I collected the twelve ōban woodblocks on a lunch break in Bermondsey, greeted by the warm smell of freshly cut wood. Carrying them back through the heat, arms aching, the reality of the project set in. Paper, pigments, water, nori—nothing was as simple as it seemed. Choosing materials was one thing; learning how to use them was another. Already, I felt the quiet uncertainty that comes with beginning something truly new.

Sizing paper in the context I’m going to discuss isn’t about measuring the size, but rather applying a ‘sizing’ solution (usually some...