How the Woodcut and Wood Engraving differ:     A woodcut is made by using the plank side of the block, where the grain of the wood is parallel to the surface, while in the wood engraving the end-grain of the wood is used; the end-grain being vertical to the surface of the block. Plank for Woodcutting Block for Wood Engraving     The most common woods used to create woodcuts comes from the readily available white pine, birch, gum, poplar, sugar pine, mahogany and cherry trees. however any wood that the artist deems suitable for the work at hand will do.     The choice of wood for wood engravings is a bit more limited, the most prefered being the end-grain blocks made from the boxwood, pear, apple and maple trees. These woods do not grow very large in diameter; therefore, several must be glued together to form blocks large enough for the engraver to use as seen in the above image. As will be mentioned later the wood engraver also has at his disposal many synthetic materials which many find equal to and in some instances better suited for their work than the woods.     In the woodcut the cutting or removing of unwanted areas is typically done with U-shaped or V-shaped chisel-like tools called gouges, similar to those used in wood-carving but much smaller. In wood engraving the tools used are called gravers with names like spitsticker, scorper and tint tool that are similar to the burins used by intaglio metal-plate engravers. Both gouges and gravers are available in various shapes and width's to accomodate the individual needs of the relief artist. U-Gouge Half-Round or Spoon Gouge Tools for Woodcuts Spitsticker Graver Tools for Wood Engraving     The woodcut print is generally made larger and is bolder in design than it's offspring the wood engraving, due naturally to the softer wood and the size and shape of the tools used to make them. The softer plank-side of the wood does not hold fine lines very well especially in larger printings. Woodcuts may also be made as big as the largest sheet of paper available, while the wood engraving, made from the much harder to cut end-grain of the wood and the using of much finer tools, along with the expense of the block, is seldom seen larger than 8"x10" inches in size. << PREVIOUS NEXT PAGE >> e-mail me Tell a friend about my prints Copyright © 1998 Georges B. Bishop dba as BishopsPress. All Rights Reserved. Designated trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of the BishopsPress user agreement. The BishopsPress name and BishopsPress logo are proprietary trademarks belonging to BishopsPress and may not be used or duplicated in any print or electronic manner. Links back to my site appreciated! Top of Page Dealer Inquiries Welcome