The Wood And The Graver

A carefully squared block of highly polished endgrain boxwood or maple and a few sharpened gravers are insignificant in themselves. But in the hands of Hamilton artist Wesley Bates these seemingly inflexible demanding materials can create form, fluidity, mood, depth: an infinite world of light and shadow, monochrome and colour. The English wood engraver Clare Leighton once wrote, `Of all media, wood-engraving is the one in which there is the least to be taught and the most to be learnt.' The engraver's challenge to engrave light onto the block and to respect the mystery of solid blacks and whites is not easily met; but Wesley learned his craft carefully and methodically. He shows his admiration for English wood engraving in his skilful use of these simple gravers and his ability to suggest character and expression in his subjects. Wesley's engravings maintain their moods and tell their tales with style, sensitivity, humour and skill. The subject matter in The Point of the Graver ranges from traditional folk ballads (The Brisk Young Butcher) to modern allegories (A Contemporary Fable), from simple commissions (Ex Libris) to elaborate three-panel illustrations (To the Avon River above Stratford, Canada). In all of these Bates display a technical virtuosity that allows him to `live on the point of the graver' where there is the constant danger of passing the point of no return.

The exacting art of wood engraving is defined by presence and absence, shadow and light, black and white. An arduous yet rewarding art form, it requires an artistic eye and a dedication to technique in order to imbue each image with its own visual narrative. Wood engraver Wesley W. Bates, the artist behind the acclaimed book The Point of the Graver, demonstrates the power and precision of the form in his new collection Out of the Dark. Bates brings to bear decades of experience, deftly wielding his graver to coax vibrant and lifelike images from solid blocks of endgrain wood. In so doing, he frees each likeness not only from the blocks that hold them captive but also from the reaches of his prodigious imagination. With a wide variety of engravings in Bates’s unmistakable style, and accompanying texts to bring the reader into the artist’s studio, Out of the Dark is a treat for all who appreciate the traditional form.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1881.

An indispensable guide to creating woodcut masterpieces, this volume offers instructions that range from using the simplest strokes to making intricate multicolor print blocks. Easy-to-follow instructions are complemented by 98 illustrations, many in color.