I received the package of woodcuts on 30 March. Because there was no letter with them, I waited a few days to see if you would write. Now, though, I’m writing a few words to say many thanks for this consignment and to tell you that I found several sheets in it that I didn’t already have (including a Ghost story by Thomas,1 Xmas carol by Gilbert,2 the Oberländer, In the church3 &c.), and have given the rest to Van der Weele, who was very pleased with them.
I imagine you’re very busy with your painting for the exhibition.4
When everything to do with that is over and done with, I very much look forward to a vigorous resumption of our correspondence on lithography and black and white in general, and no less — if possible — to a meeting with you.
I write only briefly this time, because I understand you’re busy.
1v:2 But just this one thing. What would you think of the following method for drawings in Black and white? Make a drawing in either pencil or charcoal. Work it up — as far as possible, but without worrying about the weakness and inadequacy of the effect.
When one is ready, put a little ordinary PRINTER’S INK on a palette, a little Cassel earth, for example, and white — oil paint.
With this — mixing the colours and the printer’s ink, which is as thick as tar in its natural state, with TURPENTINE (no oil, of course) — one begins to tackle the original drawing again (with the brush, naturally).
It goes without saying that the printer’s ink — diluted with more or less turpentine (one can make it so thin that one can do highly transparent washes with it — at the same time, using it more thickly, one can make the deepest tones of black with it) is the main ingredient one uses. I believe this is a route by which one can do many things. Anyway, more about this later — I myself am exploring.
The drawing I’m working on in this way at present is an orphan man standing beside a coffin — in what they call ‘the dead house’.6
Adieu, with a handshake, and thanking you again for the package.
Naturally you could do an experiment with just printer’s ink and turpentine to make it simpler.
I don’t mean autographic ink this time, but ordinary printer’s ink. You may already have it, but otherwise you can get it at any book printer’s.
In my experience this printer’s ink takes remarkably well to the rough grain of a certain paper which they call torchon here (but it’s absolutely not Whatman torchon), and which Smulders has recently had delivered in two formats. The large one at 3.75 guilders a quire.7