A woodcut is the oldest form of printmaking: an image is carved into the surface of a wooden block, which is then inked and pressed onto paper. It is a relief printing technique, meaning the raised, uncut areas carry the ink while the cut-away parts stay blank. Woodcut is the direct ancestor of the modern linocut, and the two share almost the same tools and steps. The result is a strong, graphic print with bold shapes and expressive marks that follow the character of the wood. See how we approach it at Ritualis Press in our guide to woodcut printmaking.
How a woodcut is made
Making a woodcut follows a handful of clear stages. Because the raised surface prints, the image comes out mirror-reversed, so any text has to be cut back-to-front.
- Draw or transfer the design onto a smooth wooden block, keeping in mind that the finished print will be reversed.
- Cut away everything that should stay white, working with a knife and gouges, and following the direction of the wood grain.
- Roll a thin, even layer of relief ink across the raised surface with a brayer.
- Lay paper on the block and transfer the image, either by hand with a baren or a spoon, or by using a printing press.
- Lift the paper to reveal the print, then repeat to pull a matching edition.
The feel of the final print depends on small choices along the way, from the ink you choose to the paper you print on.
Woodcut, wood engraving and linocut
All three belong to the family of relief printing, but they differ in the block. A woodcut is cut on the plank side of the wood, along the grain, usually with a knife and gouges. Wood engraving instead uses the hard end grain of the wood, worked with a fine metal tool called a burin, which allows much finer lines. The linocut is the youngest cousin: linoleum has no grain at all, so it carves smoothly in every direction and is often where beginners start. If you are weighing up the options, our printmaking glossary explains the key terms.
A long history
Woodcut is centuries older than printing with movable type. It began in China, where woodblock printing was first used on textiles and then on paper; the Diamond Sutra of 868 AD is the earliest dated complete printed book, produced from carved wooden blocks. The technique reached Europe around 1400, first for devotional images and playing cards, then for book illustration once paper became widely available.
At the end of the fifteenth century the German artist Albrecht Dürer raised the woodcut to extraordinary heights with works of dazzling detail. Around 1508 to 1509 Lucas Cranach the Elder and Hans Burgkmair developed the chiaroscuro woodcut, which used a separate tone block to add shading. For much of this period the artist only drew the design, while a specialist block-cutter, or formschneider, did the carving.
In Japan, woodblock printing flourished from the seventeenth century as ukiyo-e, the "pictures of the floating world." Full-colour nishiki-e prints spread from the 1760s, and masters such as Katsushika Hokusai and Utagawa Hiroshige created some of the most famous images in all of art. When Japanese prints arrived in Europe in large numbers in the 1860s they sparked a wave of Japonisme; Paul Gauguin was among the few Western artists who answered with woodcuts of his own.
The twentieth century brought a powerful revival. Edvard Munch and the German Expressionists of Die Brücke, including Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, embraced the raw, direct energy of cutting into wood, often doing the whole process themselves. You can read more about these printmakers and their story.
Japanese woodblock printing (moku hanga)
Japanese moku hanga is a distinctive, water-based form of woodcut. Instead of oily ink and a press, the printer brushes water-based colour and rice paste onto the block and transfers it by hand with a baren, a smooth disc traditionally backed with a bamboo sheath. Carved registration marks called kento keep each colour in place. It is prized for its soft, luminous washes of colour, and a wooden baren is the classic tool for the job.
Colour woodcuts
Colour is usually built up with a separate block for each colour, printed one over the next in careful registration, exactly as in Japanese nishiki-e. Some artists, like Kirchner, instead cut and recut a single block, inking different areas by hand. The same colour thinking carries straight over to lino, as our guide to colour relief printing shows.
Materials and tools
Woodcut needs only a modest kit to begin. A typical setup includes:
- A smooth wooden block such as plywood, pine, lime or cherry, sanded flat and ready to carve.
- Cutting tools, a knife plus a set of V and U gouges, kept sharp for clean lines.
- A brayer or ink roller to lay down a thin, even film of ink.
- Relief printing ink, water-based or oil-based depending on the look you want.
- A baren for hand printing, or a relief press for firm, even pressure.
- A cutting mat and good printmaking paper to protect your bench and carry the image.
Getting started with woodcut
Woodcut rewards patience, but the basics are easy to learn and the tools last for years. If you are completely new to relief printing, our step-by-step guide for beginners is a gentle place to start, and making a simple block-print stamp is a quick first project. When you are ready to invest in equipment, browse our printmaking presses and printmaking supplies, and keep the glossary close by for any unfamiliar terms.