backers ... As long as we could arrange a suitable schedule, I'd cooperate as much as possible.
A friend linked to the Ukiyo-e Heroes website after seeing prints at this year's ECCC, and I immediately dove in when I saw you had put up videos of the art process. I'm not sure why, but watching you painstakingly carve out the delicate lines of Samus's hair gave me chills strong enough that I actually shed a tear or two. Thank you for uploading these, they're lovely, and it's always amazing to watch a skilled artist in action!
I have a completely new respect for the quality of this work after this video. So wonderful...
Yes, I think that videos are going to be a permanent part of our work from now on. What I'm wishing is that I could find somebody living near me - maybe a young film student? - who could take over most of the production. I would happily pay for that service, even though I can't possibly hire a professional crew to make all of them. Another huge problem with the current system is that I work on these totally alone, which severely limits what I can do with the camera, sitting on its tripod ...
The thin paper is 'ganpi' (or gampi), and my process is pretty clearly shown in two of the previous videos. I can't link them directly from here, but if you go to my channel page, look for the Ukiyoe Heroes (11) video, and the one called 'Chibi Heroes woodblock print production', you'll see how it works ...
HOLY SHEETS! It's Samus Aran from the Metroid series. How did I miss that!?
Vyz3r Well, she's not wearing her signature helmet for one. But I guess that would have been really hard to fit with the style.
+Vyz3r The metroids should have been a dead giveaway
Mister BluntSA
Not when it was covered.
Psycorruptor I realized like 10 mins in smh
13:37 Mario, Star Fox, Zelda, and Metroid.
Thanks for putting these videos up. It's very inspiring to watch and I love seeing how it's all done!
Absolutely incredible craftsmanship and artistry. A real joy to watch, thanks you
Let me frankly say, watching you paste down the image, carve the key & color blocks, and do the printing... that's perfectly fine by me. It's fascinating to watch, and I truly appreciate the craftsmanship.
Youre like the Bob Ross of printmaking. I didnt even know I liked print making, until I stumbled upon your videos, theyre so beautifully made. Thank you so mich for sharing your work!
I remember seeing all of these pictures a long time ago, and now I coincidentally found the artist! :)
It's amazing to see so much enthusiasm for ones' work and ardor toward the arts. I can see a spark in your eyes when you look into the camera that tells me exactly how much love and passion you put into your print making and I'm sure if Jed was on screen I would see it in him too!
Such fascinating work, I had no idea that the tradition of woodblock prints was still being carried on in the modern day. It must have taken a lot of effort to reach such a high level of craftsmanship, and the quality really shows in the end product. Thank you so much for this glimpse into the art and the process.
I enjoy every second of this video!! thank you for sharing your skills! you said carvers are usually cold and distant , but your are so amazing!thank god you are here!!!!
Incredible artwork, so unbelievably detailed (plus, Ukiyo-e video game art !!!) .
Truly magnificent wood prints....too sad only few people make these today !
thx a lot for sharing,
cheers Sam
To see Jed's enthusiasm, head over to last year's Kickstarter campaign page (I can't link it here, but go over there and search for 'ukiyoe' to find it), and watch the intro video! (And thanks!)
Wonderful prints! It's lovely to watch you produce each one with such care, skill, and artistry. The printmaking process itself, from transfer and carving to painting and printing is both fascinating and also incredibly soothing, and I love the way you show your work with warmth and openness in these videos. Thank you for sharing an utterly charming project, even if I never own one of your prints I can pop back now and again to watch these videos.
I don't mind the videos being long! I appreciate the time and detail you put into documenting the process!
those prints are amazing... I want them all
the amount of patience required for this artistry is so impressive.
So far you're the first who has mentioned it. (Shhhhh!)
As the blocks are wood, repairs are relatively easy - basically just chop out the area with the error, insert a plug of fresh wood, and recarve ...
Absolutely amazing.......Fascinating to watch and a true artist. I love your description of the process and the prints are stunning. Thank you so much. Best wishes.....John
I am absolutely stunned by this, its just incredible! I caught myself repeating "No way!" again and again while watching you carve her hair.
absolutely beautiful work
David thank you so much for these wonderful videos. Your work is beautiful as it is graceful.
