Seeking Information on 2 problems with Gum process
Hi -- I was warned before I joined this list that it was NOT a place for newbie questions. And I have refrained assiduously and have spent hours searching for my answers elsewhere. Fortunately I now have a ready source of answers for most questions--having spent almost my last nickels on Christopher James' book and the run of Judy's PFP. BUT, there are two areas where I need help and no one seems to mention it, no matter how meticulously they outline each process. (I'm working small -- 4.5 x 7 and using Arches Hot Press 140lb. because I like the smooth texture and finer detail possible with it, which I have achieved quite well with Cyanotypes.) ONE For any process where you wish to coat and expose the same piece of paper multiple times, what do people do with the severely uneven paper between exposures? I have preshrunk it and dried and ironed it before doing anything to it. But, once it is (perhaps sized depending on the process), coated, exposed, washed, and dried, it reverts to hills and valleys. And yes the contact frame flattens out everything, and the large objects in the image appear nicely, but registration problems ensue in finely detailed areas. I need help! TWO My last nickels are for pigment. I've read much about pigments recently and assumed that folks would have made lists (as they have for just about everything under the sun, e.g., paper, emulsion proportions, etc.) Not so -- or at least I haven't found one. I found info on Lamp Black vs. Ivory Black, but so far nothing on other colors.) Breaking the image up into CMY or CMYK indicates the use of 3 or 4 pigments respectively. What do people use for the best non-staining results? (I can tell you that Holbein Ultramarine Deep Watercolor gives excellent blue snow on sized paper! lol) I realize that folks, and I will be one of these, like to shift things around depending on the image and the effect they are after, but for your basic palette-- what works?? I figure that folks expert in various processes have their arsenals of pigments and would know what works. Because I can't afford to experiment right now with things I have to buy, I'm asking for help. And thank you very much in advance. Clair
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