Wood Engraving Archives – John Jānis Šteins

Pen & Ink ~ Tavira, Portugal

By John SteinsApril 2, 2019August 17, 2020Categories: ArticlesTags: digitalink, india ink, ink drawing, Wood Engraving, woodcut, woodengravingLeave a comment

I’ve taken to making ‘woodcuts’ and ‘wood engravings’ with nothing more than an iPad and stylus using a simple drawing application (Tayasui Sketch). Essentially, I use an additive/subtractive approach to making marks for developing the drawing so that it looks like both a wood engraving and scratchboard. It takes me a long time to doRead more ⟶

A Practice Engraving

By John SteinsJanuary 28, 2013January 27, 2016Categories: Articles, Wood EngravingTags: boxwood, burin, engraver's pillow, printmaking, Wood Engraving5 Comments

This wood engraving was to serve a dual purpose; to get back into making engravings and to create a Christmas card design. Unfortunately, life got in the way and I didn’t get it done in time for mailing although the sketch was ready and waiting. I’ll try again next year. Ultimately it was a joyRead more ⟶

JJ Lankes

By anonymousDecember 30, 2010April 27, 2013Categories: Questions & AnswersTags: jjLankes, Wood Engraving, woodblock printing, woodcut artist1 Comment

Where can I find a woodcut engraved by J. Lankes of an original drawing of Charles Burchfield signed for sale?

Clare Leighton ~ Threshing ~ Wood Engraving

By John SteinsDecember 19, 2010December 19, 2010Categories: Wood EngravingTags: clare leighton, Wood Engraving4 Comments

Clare Leighton ~ Bread Line, New York ~ wood engraving

By John SteinsDecember 16, 2010December 17, 2010Categories: Articles, Wood EngravingTags: clare leighton, depression, Wood Engraving5 Comments

Whats the single best tool for wood engraving?

By quizzicalDecember 15, 2010Categories: Questions & AnswersTags: chisel, home depot, lowes, specific tools, Wood Engraving4 Comments

im really interested in wood engraving, but i don’t have any specific tools designed for it (i do have generic chisel’s) is there a single tool, thats good for engraving a single piece of flat wood? kind of like a portrait? and how much would it cost? and could i find it at places likeRead more ⟶

Box of Box

By John SteinsAugust 19, 2010August 23, 2010Categories: Wood EngravingTags: boxwood, engraving, wood block making, Wood EngravingLeave a comment

As a happy consequence of a major reorganization of my woodworking shop I’ve collected all my boxwood scraps into one Rubbermaid container. They are not really cast-offs – naturally – but very useful to the block-maker. In fact, these bits could be looked upon as a kind of block-maker’s porn; very exciting stuff! I’ll beRead more ⟶

Paul Landacre on Wood Engraving

By John SteinsFebruary 26, 2010October 8, 2020Categories: Wood EngravingTags: boxwood, end grain, landacre, letterpress, litho ink, Wood Engraving, woodcut6 Comments

Paul Landacre is my wood engraving hero. Even more so now that I’ve come across this article he wrote on the subject in the early 1940’s for a book called The Relief Print Woodcut Wood Engraving & Linoleum Cut. For those interested in this subject I hope you will be inspired by his insights! WoodRead more ⟶

New Virtual Booklet

By John SteinsFebruary 23, 2010March 13, 2016Categories: Wood EngravingTags: flipbook, library, relief print, virtual book, Wood Engraving3 Comments

I have added a new page flip booklet about wood engraving in my library. After a long absence I will be adding content that I hope is useful on this site while balancing my time in the studio. Hope you enjoy it. You can find it by clicking on this title; wood-engraving

History of Wood Engraving

By John SteinsFebruary 21, 2010February 10, 2016Categories: Wood EngravingTags: boxwood, engraver's pillow, engraving, letterpress, typeface, Wood Engraving, wooden typeLeave a comment

Here is an article about wood engraving from 1844, reprinted along with illustrations from a sheet that I purchased at a very cool bookstore in Astoria, Oregon last November. Box is the wood mostly used by modern wood-engravers; pear-tree, and other wood of a similar grain and fibre, being now only used in executing largeRead more ⟶