This is the first of your videos that I've watched, and it's simply excellent. I love your narration. It's useful and interesting, and I like your tone of voice. This video really seems like something one would find on PBS. The whole process here is fascinating and the work produced is exquisite! Bravo.
Your work is so intricate; this is favorite of the series so far!
I just want long videos of you cutting these blocks, I've heard sometimes in some of them a light background music you are listening too. Its relaxing to watch and listen to you make the blocks.
I hope that after these Ukiyoe Heroes series videos are finished that you keep making your videos. I rather enjoy them even if they are viewed as repetitive. It doesn't bother me.
Dave, I love these videos just the way they are! Keep making them the way you want to!
I just discovered your channel. Very interesting work. Glad to see you take such pride in this fine Japanese craft. I'm sharing with my friends.
Thank you for sharing this. Your narration along your work fit beautifully.
My jaw dropped when you started carving the hair. How do you keep the paper straight when you transfer the different colours?
It's kind of difficult to explain here in a CZcams comment section, but if you look for the other video on this channel - 'Chibi Heroes woodblock print production' - you will see how the transfer process works ... Thanks for the interest!
David Bull I am very impressed with the skill involved of laying the paper on the printing block. Especially with the hair I think it would mess up the whole print if you are a little off.
I noticed you don't have any markings on the block for the paper. Why doesn't the wood swell up when water is applied so many times ? Very interesting video series you have made here, so inspiring. Thank you.
Every block has registration marks to hold the paper, in two places ... As for swelling up, the cherrywood we use is very hard, and is perfectly suited to this kind of printing ...
Dave your like the bob ross of print making, I could watch these videos all day, and if I ever get the chance to come to Japan I want visit your studio.
You're so amazing!! Thank you for give this videos to us.
I'm Brazilian and admire your works!
I LOVE THESE VIDEOS! The talent and skill from everyone involved is staggering. The detail in the hair blew me away especially. I'm definitely going to order a print when I have the money. I wish you all great success :)
Just found out about your work with Jed an hour ago by chance. Amazing work, guys. Love these videos, very interesting and informative as an appreciator of art. My poor uni student budget won't allow me to get any prints instantly (even though I really want to!). Please keep making these for a long time! Some day I hope to get them all. But for now, I will start my instant noodle diet.
Simply amazing. I would love to own those wood blocks for my collection. Amazing job.
VGMStudios33 What a shame to own wood blocks and not use them for producing prints.
What a lovely man! And what a great meditative process with beautiful outcomes.
Thank you for these wonderful videos. I'll be waiting patiently for the next one.
Your art and videos are amazing!!! I always enjoy them!
I can't link it directly from this comment, but just go to woodblock com and look for the link to the Woodblock Webcam. (Not sure about the schedule over the next few days, as we are now in a holiday weekend here in Japan ...)
Great, thank you for your answer, I'm a beginner but your videos are very instructive (and impressive) !
It's a long story ... and the process has been shown pretty well in a number of these videos. Perhaps it's most clearly seen in the 'Chibi Heroes woodblock print production' video ... please have a look!
Amazing my friend, thank you for recording your work.
wonderful wonderful patience! Love to see your works of art
I absolutely LOVE your work Mr. Bull, and I am in the process of watching ALL of your videos. Thank you so very much for uploading them to CZcams for us to view and learn. I was wondering if I could please ask, what is the paper called that you used to glue to the block that you rub the back of it off?
+Efrin Ramirez Paper with the design on, ready for pasting down, is called a 'hanshita'. If it's the name of the paper itself that you are asking about, I use the type of paper known as 'gampi' (sometimes written as 'ganpi'). It's very thin, and very strong. (and good stuff is very expensive!)
Thank you so very much for taking the time to answer my question, I greatly appreciate it.
I subscribed. You do amazing work. I don't carve wood but you calming person to watch and I love learning new things. It really takes me away from all the political drama that is on youtube and here in the States.
Absolutely incredible
Hey Dave -- definitely respect your flexibility and willingness to change things up... however I think consistency (both in your work, and your videos) is also appreciated by your viewers! Cheers, Dave R
Jed and I ran these last few prints without the lettering because 1) I was thinking it was just getting too much to repeat it every single time on every print, and 2) we wanted more room for 'action' and storytelling. The lettering will be back, now and again, as seems appropriate ...
