Mokulito – Plywood Lithography

Spend a hands‑on day exploring Mokulito printmaking with WYPW Print Technician Kate Desforges. You’ll work directly with plywood blocks, experiment with expressive mark‑making, and learn an innovative approach that blends lithography with the natural character of wood. Throughout the course, you’ll be guided step‑by‑step through demonstrations, examples and practical advice. 

What is mokulito?

Mokulito, also known as wood lithography, is a hybrid printmaking technique combining the principles of lithography with the tactile qualities of woodcut. Instead of drawing on stone or metal, you work on a wooden surface using lithographic drawing materials and wood carving tools. The block is processed with gum Arabic and cola, inked with oil‑based ink, and printed on an etching press. Because wood is coarser than traditional litho surfaces, the grain often becomes part of the final image, giving Mokulito prints their distinctive character. 

Why try this technique?

• Mokulito is ideal for artists who enjoy experimentation and embracing the unpredictable beauty of natural materials.  
• No acids or solvents are used, and all materials used can be easily obtained online.  
• No specialist lithography equipment is needed, just an etching press where the roller height can be adjusted.  
• The wood grain evolves with each print, gradually filling in until the block reaches the end of its life, making every print unique.  

What you’ll produce and take home with you:

You’ll create your own A5-size Mokulito blocks and produce a small edition of prints on A4 paper, typically anywhere from 5 to 15, depending on the wood and how it responds to processing and inking. You’ll leave with: 

• Your finished prints 
• Your used blocks (for reference, though they cannot usually be re‑printed) 
• A solid understanding of the Mokulito process 
• The confidence to continue exploring the technique independently 

What to prepare and bring along:

Plywood blocks will be provided for everyone, around 22.5 x 15cm in size. Please don’t bring your own – the pressure on the printing presses needs to be set according to the thickness of the blocks, so it is much easier if everyone uses the same stuff! 

Optional: If you work best from source material then feel free to bring sketchbooks, drawings, visual references, ideas you’d like to explore, photographs, etc, with you. However, this is not essential, and you can just make marks, let the process guide you, and see what happens!  

We advise wearing clothing suitable for inky, hands‑on printmaking and something to take your prints home in. All specialist materials will be supplied. Bring an open minded, experimental approach! This process is one of the more difficult to control, so expect the unexpected! 

Who is this course for?

A little previous experience of lithography or other print processes is useful for this course, but not essential, and beginners are also welcomed. You just need curiosity, a willingness to experiment, and an interest in exploring alternative printmaking methods. 

Pace and Accessibility:

This workshop is designed to be relaxed, supportive and accessible, with a maximum of six participants to ensure everyone receives individual guidance. You’ll be taken through each stage of the process step by step, with opportunities to work either seated or standing as you prefer. Regular breaks will be included throughout the session. This workshop will take place in our Gallery space which has level access and an accessible toilet. If you have any additional access or support needs, please get in touch before the workshop so we can do our best to accommodate them. 

Itinerary:

Morning 

• Class introductions, examples, demonstration of preparing, drawing and printing a test block. Everyone has a go at inking and printing the block.  
• Students prepare, draw and process their own blocks, 2x each. 

Afternoon 

• Students print their blocks, creating small editions, experimenting with cutting back into the wood, incorporating background colours, and testing dry and damp paper. 
• End of day, clear up, short crit of work produced, evaluation forms. 

Your tutor : Kate Desforges

Kate is our resident Print Technician here at WYPW, and in her own practice she uses print experimentally, often incorporating elements of printed matter into her unique mixed-media pieces, which carry echoes of elemental forces and half-glimpsed, half-remembered places. Trained as a printmaker, with a strong background in drawing, she approaches her pieces through that lens – building up subtle layers of paint, applying traces of pigment, layers of collaged print, carving, sanding back, and embracing the incidental.   

Her work is held in public and private collections in the UK, including the Tate Library artist book collection. She trained at Kingston University, and has undertaken artist residencies at Intaglio Printmaker, London, Mi-LAB, Japan, and a Post Graduate Lithography Fellowship at Leicester Print Workshop. She exhibits widely, most recently in London with Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair and No Place Art. Her practice is closely interwoven with her adjacent career as a printmaking technician and tutor, which continues to inform and evolve her approach to making. 

See more on her tutor profile here: https://wypw.org/tutors/kate-desforges/

What’s next?

After attending this course you will be well equipped to join our workshop as a member and continue to use our facilities to make and develop your own work. The sooner the better, as the longer you leave it the more you are likely to forget! If you join up within one month of attending the course you will receive a £5 discount. Find out more about the benefits of membership here.

Cancellation Policy:

• If you have to cancel:

If you are unable to attend your booked course, we may accept the fee paid as payment towards a place on the same or another course that takes place within the same financial year (running 1 April-31 March) following the originally booked event. Such a transfer will be on condition that we are informed in writing of your intentions four weeks prior to the originally booked event. Bookings can only be transferred once. If you are unable to attend, and not in a position either to transfer to another event, then the following charges will apply: Cancellation charges

• 16-12 weeks before the course: 50 % of the fee will be retained by WYPW
• Less than 12 weeks before the course: 100% of the fee will be retained by WYPW
• Please note that full payment is required for non-attendance on a booking that has been transferred.

If you have any further questions about our cancellation policy, please contact us on info@wypw.org

• If we have to cancel:

West Yorkshire Print Workshop reserves the right to cancel or re-arrange courses if there are insufficient participants enrolled to run a viable course or for other unforeseen circumstances. We will do our best to give those who have already enrolled at least one weeks’ notice of cancellation. In such circumstances you will be offered a free transfer to another course date or a full refund of fees paid. By enrolling in our courses, participants agree to abide by the terms and conditions outlined above. 

---

Location Map