The American
Whiteline Print

This method was developed in Provincetown, Massachusetts around 1914. It began as a single block alternative to the beautiful but material-intensive Japanese Color Woodcuts. For the American method: the paper is hinged to the block, watercolor paint is applied to a small section, and then just that area is printed not with a press but a spoon. This process is repeated section by section. Often only the outlines of the design are carved so sections are printed multiple times to create depth, shading, and complexity. The carved lines appear as the white of the paper and give the method its namesake.

It was practiced primarily by women many of them queer. This is why it struggled to gain popularity despite the fact this technique is non-toxic, inexpensive, and doesn’t require a printing press. learn more

I fell in love with this technique at Villard Studios in Boothbay Harbor as a teen. Now I continue work in and thus help preserve this historic American technique.