Drawing with light
The wood engravings of Howard Phipps
Published in May ’21
Hambledon Hill. 115 x 150 mm.
WOODCUTS are the oldest form of printmaking, and perhaps their greatest exponent, Albrecht Dürer, was working either side of 1500. Three centuries later an Englishman, Thomas Bewick, developed wood engraving, adopting tools designed for engraving on metal rather than the knives used by the makers of woodcuts. More importantly, he worked on the end grain of hardwood, not the side grain that produces woodcuts. This not only gave a more durable result but allowed for the finer lines and greater detail that characterise wood engravings.
One of today’s leading wood engravers is Howard Phipps, who…
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