The production of classic Japanese woodblock prints is a fairly complex process. Please illustrate:
First, the artist would start by producing a preparatory sketch (gako), with the most detail in areas like faces, etc.
The artist would then pass this drawing to a block-copyist, who then made an elaborated final copy, a very fine black and white paper drawing.  If the paper drawing is approved, it would go to a carver, who specialized in carving the blocks used to produce the print.

Finally, The printing was done by skilled printers