Things to do · Arts and crafts
Try Japanese woodblock printing
A friend has invited you to do this with them.
Japanese woodblock printing, mokuhanga, prints with watercolour, rice paste and a hand-held baren instead of a press, using a separate carved block for each colour. The process is water-based and table-top, so you can carry on at home after a course.
Gentle£100 to £500 / $130 to $650A few weeksIndoorsWith othersUK and US
What a first class is like
City Lit's Japanese woodcut course in London is for complete beginners. You design, carve and print a multi-coloured edition, using watercolour pigment, rice paste (nori), Japanese paper and a baren, with the kento registration system to line up each colour. The process is completed entirely by hand without a press, and the college says it helps to carry on cutting blocks at home between classes.
The blocks are wood rather than lino. Leicester Print Workshop's five-day course transfers a multi-colour image to Japanese plywood and carves colour separation blocks in relief, then prints on mulberry paper. It covers baren effects such as goma zuri (sesame printing) and bokashi, a colour gradation.
Expect to make a small run rather than a finished masterpiece. Zea Mays students leave with a small edition of prints and the blocks they carved, while Pyramid Atlantic says its weekend aims to introduce the techniques, not produce an edition.
Ways in compared
| Where | Format | Cost (as last listed) |
|---|---|---|
| City Lit, Keeley Street, London | Four Thursdays, 10am to 4pm, from 19 November 2026 (further runs in 2027); complete beginners; basic materials provided | £349 (£279 senior, £227 concession) |
| Leicester Print Workshop | Five days, 10am to 4pm (May 2026 run); open to anyone with or without experience | £340 |
| Pyramid Atlantic Art Center, Hyattsville, Maryland | Two days, 10.30am to 5pm (April 2026 run); beginner to intermediate; baren, brushes, paper and carving tools provided | $398, including a $55 materials fee |
| Zea Mays Printmaking, Florence, Massachusetts | Three days, 10am to 5pm (October 2025 run); beginners and returning students; you buy your own carving tools | $325 |
Leicester Print Workshop also listed a one-day Mokuhanga in a day for £98 (as last listed, September 2026 run). Pyramid Atlantic asks students to bring a simple sketch of about 7 x 10 inches (18 x 25cm) or smaller.
How to start
- Book a beginners' Japanese woodcut course at a print studio or college, and check whether carving tools are supplied or must be bought.
- Draw a simple design with few colours, about 18 x 25cm (7 x 10 inches) or smaller.
- Bring an apron and closed shoes, and expect to carve blocks between classes.
Where to go
- City Lit: Japanese woodcut printmaking (London) UK
- Leicester Print Workshop: Mokuhanga summer school UK
- Pyramid Atlantic Art Center: Introduction to Mokuhanga (Hyattsville, Maryland) US
- Zea Mays Printmaking: Introduction to Mokuhanga (Florence, Massachusetts) US
We opened these links on 11 November 2026 and found them to be what we say. Dates, places and prices are on the official page, where they stay up to date.
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Plan it with dates
Pick a day, or a month, and we will set out how to get ready, step by step, with a date and a reason for each. Courses and classes have start dates and can fill up, so the plan begins with finding and booking one. Kit comes after the first session, once you know what you need.
Questions people ask
What is mokuhanga?
Japanese water-based woodblock printing. City Lit's course uses watercolour pigment, woodblocks, Japanese carving tools, rice paste and Japanese paper, and the print is made entirely by hand without a press.
Do you need a printing press for woodblock printing?
Not for mokuhanga. Prints are rubbed by hand with a baren, which is why Leicester Print Workshop calls it a table-top technique.
What is kento registration?
The Japanese registration system used to align the paper with the blocks, so that each colour lines up. City Lit, Leicester Print Workshop and Zea Mays all teach it.
Is Japanese woodblock printing toxic?
City Lit describes the process as water-based and non-toxic, and Leicester Print Workshop calls it a non-toxic, water-based technique.
Where this comes from: City Lit, Japanese woodcut printmaking; City Lit, Q&A | Carol Wilhide Justin discusses her passion for Japanese woodcut printing; Leicester Print Workshop, 26th–30th May 2026 Summer School Mokuhanga; Leicester Print Workshop, Mokuhanga in a day; Pyramid Atlantic Art Center, Introduction to Mokuhanga; Pyramid Atlantic Art Center, Mission and History; Zea Mays Printmaking, Introduction to Mokuhanga: Japanese Watercolor Woodblock; UWE Bristol, Study day/Workshop: Mokuhanga (Water-Based Woodblock) Printmaking; Kala, Mokuhanga: Japanese Woodblock Printing (June). Opened 11 November 2026.
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