woodblock print

A technique of Japanese printmaking in which the surface is carved away from a hardwood block, leaving the outlines of an image standing in relief. Water-based ink or watercolor is brushed over the block, a sheet of paper is placed on top, then rubbed with a smooth, padded tool to make an impression. For prints with several colors, the artist makes a block for each color. Video here.

Hiroshige,_Travellers_saurprised_by_sudden_rainUtagawa Hiroshige. Rain Shower at Shono. From Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido. Woodblock print. 1833-34.