"OVERLOOK" WOODCUT IN COLOR

The latest color proof of the "OVERLOOK" woodcut. Still in progress, one more round of edits and we should be there! Stay tuned & join up to our mailing list on our website for details!

LAWRENCEVILLE ARTIST STUDIO TOUR

Update! It's been a tough call to make, but Tugboat Printshop will NOT be open for the annual Lawrenceville Artists' Studio Tour November 7th. We've got a brand new baby, an event in NYC the same day, are working to finish the "OVERLOOK" print and are just stretched too far to make it work this year. Apologies to all that were hoping to drop by!

We'll be open by appointments again starting next week (Monday, Nov. 9th), so be in touch if you'd like to come check out some color woodcut prints!

T.B.P.S. | Floor #2 | 4514 Plummer St. | PGH, PA

MAKING "OVERLOOK" BLUE SKIES

Moving info from one "OVERLOOK" woodblock to another "OVERLOOK" woodblock (through transfer--printing from one block to another). Once this dries, we'll draw & carve the final details of the expansive blue sky and be ready to roll!!!

5 total woodblocks make the "OVERLOOK" woodcut, a huge print-in-progress we're about to wrap up that we've been working on on-and-off for the past 3 years. 

We'll be updating the print's webpage with new proof pictures as we get them, but you can get an idea of the current direction of the print HERE or access all of our in-progress shots to date HERE. 

LAST BATCH OF 'DAISIES'!

New "DAISY BOUQUET" woodcuts, hand-printed from 2 woodblocks, done & drying in the racks! The last batch of prints from this popular edition (going fast!), available exclusively in our little online shop! More info & pics of the finished print HERE.

PRINTS GONE WILD 2015

Tugboat Printshop will be making the trip to Brooklyn for Prints Gone Wild 2015 during NYC Print Week this year! Mark your calendars, join the event! 

LAST "OVERLOOK" BLUE!

Carving that last "OVERLOOK" woodcut blue! Whew!

PRINTING THE "LEFT RIGHT" WOODCUT

2 triangular forest-patterned blocks print together to make the new "LEFT RIGHT" woodcut. That little cardboard shim (top pic) marks out the space between the blocks. 

Pulling paper up from the 2 inked woodblocks to make a finished print. This is how we print all of our prints, no digital technologies, everything done traditionally & totally by hand. 

On intro special in our shop for one more week! 

FINAL BLOCK FOR "OVERLOOK"

Excited to be wrapping up the last of the drawing on the 2nd blue block this week & moving on to exclusively carving until this big, big intricate woodcut print (the "OVERLOOK") is finished! Hoping to be able to begin proofing again, with all the blocks this time, by next week...here goes!

The detail above is of the earlybird proof, crinkled, drawn on, pasted to, revised and generally abused in the tug to get this print completed. Color will change from what you see on this proof, this is such an early tester with only 4 of the 5 blocks for the print rolled up in standard ink colors just to see how they align and mix together.  A more refined color mixing will happen when we have all of the blocks completed & ready to proof together. Such a very small little fragment of the bottom left corner of the print! 

It's BIG!

PRINTING "LEFT RIGHT"

Printed up the edition of "LEFT RIGHT" in classic black on Natural Kitakata paper this past week, prints are now dry & ready to ship out! See better photos of the finished print, available at a special rate in a limited edition run, HERE>>>

"LEFT RIGHT" WOODCUT PRINT

"LEFT RIGHT"

12" x 21" B&W Woodcut on Kitakata Paper
Paul Roden + Valerie Lueth, 2015.
EDITION OF 100 PRINTS.

NEW! The "LEFT RIGHT" woodcut in classic B&W. A study of 2 dense woodland patches on 2 woodblocks. Clean-cut treelines showcase the graphic beauty of an idealized forest wonderland. Printed on 12" x 21" natural Kitakata paper. Special rate, limited edition print, now available HERE!

NEW THIS WEEK!

Triangular woodcut sketch! 1/2 of a new woodcut print to debut this week. Stay tuned for a post or join our news at www.tugboatprintshop.com!