Wow, just found your videos. This is amazing!
Absolutely incredible, as per usual. Your enthusiasm and meticulous skills are a huge inspiration.
I was curious though, did you have knowledge of these Nintendo characters prior to this? Has it led you to play any of the games? Either way, who is your favorite character you've done? :)
That hair carving! just wow!
Carving the hair on Infestation certainly appears to be the work of a master! What do you do when there is an error in your carving process? Do you repair the error? If so, how?
So I'm over here watching this in 2020 because of the pandemic going on and I'm like, "I could probably do some of that carving." And then he got to the hair and I was just like, "Nope."
David could have been a good surgeon.
I want one of these prints so badly....
Why do I feel Im watching another incarnation of Bob Ross.! It's awesome to see people become a master in an another cultures craft.
Bob Ross has come back from the dead, shared his Soul with this guy, and brought wookblock carving ASMR to us peasants
Beautiful!
Great series! I'm learning woodcut carving and printing and your videos are both educational and inspiring. Great work from both yourself and Jed Henry. I have been doing various forms of woodworking for over 35 years now and have collect many tools with several duplicates, but nothing to level of your collection of barens! Is there a practical reason to have so many or are they just a collections?
He has talent and so many Japanese are gifted
This is crazy good! I wonder how long it took you until the final result?
It's based on the Metroid franchise. That's Samus Aran, shootin' up metroids with her arm cannon.
Incredible skill
Wow just amazing
Wow this is amazing. I struggled with Lino cut print.
I am always in awe of your skill every time one of these videos comes out!
I had a question about the Chibi series. I've been getting a pair each month since it started, and noticed that the last few pairs of prints no longer have the words "Ukiyoe Heroes" on them. What prompted this design change? Will we see the return of that text on future prints?
oooh i see you chisel out a corner piece for the paper to align and drop it once it matches up. though i could still be wrong haha. thank you for the reply! your work is outstanding and i will be ordering a print next pay check :)
thank you it is always interesting.
This is so cool.
A pleasure to watch such talent. Is any of your work for sale? I would very much like to buy one of your prints.
You can find our prints at ukiyoeheroes.com or mokuhankan.com Thanks for the interest!
Amazing!
yea jeez just watching him carve in that first part gave me terrible anxiety. i was like watch out fOR YOUR FINGER! i could never do this. very impressive stuff.
this is sooo cool, im subscribing
I know this video is several years old, but I'm wondering how he is able to line up the paper so perfectly when he is adding pigment.
my question is hooow in the world do you get the paper to perfectly match up and fall into the same place every time?
Superb!
awesome, as always!
Hello David. I am a big fan of you works! Thank you for sharing you expiriensce. I have a small qustion for you. What kind of paper do you use for transfer image? time in video 2:30. Thank you for you answer and Hello from Ukraine.
Question: Since they didn't have printers (I'm talking about the modern machine) back then, what would they do to get the drawing onto the thin paper? Would they redraw/trace it? Would only certain kinds of ink work?
I hope you are doing fine , you have not post any video for a long time ...
Wunderschöne Bilder und eine großartige Kunstform. Kann mir jemand sagen wo ich Bilder in Europa kaufen kann?
wow i find this amazing just amazing
Wait.. you have to carve the same image exactly the same for as many as colours there are??
After my experiences with Japanese copyright, I'm surprised there is no problem with these
i am in awe
Ninja Turtles! :D
Meanwhile, am I the only one who caught the colour block being carved in the first part of the video?
This print is personally my least favourite of the set so far. My fav is Hero, then Fox, then Cart, and then this one. (But the first two are nearly tied.)
Anyone know what this print was based on?
I'm sorry but can you explain to me which paper do you use at the beginning of your video (to transfer the black lines on the wood) ?
wonderful !
What do you do when you make mistakes when carving? Is it possible to correct your mistakes with something like a wood filler, or does one mistake junk the whole block?
We never use wood filler. Here is a link to a recent blog post of ours showing one of our repair procedures: mokuhankan.com/conversations/archives/2017/01/a_new_hasui_print.html
I need to learn this tecnic.
Super Mario, Star Fox, Legend of Zelda, and Metroid. Nice!
What is this art called? The whole process of carving and printing?