[alt-photo] Re: pigment problem

[C.Breukel at lumc.nl]

Thanks for sharing your method, Julian

I have got a few questions;

I assume you pre-shrink the paper first? What is your method?

Is the paper flat enough after the pre-shrink and size, I mean flat
enough for a gum coat?

What concentration of Formaldehyde do you use?

Approx. how much paper surface can you size with that 100ml gelatin?

Thanks,

Cor

> -----Original Message-----
> From: alt-photo-process-list-bounces at lists.altphotolist.org
[mailto:alt-
> photo-process-list-bounces at lists.altphotolist.org] On Behalf Of Julian
> Smart
> Sent: woensdag 9 februari 2011 21:37
> To: The alternative photographic processes mailing list
> Subject: [alt-photo] Re: pigment problem
> 
> Hi Loris,
> 
> Nice to finally talk to you.
> 
> My method of sizing is to pour 100ml of distilled water into a jam jar
to
> which I add my 4g of gelatine. I let this rest until the dry gelatine
has
> absorbed as much water as it will. I then heat this in a small
saucepan of
> water on the stove until the gelatine has melted and the liquid looks
> clear
> and runny. I am very particular about this as I have occasionally
found
> small bits of debris in the mixture, which I am sure to fish out. Once
> ready, and the liquid never goes even close to boiling point I will
add my
> formaldehyde- started off trying six drops but I'm now down to 2 or 3
> (doesn't seem to make much difference to how the paper prints).
> 
> I have previously taped down, on the kitchen table my first piece of
> paper.
> Onto this I pour an amount of gelatine into the middle- the amount
being
> gained through experience.The jar goes back in the pan which is now
> removed
> from the heat. Having previously wetted and shaken mostly dry the
brush in
> the water I use to heat up the gelatine (to heat up the brush) I
quickly
> cover the whole paper surface as evenly as possible with the liquid
> gelatine
> using a 3inch hake brush which incidentally has the date 1st October
2001
> written on it by myself- this brush seems almost indestructable!
> Working quickly I brush alternately landscape and portrait until I
feel
> the
> gelatine is drying into the paper. I get quite heavy handed with the
last
> few passes until I can see from the sheen on the paper it is ready.
There
> is
> a distinct point at which I stop, which is intuitive to me now after
over
> 12
> years of gumprinting. The process takes maybe 1 1/2 or 2 minutes- the
20
> minutes I mentioned before equates to 5 minutes per print which
includes
> faff time such as running upstairs to hang the print up in my
workroom,
> taping down another piece of paper, re-wetting the brush, retrieving
and
> drying the outside of the jam jar etc.
> 
> This process has worked perfectly for me ever since I started gum
printing
> and I have never found a more satisfactory method of sizing so don't
want
> to
> change anything. The formaldehyde in the gelatine should in theory
work
> just
> as well as a secondary formaldehyde soak. Of course, another variable
> could
> be the actual paper. I'm using Artistico 300gsm HP and have
occasionally
> found with older sheets or batches some slight internal mottling. At
this
> point I can't rule it out but I have a fresh batch that looks perfect
to
> me.
> 
> My original post was about not getting a coat of W+N Indigo to stick
and
> most people suggested it was a sizing issue. I'll stick my neck out
and
> suggest it's not as I coated two prints last night with a different
> pigment
> (Indanthrone PB60) and got two perfect coats on the same prints that
> wouldn't accept the Indigo, all other variables being constant.
> Still puzzled!!
> 
> Julian.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> >
> > I use sponge brushes, soak a generous amnt. of gelatin + hardener
> mixture,
> > and brush it quickly and evenly on the paper. I dip the brush
another
> time
> > into the solution if the amnt. in the first pass wasn't enough. I
try to
> > do
> > it very quickly and my papers are at room temperature. (I size
> indoors...)
> > Sizing a half imperial sheet wouldn't take more than 1-2 minutes in
my
> > workflow. (At max! More like ~1 minute usually...) Your expression
"20
> > minutes for 4 1/2 imperial sheets" makes me think you're working
quite
> > slowly, maybe because you don't use a sponge brush can holds a
generous
> > amnt. of sizing solution... The slower you work, the more you risk
> gelatin
> > setting / uneven application.
> >
> > Try to work a little faster and make sure the paper is not too cold
> while
> > you apply the sizing...
> >
> 
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