Re: VDB

[francis schanberger <frangst@gmail.com>]

I don't combine these two processes so I defer to those who have made this work.

Test a cyanotype with hypo to gauge what its effect will be on the combination print.   

With that said...I would think hypo is needed. Since hypo is a solvent for unreduced silver (halides) it would  make sense that long term image stability would require removing unexposed silver. But we are working with silver nitrate or whatever we end up with once we add the tartaric acid. and how much of the final image is comprised of iron?                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

We VDBers need a good thorough treatise like Dr. Ware wrote for the cyanotype. Does such a book exist?

        

-francis

On Wed, Apr 8, 2009 at 1:25 PM, Weber, Scott B <sweber@mail.barry.edu> wrote:

Still wondering if the hypo is needed for the VD layer.

 

Scott

From: Christina Z. Anderson [mailto:zphoto@montana.net]
Sent: Tuesday, April 07, 2009 10:43 PM
To: alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca
Subject: Re: VDB

 

Hi Scott,

I have had students do this successfully, if you expect weird results.  I posted three to my website that were done last year.Erika Skogg did a whole final project of these and they were most intriguing.

http://christinaanderson.visualserver.com/Text_page.cfm?pID=2448

I used to assign it to all students and actually I really liked what they produced, but it was an iffy proposition requiring time and attention that we were short on so now I require them to do combotypes of their choosing--either gum/pd, pd/cyano, gum/cyano, salt/gum, etc.

BUT, back to VDB/cyano--students who are successful do it a couple different ways:  overexpose the cyano layer first, or dilute the VDB half with water, or a layer of size between the cyano and the VDB  of 1/3 gesso, acrylic matt medium, and water. 

Maybe this will help.

This is the benefit of teaching, no?  I scan/photo all student work, so I have ready examples--thousands of them--to illustrate processes.  I should really just set up a website of all their incredible work.  This last month has been all gum and the lab is just glutted with prints hanging all over the place, prints soaking, and as is usual their "failures" are the ones I find most delectible.

Chris

__________________

 

Christina Z. Anderson
http://christinaZanderson.com/
__________________

----- Original Message -----

From: joachim oppenheimer

To: alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca

Sent: Tuesday, April 07, 2009 6:24 PM

Subject: RE: VDB

 

Sorry, Scott, you are dealing with a redux reaction, oxidation of the VanDyke  by the Cyanotype. Occasionally  I have been able  get results that seem to last a while (by using larger concentrations of Van Dyke but when I have gone back a couple years later to the prints I found that they had been eaten up by the blue dye. Try using Cyanotype over palladium or platinum, that works. .If someone has been able to make it work, I would also like to hear about it.  Joachim

-----Original Message-----
From: Weber, Scott B [mailto:sweber@mail.barry.edu]
Sent: Tuesday, April 07, 2009 7:03 PM
To: 'alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca'
Subject: VDB

I have been making cyanotypes and have tried putting a layer of Van Dyke over and really like the result. Question; do I need to fix the VDB layer with hypo. This seems to bleach out the cyan layer a bit. Or is there some other cause?

 

Scott B. Weber

Associate Professor of Photography

Department of Fine Arts

Barry University

Miami Shores, Florida

305 899 4922

sweber@mail.barry.edu

 

-- 
francis schanberger

www.frangst.com