Old Gate Post, Auchoirk
I recently purchased two 3″ x 4″ samples of resingrave. I had read that it was an excellent substitute for the hardwoods, boxwood, lemonwood and maple and very much cheaper.
I was surprised to discover that the boards were very thin and not the same ‘type high’ as the wood blocks. The edges were not straight but I managed to square them up on a belt sander.
There were a few imperfections in the printing surface which I managed to remove by sanding with wet 800 grit. I found difficulty in blackening the surface and tried a number of options, fountain pen ink, printing ink, sumi ink, and none seemed to cover well.
The engraving was straightforward, except for areas of clearing, or where I wanted highlights. After taking a few proofs I found these areas to be very patchy and not what I expected. After corrections, I was still not pleased with the print.
So, to sum up, I liked the subject, which I thought would be suitable for an engraving, but was disappointed with the final result. I may have a go at engraving the same subject but this time on wood.
Needless to say I still have a lot to learn about wood engraving!
