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I would like to thank everybody for taking the time to give me all the
helpful information that I got through Judy. After a lot of struggle I
finally got something that looked like a carbon tissue, but lots of
bubbles. I gave it another try and this time I put into the mixture a few
drops of rubbing alcohol and also strained it through a piece of fabric.
I got less bubbles, but still some. The last tissue I made was already
sensitized. This is the formula I used:
50 ml water
20 g gelatin [I think it must have been Knox: ed]
4 g sugar
8 g Rowney Jet black gouache
10 g ammonium dichromate mixed with 25 ml water
few drops of photo flow
After about 5 hours the tissue was still very sticky so I dried it
with a blow drier set on cool. As a base for my tissue I used Strathmore
drawing paper (smooth surface).
I exposed for 4 minutes under UV lights [under negative, presumably: ed]
As a receiving paper I used Arches watercolor paper sized with gelatin. I
soaked this paper for 10 to 15 minutes in cold water, then soaked the
tissue in cold water for a minute, squeegeed and sandwiched them together.
Then I put them inside blotters and under weight for 20 minutes. I filled
a deep tray with water (100 degrees Fahrenheit), but no transfer happened,
and not even any black color got off the tissue.
I thought I'd overexposed, so I tried several times with different
exposures, but the only thing I got was a very dark (almost invisible)
image on one of the tissues. I never got *anything* on the receiving
paper. As of now I am very confused and don't know what went wrong. I
would appreciate any insight you can give me.
I also wanted to ask if it makes a difference to harden the paper before
the transfer or after the transfer.
Thanks, Carmen Lizardo
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I didn't have a chance, preoccupied with the lower 32, to read this
before leaving school -- so there are a couple of points I would have
questioned. For one, if that's 10 grams of ammonium dichromate powder
with 25 ml water, sounds to me like it might be about 10 times too
strong....???
And I don't know what concentration of dichromate she used to sensitize
the tissue that didn't have it added...
But I think the answer to the hardening question is in the last batch of
printouts she hadn't read yet when she wrote this note...
Whatever, I promised to forward the message,in case there are some
insights can speed this project on its way. TIA. (My experience with
undergraduates, BTW, is that most would have given up by now.... indeed
even yours truly has been known to throw in towels, all 12 of them,
incredible as that may seem.)
Judy