Re: solarplate images up on my website
The bitmapped images look the best online. Are they as good in
person?
The orchid bitmap is better in person, actually, than it is online. That
one doesn't have measles, but probably becuase it is a busy image. The
measles is in the devil one (Easton) and then the unbitmapped ones.
Keith, I am using Weston, Rives BFK 175 weight, and Arches Cover. I can't
believe I didn't think about the paper/water variable. See, when I first was
printing the cigarette smoker I was getting creamy whites, but then I
started getting grainy whites. I just looked and all the current ones are
on Weston, a much thinner paper, as well as the 175gsm Rives, but the creamy
are on the Arches.
I do soak the paper for 5-15 minutes (sometimes longer) and blot under
blotting papers with a rolling pin.
Time to go to work, darn.....
Chris
You said they have measles, too, but I'm not seeing them.
The orchids shot seems smooth and really nice in tone.
The birches are so busy and full of linework that if there ARE
measels, even I can't tell. For me though, the real beauty of
gravures is the smooth gradients of tone, the deep velvety blacks and
creamy whites. Getting my radishes shot to look like that is my goal.
sigh...
And I'm lovin' that blog. Very easy to post images and text. Same as
email, actually.
later,
Susan
http://sssusans-studio.blogspot.com/
www.dalyvoss.com
On 2/20/07, Christina Z. Anderson <zphoto@montana.net> wrote:
> On 2/20/07, Jon Lybrook <jon@terabear.com> wrote:
>> Measles...good analogy.
>> Notice the difference though. Chris' measles are dark in the light
>> areas, while Susan's are white in the dark areas.
>> My .02 cents/sense is the causes are related, but are manifested for
>> different reasons. I've suffered through both of them. Both have to
>> do
>> with uneven contact during exposure, as you may have guessed.
I would have to agree with the uneven contact. I get measles both in
light
and dark areas. In fact, a test strip I exposed that had a slight lip on
one edge has white creeping into that side of the darks. The measles
aren't
always round and regular as in the images I showed, but patchy. One test
strip I did that had a severe lip on it had a ribbon effect of white area
leaking through regularly.
I do use baby powder as Susan does--on the plate before the aquatint and
then I don't redust before the OHP exposure. So it looks like I should
try
two things: dust after the aquatint screen and also expose a plate
outdoors
to OHP and see if the light does make a difference.
BTW a lot of those solarplates on my website were done with bitmapped
images
on Photowarehouse OHP, that really thin stuff, back when I had the 2200
printer and could print black ink only on it and it would stick. Measles
are apparent in the devil one, though, too. I can't use that stuff
successfully on the 2400 so I am Pictorico all the way, and without a
vacuum
frame, maybe it is impossible to use?
Susan, thanks for posting your stuff on the blog--it is very easy to
view,
etc. I see the birch image (or aspens?) is very successful which leads me
to
believe that the real benefit to solarplate comes when using busy
detailed
imagery (e.g. the orchids on my page).
Chris
--
Susan Daly Voss
www.dalyvoss.com