Woodcutting is an artisanal engraving technique that we are fascinated by here at Coordonné. After printing, it is the most classic technique for reproducing illustrations.
Obviously when you paint with oil, watercolour or using any other pictorial element, you can achieve great richness in your work. There are, however, less obvious techniques that are worthy of our absolute admiration, simply because they represent pure craftsmanship.
Woodcutting requires special skill and extreme delicacy as it is a complex process where you have to follow very specific steps to achieve the desired effect. You use as many blocks as there are colours in your composition.
Once again, Japanese culture emerges as an expert in this type of woodwork. It is called Ukiyo-e (floating world, ephemeral) and it is incredible to see how the craftsmen and women use a wooden block to carve out the drawing, which has previously been drawn onto paper, with a gouge and mallet. They then spread the inks on with a brush and proceed to print each layer.
This technique has been the inspiration for our wallpapers: Ukiyo from Random Chinoiseries, Da Lat from Wander and the Kawa, Bekko, Toppu designs from Sakura.
Coordonné Team
