From: Gary  |  Date: Feb 22, 2006

I've been pondering the block breakdown for Hilo Bay in off minutes ... I think I can basically see through how it could be done. One thing I can't see from the little image ... are there ripples across the sea in the foreground section? I can see the rippled reflections of the trees, but can't see how much texture is in the sea surface, and whether or not it would need another block ...

No ripples cross the sea in the foreground section, only in the design as indicated in the reflections of the trees. The sea itself is just a smooth gradation.

Give me a size you would like the image and I'll send you one over so you can see it firsthand.

From: Dave  |  Date: Feb 22, 2006

Give me a size you would like the image and I'll send you one over so you can see it firsthand.

Image area 22cm wide should do it ...

From: Gary  |  Date: Feb 23, 2006

Image area 22cm wide should do it ...

Printed one up, it's sealed in the envelope and will go out in tomorrow's mail.

From: Dave  |  Date: Feb 25, 2006

Got a digital image I could print out on my Epson here?

From: Gary  |  Date: Feb 25, 2006

I'll give it a shot. It'll be attached. Let me know if you get it or not.

From: Dave  |  Date: Feb 25, 2006

... couple quick questions:

• - I don't get the palm trunks ... maybe just a textured tone will be OK there; they'll be pretty small.
• - you've got some kind of 'outline' around the bluish areas in the clouds at top left. Presumably, just the blue can stand against the white without an outline there?

From: Gary  |  Date: Feb 25, 2006

I don't get the palm trunks ... maybe just a textured tone will be OK there; they'll be pretty small.

The palm trunks, the palms, and the rocks they grow from were all the same gradation, though the gradation is barely noticeable. From the darkest blue at bottom, to the dark green at top...as I say, barely noticeable. You may be able to get away with a slight variation in a deep blue tone alone and not notice a difference. You're welcome to try it.

you've got some kind of 'outline' around the bluish areas in the clouds at top left. Presumably, just the blue can stand against the white without an outline there?

The cloud 'outline' was left after several trial colors for the shadowed parts of the clouds finally resulted in a color I was happy with. Whenever an area is selected and colored, then selected again later for recoloring, there is left a perimeter that doesn't get picked up by the color detector and stays there. You either have to take time to go in and select this part almost pixel by pixel, or leave it if it doesn't ruin the effect. In this case it did not seem to detract from the design, and even seemed to add a bit, so I went with it. From a woodblock point of view, you may be able to just eliminate it and achieve the same overall effect with little loss.

The impression of the overall print is nice. If you can maintain the effect and simplify the cutting and printing effects somehow, I'd say go for it. See what you come up with.

From: Gary  |  Date: Feb 25, 2006

You have Numabe-san & Ueda-san lined up for the Mokuhankan project, how is that going? Both of these fellows carve and print, do they not? Will they be doing individual prints by themselves, or one taking the role of carver and the other the role of printer?

You're certainly kicking this thing up a notch! Best of luck. Let me know if there's anything I can do.

From: Dave  |  Date: Feb 25, 2006

You have Numabe-san & Ueda-san lined up for the Mokuhankan project, how is that going? Both of these fellows carve and print, do they not? Will they be doing individual prints by themselves, or one taking the role of carver and the other the role of printer?

Numabe-san doesn't carve, that I know of. There is no plan to use them together, and indeed things are already getting a bit scrambled. The Yoshida studio, where Numabe has been doing nearly all of his work for the past few years, is shut down while the family sorts out the major inheritance issues following Mrs. Yoshida's death last fall, so Numabe is suddenly looking for work from other places, and apparently finding plenty of it.

He's doing the 'Crow' print for me right now, but isn't sure when he can start the next one ...

So I'm going to have to get downtown and have some discussions with a few other printers too ...

From: Dave  |  Date: Mar 2, 2006

What's the time of day at Hilo Bay? Evening, right? This is kind of looking southward into the bay?

From: Gary  |  Date: Mar 2, 2006

Dawn. The view is from the southern side of Hilo Bay looking northwest to Mauna Kea, the snow capped tips of the northern volcanic mountain. The sun is rising from the east on the right.

From: Dave  |  Date: Mar 12, 2006

Something occurred to me this evening as I was making that 'report' on the meeting with Numabe-san ... We talked about Hilo Bay a bit, and there are a couple of things I need to ask you about that. What do you think if I ask you these points about the image, out there on 'Mokuhankan Conversations'? If I think back to the discussions we had on previous images - the back and forth about proof details, what you wanted, what they could do, what they couldn't do, etc. etc. - I think this sort of thing might be quite interesting to collectors. Do those discussions need to be 'private'?

From: Gary  |  Date: Mar 12, 2006

Something occurred to me this evening as I was making that 'report' on the meeting with Numabe-san ... We talked about Hilo Bay a bit, and there are a couple of things I need to ask you about that. What do you think if I ask you these points about the image, out there on 'Mokuhankan Conversations'? If I think back to the discussions we had on previous images - the back and forth about proof details, what you wanted, what they could do, what they couldn't do, etc. etc. - I think this sort of thing might be quite interesting to collectors. Do those discussions need to be 'private'?

If it's simply a question about the print, that's o.k. If it involves a critique of how something was done by _somebody_, that would not be wise to publicize, unless it is complementary. I'm sure you agree on that, and were not suggesting otherwise, but I'm saying that just to have said it.

Otherwise, sure, go ahead, let's give it a try. If there's something I'm not comfortable with going public, I'll respond to it by personal email.

From your last posting, regarding your visit with Numabe-san, I take it _you_ will be carving the "Hilo Bay" blocks?

From: Dave  |  Date: Mar 12, 2006

Otherwise, sure, go ahead, let's give it a try. If there's something I'm not comfortable with going public, I'll respond to it by personal email.

OK, it's there ... http://mokuhankan.com/conversations

From your last posting, regarding your visit with Numabe-san, I take it _you_ will be carving the "Hilo Bay" blocks?

Money .... just no way I can afford to hire it out yet ...

The thread then continued 'out in public' in Hilo Bay [3] ...