🌸浮世絵版画の制作における「指図」The artist’s directions for ukiyo-e print production.🌸
In the creation of ukiyo-e woodblock prints, the process includes the artist giving “instructions” or “directions” to the carver and the printer. This was an essential step in the division of labor that defined ukiyo-e production, ensuring the quality of the final work and the faithful reproduction of the artist’s original intent.
The Role of “Sashizu” (Instructions) in Ukiyo-e Woodblock Printmaking
Ukiyo-e woodblock prints were created through the collaborative work of the following master craftsmen:
- Hanmaro (Publisher): The producer and publisher. They oversee everything from planning to sales.
- Eshi (Artist): The original artist. The modern equivalent is an illustrator.
- Horishi (Carver): Carves the original drawing by the Eshi into a woodblock.
- Surishi (Printer): Applies pigments to the carved woodblock and presses the image onto Japanese paper.
Within this process, “sashizu” (instructions) were most specifically given from the artist to the carver and the printer.
The Specific Process of “Sashizu”
The production process for ukiyo-e woodblock prints is as follows, with the artist’s instructions intervening at each stage.
- Creation of the “Hanshita-e” (Woodblock-ready Drawing) by the Artist
- The artist first draws the original design, called the hanshita-e, using only black ink to create the outlines. No colors are included at this stage.
- This hanshita-e determines the final composition and line work of the print, serving as the first set of “sashizu” (instructions) for the carver.
- Creation of the “Omohan” (Key Block) by the Carver
- The carver glues the artist’s hanshita-e (original drawing) face-down onto a woodblock. They then carve away the wood around the ink lines, leaving only the outlines in relief.
- This carved block is called the omohan (key block), and it’s used to print the black outlines that form the skeleton of the artwork. This step requires great skill from the carver, who must accurately replicate the artist’s linework and intricate details. The “sashizu” (instructions) in this phase are to faithfully carve the original drawing without deviation.
- Color Specification (Irozashi / Kōgōzuri) Instructions from the Artist
- Using the key block carved by the carver, the printer creates a few test prints in black ink. This is called a kyōgōzuri.
- The artist then uses a red brush to specify the colors on each of these kyōgōzuri prints. They write detailed instructions like “this part is blue,” “here, use a gradation of red,” or “this area should be a deep black.” This serves as the most critical set of “sashizu” (instructions) for the printer, determining the final colors.
- In most cases, a completed, full-color original drawing of an ukiyo-e print doesn’t exist. The artist would hold the final image in their mind and then use the red annotations on the kyōgōzuri to convey that vision to the printer.
- Creation of “Irohan” (Color Blocks) by the Carver
- Based on the artist’s color specifications, the carver then carves a separate woodblock for each color. For example, they will carve one block for blue areas, another for red areas, and so on, creating as many blocks as there are colors.
- Printing and Final Adjustments by the Printer
- The printer applies pigments to each of the color blocks specified by the artist, then prints them one by one, layering the colors onto the Japanese paper.
- During the initial test printing, the artist and publisher would sometimes be present, giving the printer detailed feedback on the results. Instructions might include fine-tuning comments like “make it a bit lighter” or “make the gradation here smoother.”
- The printer would use highly advanced techniques (such as bokashi-zuri for gradations, kara-zuri for embossing, and kime-dashi for creating texture) to fully realize the artist’s vision. They would typically layer colors from darkest to lightest and from the smallest areas to the largest.
Thus, ukiyo-e woodblock prints were a form of “team production” based on a division of labor. Highly skilled artisans—the carver and the printer—collaborated based on the artist’s “sashizu,” or instructions, which included line drawings and color specifications. The fusion of the artist’s creative vision with the craftsmen’s technical skill is what allowed for the production of hundreds of beautiful ukiyo-e prints.