Hannah Skoonberg

So I am trying to finish up this residency and I am printing that huge lovely block that is photographed in my last post. I am having a lot of technical issues with it not printing dark enough. No matter how much I over ink it. I thought it was the paper because I think that the Kitakata paper can repel ink sometimes. So I picked up some Kinwashi and Reves neither had any better result. I think that the black ink is finicky by nature. But I have seen so many juicy dark black prints printed on bare paper. In fact it is the most classic straightforward printmaker look. SO WHY IS IT SO HARD?! I can ink a block well I know this but this just seems to be throwing me through a loop. Maybe because I have been working all afternoon the ink is starting to scum and because not enough ink is transferring onto the Japanese paper that scumming is starting to happen on the surface of the block as well. I think I am going to add a dollop of Rubber based letterpress ink to the fray and if that works hallelujah I will print all night. Otherwise I think I will clean up and call it a day…