Wood-block Print or Line-drawing?

[Barleywine]

In some on-line descriptions of modern updates to historical TdM decks I see discussion of how the "line drawings" of the original have been clarified or cleaned up. I always thought that the original TdM decks were printed from carved wood-blocks, not hand-drawn. Based on my own block-printing experience, the relative crudeness of many of the images (which does give them their charm) seems to make this likely. Is the line-drawing reference just sloppy analysis by the writers?

[Bertrand]

Writers are usually aware of the production process of ancient tarots, Marseille tarot being blockprinted, the picture contains "lines" (even if designed through blockprinting) here opposed to stenciled colors. The "line work" or "line drawing" terms are - as I understand it - mostly used to speak about the blockprinting process, which - in the concept - reproduces a drawing (wheter the blocks were directly engraved or drawn upon then engraved doesn't matter much), while stencil colouring is a usually much less precise different step.

In shorts "lines" are opposed to "colours", so it's rather a quick - and possibly unappropriate - shortcut than a sloppy analysis.

That being said, so called "cleaned up" lines are more often a joke than a real respectful work based on cardmakers production, and the term "line drawing" may also sometimes be a way for modern "re-creators" to justify the use of modern techniques.

[Barleywine]

Originally Posted by Bertrand

Writers are usually aware of the production process of ancient tarots, Marseille tarot being blockprinted, the picture contains "lines" (even if designed through blockprinting) here opposed to stenciled colors. The "line work" or "line drawing" terms are - as I understand it - mostly used to speak about the blockprinting process, which - in the concept - reproduces a drawing (wheter the blocks were directly engraved or drawn upon then engraved doesn't matter much), while stencil colouring is a usually much less precise different step.

In shorts "lines" are opposed to "colours", so it's rather a quick - and possibly unappropriate - shortcut than a sloppy analysis.

That being said, so called "cleaned up" lines are more often a joke than a real respectful work based on cardmakers production, and the term "line drawing" may also sometimes be a way for modern "re-creators" to justify the use of modern techniques.

Excellent reply. Thanks!