Innovation in Relief Printmaking

Encaustic Paper Staining, Woodblock and Mokuhanga Workshop

Professor: Roslyn Kean

5 – day workshop

Monday to Friday 9 am – 5 pm

Dates: July 12-16, 2027

Arrival date: on Sunday July 11, between 6 pm-8pm.

Departure date: on Friday July 16, at 5 pm.

6-10 participants

Location

At Art Print Residence, located in Arenys de Munt, near Barcelona.

Workshop Description

This five-day workshop explores a combination of direct mark-making techniques on lightweight papers, Western-style woodcut and Japanese mokuhanga printmaking.

Participants will learn how to use wax as a resist to create layered, stained images on lightweight Japanese papers. Delicate washes of colour can be applied before the wax is removed, revealing patterns and tonal variations. These papers can then be overprinted with relief woodcuts or incorporated into prints using the chine-collé technique.

The workshop will explore different approaches to woodblock printing, from bold black-and-white imagery to multicolour compositions using multiple blocks. Reduction carving will also be introduced as a way to develop tonal variation within an image.

Participants will be introduced to key mokuhanga techniques, including image transfer, registration methods and printing with different types of baren. They will also explore how stained papers can be combined with relief printing to create layered and richly textured images.

Throughout the workshop, participants will develop their image ideas through drawings made to scale and transferred onto the blocks using a variety of methods, including laser-printed photocopies.

Combining these techniques offers new possibilities for experimentation with colour, texture, layering and image-making in contemporary relief printmaking.

Accommodation

The accommodation at the residency will be in shared rooms* and it is included on the price of the course. Meals and drinks are not included. 

* Individual accommodation is also available at the hotel in the village (not in the residency). Please, note the price of the pack will be slightly higher for that option.

Booking

We offer an all-inclusive package covering tuition, materials, and shared accommodation at the residency for a total cost of 2.000€.

Lodging

Shared room (at the residency) – €2.000

Individual room (at the hotel) – €2.200

Apply

What we provide:

  • Shared accommodation in the apartment enclosed to the studio (or private accommodation at the hotel).
  • A peaceful, bright, and charming, cozy atelier.
  • Space in the studio to create.
  • Tools and materials listed below.

Materials provided to artists:

  • One 50 × 70 cm birch plywood block (9 mm thick) for Western-style relief printing.
  • One 30 × 22.5 cm shina plywood block (6 mm thick, both sides suitable for carving) for mokuhanga.
  • 2 sheets of Panshion White 
  • 2 sheets of Panshion Cream
  • 2 sheets of Mingeshi
  • 1 sheet of Inshu Kozo White
  • 1 sheet of Arakaji
  • Apron

Materials and Equipment Provided by Art Print Residence

Encaustic Paper Staining

  • Thermostat-controlled electric frying pan suitable for melting wax
  • White paraffin wax (not beeswax)
  • Natural-fibre brushes
  • Trays for dipping and soaking paper
  • Newsprint and newspapers for absorbing wax and protecting work surfaces
  • Thermostat-controlled iron
  • Sumi ink and suitable inks for staining paper
  • Plastic for lining trays

Mokuhanga and Woodblock Printing (Studio Use)

  • Carving tools (Power Grip set), sharpening stones and bench hooks
  • Barens and registration tools
  • Gouache (Tosai), Guerra and Holbein pigments, and sumi ink
  • Brushes for printing, pigments and water
  • Cups, spray bottles and squirt bottles
  • Rice/wheat paste, starch glue and brushes
  • Zokin cloths, bokashi sponges and non-slip mats
  • Saws and other basic woodcutting tools
  • Damp packs, blotting paper and drying boards

Relief Printing and General Studio Equipment

  • Relief printing inks
  • Rollers/brayers
  • Ink knives and ink-mixing surfaces
  • Trays and clean, flat working surfaces
  • Newsprint and standard studio cleaning materials

Drawing, Transfer and Preparation

  • Laser printer
  • Tracing paper and carbon paper
  • Pencils and permanent markers
  • Cutting mats, knives and scissors
  • Metal rulers
  • Low-tack tape
  • Solvents for image transfer

Additional Materials Available for Purchase (subject to availability)

  • A wide range of Japanese papers, machine-made and handmade (washi)
  • Coloured Japanese papers for chine-collé
  • Shina, maple, birch, okoumé, cherry, cedar, beech, oak, and perigota plywood
  • Professional mokuhanga carving knives

What Participants Should Bring

  • Sketchbook
  • Drawings or photographic references

About the teacher

Roslyn Kean

Roslyn Kean is an Australian printmaker and educator with over four decades of experience in printmaking, specialising in traditional Japanese woodblock printing (mokuhanga), relief printmaking and artists’ books. She undertook postgraduate research in traditional Japanese woodblock printing at Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music from 1985 to 1987, supported by a Japanese Government research scholarship.

Throughout her career, Roslyn has taught at universities, art colleges and printmaking studios across Australia, sharing her knowledge of traditional Japanese woodblock techniques. She is the director of The Stables Print Studio in Galston, New South Wales, and has exhibited her work internationally.

Her work has received numerous awards, including the Grand Prize at the 3rd International Mokuhanga Conference in Hawaii in 2017 and the award for excellence in mokuhanga in Japan. In 2026, she won the 46th International Mini Print of Cadaqués in Spain. Her work is held in major public collections, including the British Museum in London and the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra.

Roslyn continues to explore the expressive possibilities of printmaking, combining technical knowledge with a deep understanding of materials, processes and the Japanese woodblock tradition.