To try the printmaking process of xylography, draw a backwards image on a smooth block of wood and carve out the clear parts so the image or text stands out. Apply ink to the wood, and then press the block onto paper to make a print!
The word xylography is made by combining the Greek roots xylo-, meaning "wood," and -graphy, meaning "writing or drawing." It may describe the woodcarving process itself or the making of prints from the engraved wood. The earliest xylography was done in China and Japan centuries before this printing method was brought to Europe during the Middle Ages. In fact, the oldest known printed texts were made using xylography.