Woodcut Intensive Course

Woodcut is a relief printing technique that combines drawing, carving and image composition. In this course, you'll sketch a design and transfer it onto a wooden block. You'll then carve this design into the block, ink it and print with the inked block onto paper. You'll not only become familiar with the woodcut technique, but also deepen your understanding of relief printing fundamentals.

Over two sessions, you'll learn how to translate your ideas into prints and gain confidence working with the materials. You'll also have plenty of space for experimentation and can refine your results. By the end of the course, you'll have created a small print series and be technically able to develop your prints independently.

What you will learn:

  • Preparation and transfer of a design onto wood
  • Safe and effective handling of the carving tools
  • Understanding of positive and negative space in relief printing
  • Ink application and how to control contrasts
  • Hand-printing techniques and registration techniques
  • Differences between Linocut and Woodcut

Course structure:

Session 1: Design Transfer and Carving Techniques

The first session introduces you to the fundamentals and various forms of relief printing. It also provides a brief historical overview of this printing technique. You'll become familiar with the materials and learn how to use the carving tools. Then the practical work begins: you'll learn what kind of drawing works best for woodcut, create your design, transfer it and start carving.

Session 2: Inking, Printing and Experimentation

In the second session, you'll be introduced to different paper types suitable for woodcut. You'll learn more about the differences between hand printing and machine printing, as well as other printing techniques. You'll also be able to test different inks on your blocks. At the end, you'll print and take your results home.

Who is this course for?

The course is open to participants with some experience in relief printing who want to deepen their understanding of woodcut.

What to bring:

  • Printing paper (can also be purchased on site)

For printing, it’s best if the paper is 100% cotton, acid-free, and fine-textured, with a weight of 150–300 gsm depending on the technique.Lighter paper is generally better suited for hand-printing techniques, while heavier paper works better for machine printing. 

What's included:

  • Wooden blocks (A4)
  • Woodcut knives (shared)
  • Rollers (shared)
  • Solvents
  • Newsprint
  • Printing inks

Good to know:

  • Cancellations are free of charge up to 72 hours before the course begins.
  • From 72 hours before the course starts, we are unfortunately unable to refund the course fee in case of cancellations or no-shows.