Wood Engraving: The Art of Wood Engraving and Relief Engraving Paperback – January 1, 2006

Product was in great shape and I have enjoyed reading. Arrived as promised.

The classic on wood engraving techniques.

Moser's skill and experience really shine through in this book. It is effective, and quite enjoyable to read. There are good practical instructions mixed with those intangibles of producing creative work that anyone who has tried will have struggled with.Moser does a good job of providing useful advice (geared towards the beginner) while showing examples, and leaving room for each person to find their own preferences. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and wish I could find a reasonably priced copy to add to my personal library (none cheaper than $75 at the time of this review). But until then, a public library copy will have to suffice.While I am too lazy to fully enumerate the reasons why I think this book is a useful resource for beginning wood engraving, I should also add it is not my #1 recommendation. That honor goes to Simon Brett's Wood Engraving: How to Do It which shares some structure, concepts, and most of the basic skills that this one does. One thing Moser discusses more thoroughly is the use of Resingrave blocks for engraving, which he credits to a personal renaissance of his own practice. But Brett adds so much more perspective, illustration, and other valuable references while remaining in print and affordable ($25 at the time of this review). Moser has done a fine job here, but Brett's book is the finer tool for learning.

I love this book. Barry Moser is the best woodcut artist alive, and this book is well written, detailed and candid. To read this book is to soak up his secrets of the craft. For any serious woodcut artist (or linocut, stamp cut, or Resingrave artist) this should be required reading.It is also daunting, in that Moser is a perfectionist. I have been doing cuts for years and have had frustrating problems each time I have tried to bring more detail to my work, and I have long admired Moser's seemingly impossible level of detail. He goes small so well, I couldn't figure out how he managed those tiny lines and miniscule divots. This book shows you exactly how he does what he does, and it is not simple (at least not to me; others may enjoy the thoroughness of the prep work and processes, I may just be too lazy or whiny).But he has done a lot of the tough work for us. We don't need to go to some obscure shop in London to hunt down the best wood blocks, and we don't need to waste hours of effort with inadequate materials or tools. He gives excellent, inspiring advice, and it has already resulted in a fast, vast improvement in the quality of my work. It has also made me excited about the art form again.