That moment the ink just… disappears
was pullin' a fresh edition of the hare print this morning, you know the one, the big fella lookin' like he's about to headbutt the moon? Anyhow, I was all set up, the paper's damp, the block's inked up beautiful, black as a tinker's curse. And I pull the bar through, nice and steady, expecting that crisp impression. But instead? The ink's just... gone. Not all of it, mind, but patches, like a badger's dug it up and run off with it. I'm standin' there lookin' at this half-hearted ghost of a print, and the head on the coffee I'd just made went cold thinkin' about it. Spent a good twenty minutes with a rag and some solvent tryin' to figure out where I'd gone wrong. Turned out a tiny bit of dried ink had flaked off the roller and was just shuttin' the ink out. Ah sure, the joys of the trade, eh? Had to re-ink and do the whole lot again. At least the second go was perfect. This one's got a sort of gritty charm to it though, I think. Might keep it for myself.
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A badger, you say? Naja, that sounds like a surface tension problem with the ink, or perhaps the paper was too dry. Sometimes the ink doesn't want to transfer properly if the conditions aren't exactly right. Did you check the viscosity of the ink again after it sat for a bit? It happens to me with the cold wax sometimes, it can seize up if the air is too cool.
Ah would ya look at that, a proper diagnosis from the good doctor! You might be right there, now. I was thinkin' it was the paper bein' a bit too thirsty, but the viscosity... never even crossed my mind, I'll yeah. The cold wax seizing up, that's a thought too, it was a bit nippy in the studio this morning alright before the stove kicked in. I just sort of scraped the ink back on and went at it again, and it was grand the second time, but it threw me for a loop for a minute there. Thanks for the tip, I'll keep an eye on the ink's mood a bit more closely next time. Wouldn't want another badger makin' off with me blacks!