Which astonishing fact brings up something I am most curious about --it
has been scientifically established that you do the most gum coats of
anyone in the known world, yet your prints (at least as seen in
reproduction) seem perfectly sharp. How do you re-register? Perhaps the
fact that each coat is very thin helps, but even so ..... can you let us
in on the secret?
> It has been mentioned that there are artificial yellows that are totally
> transparent. I haven't been able to find the Liquitex watercolors and I am
> looking forward to testing some new yellows.
Liquitex watercolor was on the market for only a short time, then
discontinued. Maybe, though, you'll try that Rowney yellow. (I'm
curious to know if it meets your standards.) I will try to find out what
it is.
> ... I think of the yellow stain as Dichromate staining and the
> image created in the gum by light as tanning. Given this, I find it
> convenient to print the yellows first to give them the longest time to
> "clear" because this tanning isn't as significant in the darker colors. I
> have found that for my way of working that usually two to three hours of
> soaking (washing) is enough to give me the clearing I want of the pigment but
> doesn't completely get rid of the tanning. .... There is a huge color and
density shift
> between the yellow color with and without the tanning underneath it. I have
> also found that the darker the gum the more it will tan.
Bernie, have you tried a chemical clearing bath? Something like potassium
metabisulfite, sodium bisulfite, even (I understand) sodium sulfite, even
they said last year on list Kodak Hypoclearing Agent (which is apparently
mostly sodium sulfite), any of these about 5% for only a minute or two, or
in case you don't like coughing, 1% for a longer soak, really gets the
yellow out. (Rinse 5-10 minutes afterwards.)
Although the "literature" warns against clearing in mid-print for fear of
shrinking & not being able to re-register, I think that would be more of a
problem with alum. Or may have been true in early times when they don't
seem to have preshrunk paper. In any event, I have on a number of
occasions cleared & then re-coated with no (more than the usual) problems.
And speaking of everything affecting everything, I find that the amount &
type of size on the paper can affect dichromate stain -- heavy gelatine
size stains more. Maybe that cockamamie gesso size you described holds
the stain. (I would have commented on that sooner but I fell into a faint
the moment I read it & am just recovering.)
> I'm sorry this is so long.
Don't apologize. As ever, much food for thought...
Judy