Ukiyo-e Heroes Book - Part 1

This is the first of a couple of videos that show how Tokyo-based woodblock printmaker Dave Bull will make the Ukiyo-e Heroes books that were promised as part of the recent Kickstarter campaign (autumn 2017).
Each of the books will contain ten actual woodblock prints - the first ten designs created in the series (from 2012 ~ 2014), and will be bound in the traditional Japanese 和綴じ本 style (sewn with silk thread).
The (closed) Kickstarter campaign was here:
www.kickstarter.com/projects/...
Ukiyo-e Heroes information is here:
mokuhankan.com/heroes
ukiyoeheroes.com
The Mokuhankan Twitch channel is here:
/ japaneseprintmaking
The Mokuhankan Patreon page is here:
/ mokuhankan

[@drewajv]

That opening hits different in April 2020

[@llamba]

It still hits in august 2020

[@milosmilojevic7721]

September 2020!!!!!

[@johnmartinez7440]

October 2035!!!

[@justanothernguyen2334]

November!

[@mar1no124]

December 12, 2020 😷

[@m.h.2202]

Novody cared who I was until I put on the mask

[@moonrunner8791]

David bull is the bob ross of the woodblocking scene.

[@arthurtheartist9126]

Moonrunner87 I was literally just thinking that lmaoooo

[@peterjensen6844]

And suddenly the mask doesn't seem so odd...

[@ernst800]

was going to make a similar comment!

[@godbelow]

Was never odd in Japan, they take the greater good over the individual seriously.

[@mercadonor]

@@godbelow thats a very nice way to put it, there are some bad things about it

[@the44thchamber]

That David Bull, always ahead a step

[@iangillham9647]

Such beautiful painstaking work! And the mask does have a vastly different vibe now. I had to check the date on this!

[@BomJai]

You sound like such a kind person-i could watch a video from you about anything

[@dmckenna82]

Dave, I love your videos. Would you consider doing some more autobiographical content about your journey to becoming a printmaker?

[@mikehayden8007]

A man ahead of his time

[@DrXaiver]

I think David is a perfect example of someone who literally had his dreams come true x10

[@AlrightDave]

David Bull, ahead of the curve with his mask

[@NapoleonBonaparteMAGA]

the thumbnail made me think this is a 2020 video lol

[@trentonziegler]

Lol same

[@umekara3889]

The amount of respect you are showing your kickstarter backers by doing this yourself is astonishing. I'm hoping to be in a position to afford your prints some time in the future. Meanwhile I'm really enjoying your videos. Have a good year!

[@strawberryoolong]

Wow. I am always in awe of the amount of detail and precision you and your team put into your craft. All of that work, just for the cover sleeve of your book? It’s mind blowing! Even as an artist, I never really appreciated carving as much until I found your channel. Showing all of your steps and processes, making everything by hand, it’s truly inspiring. I wish I had the time and patience to make everything as beautiful as you all do. Thank you for another great video, David. I look forward to the next in this series!

[@refusefntk]

Don't Throw away that mask Dave!😂😂😂😂😂

[@robsp32]

I can't get over how you guys do everything so close to the floor lol my knees would be killing me.

[@robr3015]

Wow that mother of pearl is so subtle but so nice. Those books are looking great! I can see why you only wanted to make 10, that's a lot of labor. They are coming out so nice I can't wait to see the finished book!

[@JohnFoley1701]

I like that double sided tool you’re using for scoring the paper.

[@garethdabell6493]

One your best videos yet Dave. Such thought and skill.

[@Sbrussaard]

Great video again David. Love watching you perform your talents. Can’t wait for the follow up on this one. Keep up the great work you all are doing there!

[@MarksGoneWicked]

I've been wanting to make (bind) a book for quite some time. Looking forward to seeing your process.

[@JH_x3]

Every time I watch your videos it takes me back to when I visited Tokyo in the Summer. Sadly I didn't come across Mokuhankan (even though I was in Asakusa the last day), and found your channel 5 days after I got back to the UK. It just makes me want to go back.

[@GamersBar]

I hope you find the time to make a bunch of content this year, would love to see more videos of you carving ! edit: book looks really nice , would make a wonderful present or conversation piece, if you make more make sure you charge enough for them they obviously take a lot of effort to make!

[@angelleon9105]

GamersBar check out his twitch he goes on almost regularly 👌🏽

[@projekt6_official]

FANTASTIC! Wow! Never cease to amaze me. Regards to you and your employees.

[@LittleCloverWhispers]

I really hope you do something like this again! I'm kicking myself that I wasnt able to join the kickstarter campaign in time!

[@cmilla111]

You have such a calm and distinct voice. If you ever stop carving and printing you could probably get a job as a voice actor.

[@MckaysProductions]

"I'll be doing this job myself" still don't know how you find the time even with the kickstarter (glad you do though), the enthusiasm you have for your work always impresses me. Looking forward to the book when it's done.

