When engraving curved lines with a burin on a woodblock or a copper plate, a cushion (French: coussin) is placed under the woodblock or the plate to enable it to be rotated. This is because a burin can only be moved in one direction. Therefore, in

When making a sketch or croquis, an artist places a carton—a piece of thick cardboard—under the support medium (paper) to hold it in place. In French, “carton” means cardboard. There are two basic types of cartons used for sketches: a “single” typ

When making a sketch or pictorial composition, an artist uses an easel to hold the support medium, carton, or other similar object in place at a comfortable height. Although there are many types of easels designed for different sizes of support me

Damp rags (or uesu) called yawara are used in woodcut printing. Yawara are laid beneath a woodblock to prevent shifting when a printmaker burnishes paper against the woodblock. In woodcut printing, the printmaker applies a considerable amount of f