New Carving Block Test #2

Just in case anybody's curious about the testing currently in process as we try to draw closer and closer to a suitable replacement for our beloved PZ Kut, I thought I would post a couple process pictures. I should have started at the very beginning, I know, but I didn't think of it at the beginning. I was too discouraged from New Carving Block Test #1 last night being such a dismal failure to consider it (no, there wasn't a post about that - there was absolutely no point). 

Also, the photos are quick phone shots downloaded and cropped in a totally quick and dirty fashion to make sure I got these up tonight, so pardon the less than perfect presentation, please.

So, to begin with, I lightly sanded the block and did a pencil transfer of a daffodil drawing (St. David's Day is coming up, after all, so it seemed appropriate). 

The quarter shows the size of the piece I'm playing with, and it also happens that the thickness of the quarter is almost exactly the thickness of the sample block. If it actually goes into production, the final material will be closer to 1/4".

I cut with modified and unmodified Staedtler #1 gouges, a Speedball #1 gouge and a Testor's Hobby Knife. You can see the swirl, circle and letter 's' that I tucked in among the daffodil petals to test the quality of fine, controlled knife cuts. I just took a pencil and made a spiral, an 's' and did a freehand circle directly on the block for that part of the experiment, so there wasn't anything terribly fancy involved.

Obviously, the carving isn't finished yet, I'm just running it through its paces along the way. The first print was done with Versafine Olympia Green on plain white card stock.

Then, I wiped the Versafine ink off with a paper towel and printed on the same type of card stock with a light green dye ink (that's why there are a couple dark streaks and spots - I didn't get all the pigment ink off with the paper towel).

Unfortunately, I seem to have wiped my pencil marks right off the block along with the ink, so it looks like the rest of the carving will be freehand from here. We like a challenge, right?

I'm not going to say anything about what I thought of the block or its qualities at this stage. I don't want to influence my volunteer test carvers in any way. I haven't even talked with Baloo about it yet, although he keeps coming down in the basement and sticking his nose under my arm to tell me it's time to take a walk - or feed him - or give him some love. He seems to think I'm ignoring him in favor of some mysterious obsession. Poor puppy...