Exploring Japanese Art

The Chester Beatty Museum houses some of the best Japanese art in the world, including woodblock prints. Irish artist Kate McDonough shows us how to make them using Japanese handmade paper called washi. Washi is so light that when ink is applied, it becomes something completely different, giving the prints a unique and painterly quality. The process uses watercolor pigment and takes a lot of patience, but the end result is a deep, rich, and beautiful print. McDonough recommends checking out the bokashi technique at the museum's exhibition to see the gradation and some of the prints.