Stephen Worth has been collecting woodblock prints for 4 years. He works in animation, and founded a non-profit digital archive that serves animators, cartoonists and illustrators: AnimationResources.org. His favorite artists are Yoshitoshi, Hokusai, Sharaku, Hiroshige, Kunichika, and Kyosai. Stephen is interested in the history of drawing in line, and can see a direct progression from Ukiyo-e to manga and cartooning.
Stephen believes the best examples of Ukiyo-e are a world unto themselves. They aren't a picture of something- they often don't look anything like the place or person they depict. But they convey the feeling of the place or the spirit of a person or kabuki character. He can look at his favorite prints over and over and feel the same feelings each time. They never get stale because of the perfection and simplicity of their compositions.
Stephen's advice to collectors is:
Don't get hung up on authenticity or "first editions". Many prints have been published for over a century in many editions, and there are high-quality modern reproductions that rival antique prints in quality for a fraction of the price.
For interesting articles and resources on animation check out AnimationResources.org
Following are some of Stephen's favorite Ukiyo-e prints:
