Wateman Watercolor: Gives very high contrast prints, which look "grainy"
when dry, although smooth when wet.. I can get nice, deep browns, but
shadows tend to loose detail. Is the image washing out during
processing?
Arches Watercolor: Gives very low constrast prints. I'm not getting
tones lighter than lightish brown, and shadows aren't very dark. Nice
smooth tones - not grainy. A ruddy brown.
Sommerset Velvet: Yields low constrat prints. I had splotching problems,
but I may have done a bad job coating the paper.
Fabriano Artistico: Looses a lot of image in processing, and results in
a light, washed out looking image.
Rives BFK: Similar results to the Wateman - a somewhat grainy appearance
- but lighter. The shadow areas didn't get really dark.
I have been trying to figure out if sizing could (partially) explain the
behavior of the papers. Perhaps the Wateman and the Rives have little
sizing, so the mid tones tend to wash out in processing?
Hi
The answer to the problem is simple. Water-colour papers are made to suit
the purposes of water-colour painters who require an absorbent surface. If
one puts a photographic solution onto the paper it will tend to sink in to
the extent that the fibers in the paper will partially obscure the image.
This is why you are getting changes in contast between the papers.
The answer to the problem is to size the paper first with a 1 or 2 %
deionised ossein size ( a hard and pure photographic gelatine) which is
available from Bostick and Sullivan or Silverprint. This size will enable
the solution to sink in just enough to take advantage of the self masking
phenomenon.. For a ! % size put I g of gelatine in a jar and add 10 ml of
cold distilled or deionised water . Leave it soak for half an hour. Then
add the remaining 90 ml. Place the jar in a containerof water at 110 F
until the size is completely clear with no little strings of gelatine when
you hold the jar up to the light. Make sure that the gerlatine is this hot
when you coat the paper which you should do with a soft brush kept for the
purpose. Dry the paper in a current of warm air.
Using this method will produce beautiful prints with clear highlights and a
full range of tones on the Arches, the BFK, the Fabriano Artistico and the
Somerset. You might also try Waterford. Try the papers first to see
whether a 1 or 2 % size is more suitable for a particular paper.
Be careful when you buy your paper that it is a water-colour paper. Some
of the papers mentioned in this thread have been printing papers that are
sometimes a lot softer or even a lot harder than you need. Soft and hard
here meaning less or more size.
I would advise getting a good book on paper such as 'Which Paper' by Silvie
Turner ISBN 1-55821-321-0 which I find invaluable.
Terry King