[Alt-photo] Re: 1st attempt

[Jack Brubaker]

You will find it interesting (if you haven't already done so) to search the
archives of this list on the subject of gum. One of the striking things is
that many people are making fine prints with very different methods. Your
method is working but I think you want to fine tune it. If so, while others
can share their preferred methods, you may get fine results by just
tinkering. If I had made your print, I would think about using a thinner
coat with less pigment. Experiment and keep notes. Many printers are now
using less dichromate with good results while saving an expensive material
and having a less toxic process. Again Chris Anderson's book "Gum Printing
and other amazing contact printing processes" is the encyclopedia of
current and historical knowledge. It is available at:
http://www.alternativephotography.com/wp/

Jack


On Wed, Oct 23, 2013 at 8:36 AM, Laura V <laura at lavatop.com> wrote:

> 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><
>>> http://lauraval.com/mountain.**jpg <http://lauraval.com/mountain.jpg>>
>>>
>>> Laura
>>> ______________________________****_________________
>>> Alt-photo-process-list | altphotolist.org
>>>
>>>  ______________________________**_________________
>> Alt-photo-process-list | altphotolist.org
>>
>>
>>
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