[@natshenkin]

Was super confused when he started explaining his mask, didn't realise this was a pre-covid video.

[@jonathantorres7416]

Happy new year Dave hope this year brings lots of business to your fine art

[@TheStageClear]

thank you for making these videos!

[@nickcc3065]

Beautiful craftmanship

[@Daedivh]

I must say, seeing a character from one of my favorite childhood video games in mother-of-pearl is pretty pleasing.

[@elisanereis1860]

Beautiful work.

[@query1527]

I guess your beard is a pretty good filter too 😁

[@aaron2709]

ha!

[@BubblesTheBard]

Dave, you are the best.

[@triskellian]

I like the fox design with mother of pearl a lot! Looking forward to the stitching part. :-)

[@barrywhite5062]

The book idea sounds great.

[@diogopinheiro5058]

This is wonderful!

[@AwlrightProductions]

You the man, Dave!

[@thebrokenbone]

scared me! haha. :D. beautiful wonderful job on the books and thank you for sharing! pete

[@oldmetalrules]

I love your videos , your voice is very comforting and soothing helps me sleep ..not that your videos are not interesting.

[@stel1000]

Wow this is so beautiful

[@dink72115]

FINISH HIM!

[@ianmelzer]

明けましておめでとうございます!

[@karymay3191]

He was prepared.....

[@SolarWarden613]

God bless you David Bull

[@amarug]

wonderful! I'm so glad that thanks to the internet, now i don't have to participate in the celebrity-driven circus of todays TV, but i get to find and follow the true heroes of our time - the truly fascinating people, who's stories are actually worth listening to... :)

[@ThePermanentMoose]

very cool! do you think you'd ever consider making a hard cover version? I guess that wouldn't be in keeping with the traditional style but it still might be interesting

[@chriss8107]

8:26 there are some very loud people outside.

[@crixxxxxxxxx]

There are a lot of street celebrations and performances that go on there.

[@_Cyb3rPunk]

Chriss Omg yes! David seems like such a focused person I highly doubt he even notices the noise.

[@johndavelemence1816]

Maybe it was Jake Paul. Jk

[@PjotrStroganov]

That's one aspect of what I really love about Davids clips. It just adds that little bit of extra authenticity.

[@nonameguy2092]

I remember in Japan and Korea I’d always see people in masks and never really got it. Now I get it, for thousands of years they’ve been living next to the greatest plague producer on the planet, they were always waiting for the next one.

[@morganfreemanwannabe]

Love it!

[@CoolOmega666]

Nice one!

[@TaraGraphic93]

Hi Dave, may I know when and how to purchased the bound book of delicate woodblock prints? :3

[@Sussy_Sturmtiger]

I actually questioned if we were in covid for 3 years, until I thought harder...

[@zombienemesis97]

David with that mask looks like a Gundam haha! Still, great job I really love the work you do. Keep it up :)

[@sexycavetroll2788]

Sand-block

[@prizm2807]

Amazing

[@Baron42797]

I love the idea of a print book, cool opportunity to get a large collection. Similar to how comic books get printed issue by issue and then release together as a trade. Also be super careful with that mother of pearl! Vacuuming is essential, that dust can lacerate your lungs

[@stel1000]

Is etching ink equally as good as the water based ink or is it too harsh to be used on the colored prints? (Like the inside ones in this book you made) cause I always find the etching ink to be loosing a bit of detail or maybe being too harsh. And kinda blotchy. And it's also a bit hard to make any delicate shades of colors. But the way you used it here it's just so creative and innovative I must say.

[@jakubmakalowski6428]

So using the etching ink won't create any later issues with reprinting the key block? Also where you doing this on New Years Eve, judging from the yelling?

[@seseragistudio]

The ink just washes off cleanly (using the same 'brush cleaner' that I use to clean the roller). And it was a day later than you thought; this was the evening of the 1st ... Asakusa rolls pretty hard for a few days here every year ...

[@kajinx1848]

Are the Ukiyo-e Hero prints available as t-shirts?

[@JimBobTheDestroyer]

How many copies of the book would you have to produce for you consider it economical time wise to carve a separate key block just for doing the covers? I understand carving is time consuming and labor intensive but it wouldn't it be more convenient and save time in the long run as you wouldn't have to bother with plastic guards, pencil lines or paper shims?

[@AbrianCurington]

As a bookbinder, I loved watching your method in creating this! Is that just your average glue stick, or do you have actual book paste in stick form?

[@seseragistudio]

It's a typical Japanese stationery product; very well made, and I think will stick securely long term. As for the binding itself, none of that will be done with glues, like Western binding. The pages will be tied and sewn together - it's all reversible ...

[@AbrianCurington]

Ah good I assumed it would be a stab binding. Thanks for the information!

