Note to self: stick to pens, printing and computers when if comes to art. Pencil, charcoal, pastels—all those soft, blendy media—just don’t do it for me. But put a pen in my hand or, better yet, let me make prints and I am a happy camper.

I attended a drypoint engraving workshop today (and will go again tomorrow) at Right Brain Research in Azabu-Juban. Ryu Kadosaka is an amazing illustrator and a fantastic teacher. I learned so much today that my head is completely full. As I was packing up to leave class, I tried to put my glasses in my wallet.

I’d never done drypoint before and it’s fun. You use a needle-tipped instrument to draw on a copper plate, then ink the plate, rub off the excess ink and run the plate and paper through a press. It’s quite simple, but there are so many variables: what sort of lines you scratch; whether or not (and to what extent) you scrape or burnish the lines; how you control the ink on the plate. You never know exactly what you’ll end up with…

I did a print that I turned out much better than I thought it would. In fact, I like it a great deal and will give it to my father who is celebrating his 66th birthday today. The print needs to dry for a week so that it stays flat, (sorry, Dad!) but when It’s done, I’ll put a photo up.