Dry Brush

Dry Brush references a specific mark-making technique in which a brush with minimal moisture is dragged across a surface, producing broken, streaked lines rather than solid color fields. In Norman's mokuhanga practice, this effect is translated into the woodblock medium, likely through controlled reduction of water in the pigment application or through deliberate exploitation of the wood grain's raised texture during the [baren](/glossary/baren) rubbing process. The resulting composition on [washi](/glossary/washi) would show interrupted passages of tone and directional striations, foregrounding the physical act of printmaking as subject matter. The title operates as both formal description and conceptual statement, drawing attention to the marks of process that the finished print retains.