Woodcut Print: Chilis

My fourth woodblock and my third printed edition, designed for a client who wanted a pop-arty array of dog portraits. I decided to intersperse images of the dog, named Chili, with printed chilis, giving each design some breathing room from the one next to it and adding what I hoped to be some more visual interest. The dogs and chilis were printed in two unique colors each. The cherry woodblock was carved over the course of a week and a half in December 2022, then printed not long after New Year's. This was my first edition to make use of a number of tools: a rubber Speedball brayer, a circular baren to apply pressure and transfer images (in contrast to the spoon and printing press I'd used before), significantly more precise u- and v-gouges and the full range of Caligo Safe-Wash Relief Ink colors. It was also by far the most detailed print I've yet made, with particularly fine detail used to render the dog's fur, eyes (in my opinion, the most make-or-break part of the whole design), and chili pepper leaves. All the prints were then arranged, backed with risers, and framed in a large white case.