Oh, boy, this really stinks. My first true wood engraving, done on an endgrain Artboards maple block 4 x 5 inches. The top image is what I did, the bottom is what I should have done (retouched in photoshop) at least as far as the cutting and treatment of light and dark. The wood is softer, bruises easily (When you dig in with the burin, the belly of the burin bruises any line underneath it). I felt I had a new set of tools, and ones I always used on resingrave, I rarely use, and vice versa. The large areas are a breeze to remove. The very thin lines do not cut very well. I think I was experimenting really, but in the back of my mind I thought "I know this, here we go." Ink stays on the block, so if you mess up with the brayer, you get smudges that aren't easily washed off. The chips and sawdust are much more a nuisance, but the feel of the cuts seem more pleasing in a way. More gritty and natural, not like you're a kid carving into your parents kitchen floor. This is just a proof on newsprint, and I doubt I will ever print any more. I wonder if Boxwood is harder and holds smaller lines better? God it seems no matter what medium I am working in, I fall back into bad habits.