McClain's:

Why engraving? You, yourself, admit that it can be "excruciatingly frustrating” and the medium “relentlessly unforgiving”. What is it about engraving – such a methodical, laborious craft – that lures you back?

Barry Moser:
I have a tenacious personality. If something pushes hard against me, I want to push all that much harder against it. And so it was with engraving. Indeed it is excruciatingly frustrating and relentlessly unforgiving, and for those reasons (as well as the basic aesthetic of the medium) I wanted to “master” it, and that was over 30 years ago now. I love the crispness of it; the absolute contrast of black and white; and the honest and straight forward simplicity of the medium.

Click here to see more of Barry's images and to read the interview.

Resingrave with micro-fiber particles is the newest generation of Resingrave. Compared to the original formula, this Resingrave is much more resistant to chipping under heavy pressure from large tools. However, as with wood, a sharp tool is the key to clean, smooth carving.

Resingrave blocks are made with a hard, white epoxy resin that gives the same precise, finely detailed and clean edged marks of traditional end-grain boxwood, but at a fraction of the cost.

Resingrave can be cut with perfect control of direction and width. Unlike other plastics, gravers will not skid or jerk on Resingrave, nor will they leave tailings clinging stubbornly at the ends of cuts. It actually carves more smoothly than some boxwood, encouraging a fluid style. Resingrave also resists bruising and is easy to repair with off-the-shelf epoxy glue. Never use woodblock or linocut tools on Resingrave as it will damage these tools. Instead, carve with rotary bits (Dremel®) or standard wood engraving tools.

The Tin Woodman, Barry Moser

Toning your Resingrave Block

There are several ways to tone engraving blocks, but this is the method we prefer.

To Start:

You will need a mixture of sumi ink or black writing ink and water (50/50) and an absorbant, non-abrasive cloth like DynaCloth.

Step 1:

Evenly cover the surface of the block with the sumi/water mixture.

Step 2:

Remove the excess sumi using a clean cloth. Repeat steps 1 and 2 until you have a medium gray tone on the block.

The medium gray tone allows you to draw on the block with a darker medium like a felt tip pen, soft pencil, or carbon paper.

Toning your block allows you to see where your drawing is and where you've carved.

We are pleased to introduce our newest employee at

McClain’s, Josh Hulst!

Josh graduated from the University of Oregon this past spring and has an MFA in printmaking with a focus on etching, litho and relief.

Originally from Zeeland, Michigan, he decided on the University of Oregon after looking into graduate schools around the country.

Josh rides his bike to work, runs almost every day and can cook like the devil. He is involved with Flight 64, a print co-op, and his work can be seen at the Chump Change Gallery, both in Portland, Oregon.