DETAILS OF BLUE #2

Carving on the 2nd blue block and final color block for the upcoming "OVERLOOK" woodcut has begun! A dense forest to carve through, but this block will add a secondary green tone to the printed image, along with shadow/depth between vertical landscape layers in the print as a whole. (A couple details of the 2nd blue block in progress above) Exciting!

Once carved, we'll finally be able to see the first real glimpses of our vision for the "OVERLOOK" color woodcut print taking shape. The print, which is designed to be both a singular vertical artwork or an infinitely expandable horizontal landscape diptych/triptych/installation, will be lush with color and pattern beyond anything we've ever made.

We have tried our best to document the work on this print, but no number of photos can do it proper justice! It's difficult to communicate both the intricacy & scale. We've collected the best into this photoset. 

Our online shop features a brief intro to the print & process of making it, with the ability to pre-order at an introductory rate (for just a limited while longer!)

Here goes!

THE 2ND BLUE BLOCK

Because of the wide range of greens & natural tones we want to color the "OVERLOOK" woodcut, we're making 2 woodblocks for blue (each will print a slightly different ink tone). Here, we're almost done drawing in the detail on the 2nd blue block--when this is done, we'll be carving night-and-day until it's done! 

The "OVERLOOK" woodcut is a 5 block, 46" x 30" color woodcut print-in-progress. This giant & intricate print and all of the blocks that make it are completely handmade using no computer or digital technologies (aside from the photos we take to record the making of it).  It has taken us over 2 years to make the key (in black) and all of the 4 color blocks, so you can imagine the growing excitement as we wrap up the last steps of the making and prepare to enter production on this massive project!

Accomplishing the "OVERLOOK" woodcut will start a new chapter at Tugboat Printshop.

EARLYBIRD COLOR "OVERLOOK"

The 1st color print of "OVERLOOK" will debut Friday, August 21, 2015! The print is starting to come to life in color, but still lots to do! We're working now to color balance & align all 5 woodblocks.

Above, our test proof with early proof amendments marked for change. We anticipate a dramatic transition from this early tester to the 1st color print.(Overall, too much brown here!) 

The "OVERLOOK" woodcut print is 46" x 30" with a 1" paper border. Production of the limited edition will follow the release of the 1st color proof. Pre-ordering info here! 

PROOFING "OVERLOOK" BEGINS!

Proofing on the big "OVERLOOK" woodcut has officially begun! Stay tuned for the big unveiling of the 1st proof in color on Friday, August 21st, 2015! Join up to our mailing list for 1st details.

FINE-TUNING "OVERLOOK" COLOR

We're going back through all of the "OVERLOOK" color blocks in preparation for first color proofing! We'll print a handful of copies during the proofing process, slowly fine-tuning color on each of the 5 blocks and carving the last block details, before we arrive at a finished 1st color proof. The 1st color proof will be a guide for how we mix & print during production. The full edition size of "OVERLOOK" will be 100 limited edition prints.We are planning to unveil the 1st color proof on Friday, August 21st, 2015 in the T.B.P.S. newsletter. Join up by entering your e-mail at www.tugboatprintshop.com and be the first to see & hear the latest details about the big "OVERLOOK" woodcut landscape!

FIRST PEEK IN B&W

The countdown to the "OVERLOOK" woodcut is on! Mark your calendars, we're unveiling the 1st color proof on August 21, 2015! (Join up to our mailing list/newsletter to be the 1st to see it)

Until then, enjoy this B&W teaser of the key block on newsprint... This is just a detail from the middle of the "OVERLOOK" print, see the full B&W test proof on our site!

Carving Clouds

This past week, we've been drawing & carving the blue sky into the "OVERLOOK" color blocks. 

DRAWING "OVERLOOK" SKY

"OVERLOOK" color blocks have taken over our entire basement workspace! Almost done drawing in the sky on the light blue block & then we'll transfer this to the others & make more sky magic happen! First proof will be along shortly after these are carved, the fire burns in our bellies to get this print done!

"FROND"

"FROND" 
9" x 11" Color Woodcut Print on Natural Japanese Kitakata Paper
Paul Roden + Valerie Lueth, 2013.
EDITION OF 100 PRINTS. 

About the size of an actual leaf, "FROND" rainbows from dark to deep berry red. Feathery veins burst from the central stem in pleasant little poofs!

NOW AVAILABLE HERE!