A summary of woodcut printing

Below are the simplified steps to how the Octopus woodcut print was created.  Now you can view it in one place instead of navigating through a dozen different posts. By the way, after several proofs and buying lots of supplies, I finally got the hang of printing this piece.  I will still be posting a final, well photographed print as soon as I can transport the good paper home without it becoming rain soaked.  

Just to note, I've shifted to the term "woodcut" as opposed to "woodblock" because the former uses wood cut along the grain, and that is what I'm doing.  Nowadays the terms seem to be pretty interchangeable, but it's better to just be correct, right?

In summary, here is woodcut printing:

• Step 1: Get some wood. And yes, I do mean that as a double entendre. 
• Step 2: Create your design. Even if it takes some practice.
• Optional: Prepare the image to be transferred, part 1 and part 2.
• Step 3: Separate the colors, one for each block, if printing 2 or more colors. 
• Step 4: Transfer the design onto the wood.
• Step 5: Cut, cut, cut, and cut again.
• Step 6: Repeat steps 4 & 5 if you are using a second block. 
• Step 7: Oil the wood.
• Step 8: Run prints.

Whoop, there it is, the basics of woodcut printing.