Overview of mokulito Printing

Introduction and History

Mokulito Introduction video ( 5 min -29 sec) > https://youtu.be/0f13Xs_9u04

Mokulito which means “wood lithography”, is a relatively new technique developed in the 1970’s by Ozaku Seishi, and more recently, by Polish printmaker Eva and her father Josef Budka.

Ozaku Seishi is a professor Tama Art University in Tokyo  and was responsible for developing the process after a lot of experimentation. He found it disheartening  that graduating students of stone lithography never went back to lithography as they could not afford either the stones or the large scale setup to produce more lithographic work.

Mokulito enables the blending of  litho tones and sharp woodcut marks on the same piece of substrate using a wide range of drawing materials directly on the surface of the plywood without the use of acids, etches or turpentine.

The Process

Mokulito Process video (5min - 50sec) > https://youtu.be/KmCpqXxAo48

Lithography, a planographic print medium, relies on a chemical process that keeps the inked image and non-inked image areas separate essentially on the same flat surface. Because oil/grease and water do not mix, greasy ink stays on the grease-drawn areas and is repelled from the non-image areas. Mokulito uses the same principles, but unlike traditional lithography, is cheaper, more environmental and can be done at home.

I became interested in the process after studying Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock printing) in Kyoto. I have also enjoyed making stone lithographs with master printmakers.  However, I found Mokulito a revelation as it manages to combine the graphic qualities of Japanese woodblock with the tonality of stone lithography.

This is not a precise medium: expect the unexpected!  However, with a little practice, serendipity and experimentation, some things can be more predictable and can lead to interesting, rich textured prints.

Mokulito Printing

Mokulito Printing video (5 mni 29sec) > https://youtu.be/rPHxAtLxr_8

Pro’s & cons

Pros:

-               Cheap, portable, economical substrate (ply wood)

-               Less toxic processing than traditional lithography

-               More expedient, less time consuming than traditional lithography

-               Can be printed on etching press or with a hand baron

Cons:

-               Can only produce small editions, usually less than 10 prints (may gradually fill in subtle lines and tones )

-               Must use greasy tools. Very lightly drawn imagery, or light grease content materials will often burn out or disappear

-               Finicky and not always precise

-               Results are not always predictable, especially as the history of the plywood’s life isn’t always known

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mokulito Videos

Oksana Stratiychuk. > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BMCGTANLHM

Bernhard Cociancig > https://issuu.com/keicie

Ewa Budka. > https://vimeo.com/62450178

Joseph Budka. >https://www.facebook.com/LithographyStudioAspKatowice/videos/mokulito-litografia-na-drewnie-mokulito-lithography-on-wood/304124639712434/

Danielle Creenaune > https://daniellecreenaune.com/video

>  https://daniellecreenaune.com/What-is-Mokulito-Wood-Lithography

Barbie Kajar >.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kI8lr_PKqnE

article in Australian Artist September 2018

> Slow Art, One Artists journey into Mokulito printmaking

This is an article of my journey into Mokulito since 2017

Mokulito research

> document by Bernard Cociancig.

Excellent document on testing materials and processes on Mokulito

Mokulito Suppliers

Lismore Timber and Ply, NSW ………(for Pink Marine Plywood)

Plyco, Victoria ………(for Qld Maple)

Melbourne Etching Supplies ……..(for printing paper and Lithographic supplies)

 Neil Wallace ……(for printing paper and Lithographic supplies)