What is a woodcut?

What is a woodcut?

• A. A painting technique using oil paints.
• B. A relief printing technique using a carved block of wood.
• C. A metal engraving technique.
• D. An architectural feature.

Answer: (B)

Woodcut is a relief printing technique in which a design is carved into a block of wood; the areas that will print are left raised while the areas to stay white are cut away. The raised surfaces are inked and pressed onto paper, so the ink transfers from the raised wood to create the image. Because only the raised parts hold ink, woodcuts yield bold lines and strong contrasts. This method has a long history in both Asia and Europe for book illustrations and standalone prints, with artists carving the design and then printing it by hand or with a press. It’s not a painting technique using oil paints, which apply pigment to a surface, nor a metal engraving technique, which involves incising into metal to hold ink, and it isn’t an architectural feature.

Woodcut is a relief printing technique in which a design is carved into a block of wood; the areas that will print are left raised while the areas to stay white are cut away. The raised surfaces are inked and pressed onto paper, so the ink transfers from the raised wood to create the image. Because only the raised parts hold ink, woodcuts yield bold lines and strong contrasts. This method has a long history in both Asia and Europe for book illustrations and standalone prints, with artists carving the design and then printing it by hand or with a press. It’s not a painting technique using oil paints, which apply pigment to a surface, nor a metal engraving technique, which involves incising into metal to hold ink, and it isn’t an architectural feature.