PAUL LANDACRE

Paul Landacre is one of the great wood engraving printmakers of all time. He dedicated his life to his craft and now we are left with his rich legacy... THE OUTSTANDING VIRTUE of a wood engraving perhaps is its strength. The contrast of its strong blacks and whites combined with delicacy of line gives it an infinite range of color and texture. To achieve the particular quality of beauty inherent in the medium of wood engraving one must learn to think in terms of white on black an obvious statement, certainly, but this does not mean a simple, literal reverse of a design conceived in black on white. (Black on white is, of course, the method we naturally use most for purposes of representation from the time we are able to hold a black pencil against white paper.) Until thinking in terms of white on black becomes natural or instinctive like learning to think in another language, the best solution is to make a free translation. That is if wood engraving is to be used in a creative way and..