[@nahallud1071]

Look at Dave stylinnn.

[@miniman2132]

Liked after 10 seconds.

[@heimdal8]

So, will these books be sold through your webshop or are they Kickstarter exclusive? Would really like to buy one but didn´t catch the campaign.

[@seseragistudio]

This initial group of Ukiyo-e Heroes books was just through Kickstarter, but we will definitely be printing more of them, as it is clear that there is considerable interest. We had 10 sets in the campaign, and they sold out quickly, but it turned out that on the final day, one person cancelled. So we actually do have one set left, and once I have confirmed that, I'll be putting the information out on our Facebook page, to let people know.

[@DouglasLambert]

Does Japanese newspaper leave a black smudge, like ocidental ones does? That light green and white fox would be full of black/gray blobs if I where to do the glue up like you did...

[@seseragistudio]

I get asked this all the time ... simply Japanese newspapers don't smear ... even when moistened heavily for use in keep our printing paper wet.

[@jaisump1301]

Hi David. I heard that you were born on the UK. Which part of the UK was it? Keep up the great work 👍

[@seseragistudio]

My birth certificate tells me I was born in Halifax, Yorkshire ... (not that I remember anything of the place ...)

[@jaisump1301]

David Bull They say things are always done properly in Yorkshire. That work ethic has certainly carried on with you.

[@sonnyandreotte5451]

Hitomi tanaka wood block print coming soon.

[@clemlvn9598]

David, will you consider selling the book in the future ? I'd love to complete my collection of Ukiyoe Heroes :)

[@seseragistudio]

We are definitely going to make more of these. Probably around the time that the next ten are ready, we'll do two volumes then. (The next six are all in advanced stages of production - or complete).

[@clemlvn9598]

Wonderful ! Already looking forward to it ! Thank you for your awesome videos btw.

[@zubro]

Thinking outside the block.

[@MisterRedBird]

What knife are you using?

[@seseragistudio]

Some info on my basic tools is here: woodblock.com/encyclopedia/entries/014_01/014_01.html

[@matthewsawczyn6592]

Dave knew! He called Corona years ago!

[@user-cq7zi4hu1l]

are there books left?

[@I_leave_mean_comments]

what was all the screaming at around 8 minutes in?

[@BenntheNinja]

ARRGH! A MASK! DAVID HAS COVID!

[@GlassesnMouthplates]

For a second I thought Dave is cosplaying as Shredder from Ninja Turtles on the thumbnail.

[@Neuromantic_86]

I Want One, Take My Money !!!

[@seseragistudio]

We announced making ten sets in the Kickstarter campaign, and they sold out quickly, but during the final hour or so of the campaign, somebody cancelled. So it looks like we will have an 'extra' one. Once the book sewing is finished, we'll announce this on our Facebook page, and see who might be interested ...

[@Neuromantic_86]

Thank you Dave, I always tend to find out about interesting Kickstarter things too late, I'll try my best, warm regards to you and your brilliant team.

[@SolarWarden613]

God Bless Japan

[@VevoKIlledUtube]

What was going on outside?

[@seseragistudio]

Typical evening in Asakusa ... :-)

[@VevoKIlledUtube]

David Bull 😂 Love the videos man!

[@WheelEstate]

It's like he knew COVID-19 was coming soon.

[@malkatortempestus5722]

Good lord, shut up

[@lewiscarroll4145]

“I love you” Patrick star

[@deeplyseated7427]

Noisy neighbourhood outside there man.

[@bb-bc3zw]

Is there a party going on? Lots of cheering and yelling when he goes outside

[@truth4grace580]

Unbelievable! Ahead of his time.

[@michaelhamilton8401]

Who is the one miserable person who disliked this?

[@idesofmars]

good lord whats with the noise in the background when you're showing the mother of pearl application?

[@seseragistudio]

Evening in Asakusa ... during the first week of the new year. All the bars are doing roaring business, and it spills out into the streets ...

[@idesofmars]

oh, so it's not like that every night? I was going to send you my condolences

[@antytrend]

Good god, what is going on outside?

[@seseragistudio]

The restaurant right next door to us has an outside patio, and whenever it's near festival time, it gets crowded every evening with rather exuberant young men ...

[@buzzybuzzbuzz760]

Dave was wearing mask before it was cool.

[@TheSeedforme]

6:33 FINGERNAIL!!!!

[@fuckugplus]

A manga!

[@christopherolsson9072]

If someone removes the mask it will be painful

[@fabivs]

That mask is scary

[@Krupa112348]

coronavirus ;)?

[@jaisump1301]

He's wearing Covid19 masks before they were trendy 😆

[@kapullas]

Too noisy outside. Moreover considering that's Japan.

[@DrakeEastwood]

this episode didn't age well lol

[@gingersndragons]

guys please stop commenting about masks or covid. nobody finds it funny or interesting