[Alt-photo] Re: 1st attempt

[Laura V]

On 10/23/13 2:16 AM, Jack Brubaker wrote:
> Laura,
>
> That is a very good beginning for someone working by your self.
Thanks...you might have missed my re-introduction though. This is not my 
"1st" print, but my first after a 4 year break, and a few of the 
variables have changed (new gum, different light, etc) so it all feels 
different.
>   A thin coat will be better bonded to the paper (the
> exposure will penetrate to the paper), and can withstand a longer
> development that will help clear whites and allow physical development if
> needed.
This is what I thought, but I'm not sure if this means I should thin out 
my mixture, or just apply it more forcefully and spread it out better. I 
mixed my gum myself from lumps without weighing (because I did it before 
I got help here on how to do it) and it feels thicker than what I used 
before, so maybe it just needs more water.
>
>   It is most helpful when showing a print that you have questions about to
> tell what your mix is of gum, water, and color, what your exposure is, and
> how long it developed, and whether by just floating on the water or with
> physical intervention.
Gum and dichromate one to one; one teaspoon each with a blob of color 
(about 1cm) which is what worked before. 4 min exposure. Developed for 
20-30 mins face down in cold water, gently agitating the tray a few 
times and flipping it over to see how it was coming along.
>   Most gum printers only
> work in multi layers to avoid the problem you see in your print.
Oh yes, I intend to do 2 or 3 layers.
>
> Welcome to the addiction of the ever elusive perfect gum print,
Heh, yeah it's crazy isn't it? Like learning Icelandic.
>
>
> On Tue, Oct 22, 2013 at 9:38 PM, Laura V <laura at lavatop.com> wrote:
>
>> Actually, it's the 2nd attempt, the first one peeled right off the paper
>> and washed away. It felt like the gum was thicker and stickier than I
>> remembered using before, it was like honey, so I thinned it out to more of
>> the consistency of maple syrup. I also increased the exposure a bit for
>> good measure. This stuck to the paper much better, and the exposure seems
>> right, but you can see there is still some peeling at the top in the sky.
>> Has anyone had this problem? How do you like your gum  mixture, thick or
>> thin?
>>
>> The other problem I'm having is that the light source (my mercury vapor
>> bulb that I put inside the vacuum press) is much closer to the glass that I
>> had hoped...it is only about 20 cm away. So I guess that explains why the
>> image gets whiter on the sides. I'll have to figure something out with the
>> lighting.
>>
>> http://lauraval.com/mountain.**jpg <http://lauraval.com/mountain.jpg>
>>
>> Laura
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