Mokuhanga

This two-day workshop is an introduction to water-based Japanese Woodblock printing, suitable for complete beginners or printmakers who want to learn a new technique.

price £160 / £140*
date 31 Oct, 2026 - 01 Nov, 2026
times 10.30am – 4.30pm
duration Weekend

This two-day workshop is an introduction to water-based Japanese Woodblock printing, suitable for complete beginners or printmakers who want to learn a new technique. On day one you will learn how to design a simple image for printing, transfer designs onto ply and then carve two blocks using colour-separation. Day two will see you produce your individual prints from your carved blocks with watercolour paste and nori, using a hand-held baren onto Japanese washi. 

You will be shown different printing techniques that allow you to create and combine a variety of textures and achieve a number of effects, such as betazuri (flat colour), gomazuri (sesame-printing), mokume (woodgrain) and bokashi (gradation). 

It is worth noting that controlling the carving tools and printing without a press requires a level of dexterity and strength. Other than that all you need is a willingness to experiment and have fun.

Course tutor

Sylvia Waltering

Sylvia is an established book artist and has exhibited widely in the UK. She is Senior Lecturer in Photography at Manchester Metropolitan University, where she has worked since 2002. Sylvia has taught at Hot Bed Press for 8 years, and is our expert book artist. As well as running weekend and evening courses Sylvia runs The Complete Book Arts yearlong course.m

how to join

In order to book please enquire about availablility for the desired course. Please send an email or give a ring stating the required course and date.

0161 743 3111
info@hotbedpress.org

Enquire about a course

faq's

We are happy to answer any questions on the phone but here are some commonly asked questions and answers below.

Do I need to be experienced to come on a course?

No experience necessary! Some courses are specifically designed for beginners; such as Introduction to Screenprint, Print or Letterpress, Painterly Screen-printing or The Art of Etching. Other courses such as Mokuhanga, Screen-printing with Natural Dyes or Photopolymer Printing are more tailored to those with some previous experience. However, if in doubt phone us to discuss.

How do I book a place on a course?

The best way to book a place is to phone us on 0161 743 3111. Our courses book up so quickly that we can be answering the phone all day whilst e-mails may take more time to get through every enquiry and still need us to phone or e-mail you back. We are a friendly bunch and can answer any of your questions when you ring to book.

Do you take a deposit to reserve a place?

No sorry, we are a small team and don't have capacity to have multiple systems in place. We only confirm bookings on full receipt of payment

What materials do I need to bring?

Nothing! We provide all materials for courses. All we need you to bring is some inspiration and clothes you don't mind getting ink on. You will receive an introduction letter letting you know what to prepare, such as drawings, photos, photocopies, collected images, and what size you can expect to work to.

Is food provided?

If you are on a day or weekend course please bring your own food. In our small kitchen we have tea, coffee, milk, and sugar and an urn as well as a microwave. The Co-op and Sainsburys are both nearby and we have the luxury of a couple of cafes nearby now with fancy coffee.

Are you accessible?

We recognise that our current building has some limitations in terms of accessibility. We are actively working to secure funding to make improvements and adapt our facilities so that we can better meet the needs of all our members. In the meantime, we welcome open conversations about individual requirements and will do everything we can to provide support and reasonable adjustments. We want everyone to feel included and supported when visiting Hot Bed Press so if you have a disability, need or concern, physical or not, please don’t hesitate to reach out so we can support you to access our print studio.

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Membership

Come And Join Us

We welcome new members all year round. Anyone can join. You need a little bit of experience; but that can be from doing one of our weekend or evening courses, after which you can carry on and practice what you've learnt on the course. We've got a few types of membership to suit your purse or your time. Just g to our Membership section for more details.

membership