>>I gather that you fellows ink with a brayer more so than the Brits and the
Americans. Perhaps even hard brayers? I would think that this method requires
a much tougher gelatin surface and that you hard brayer guys may even be
better off using supercoated papers?<<
I think I pioneered the use of a plastic foam roller in the UK for coating
in a number of processes including oil and bromoil although my bromoil
friends have been a bit skeptical at times this tool gives a very smooth
quality far more tonal and photographic than a brush, you lose the
traditional brushed or painted look which I can understand could be an
aesthetic objection in some circumstances.
However what is missed is that at the preliminary stages this tool is ideal
to start the print , and gets over that fraught first ink on the print
stage, much more easily than a brush, which can bury the fine shadow
detail, we know now how to get over that problem using Genes innovative
cling film method, but apart from that ,inking up using a foam roller at
the beginning and then finishing with a brush would seem to be an ideal
compromise
Here is a short extract from my book Creative Sunprinting published by
Focal Press in 1980 describing this procedure for Oil printing but it works
just as well for Bromoil
--: Roller pigmenting is similar to
brush pigmenting. The ink is spread on the glass palette with a small hard
lino printing roller so that it is thin and even. This palette needs to be
about 20 x 25 cm (8 x 10 in) in size. A second sheet of glass is also
required. Move the foam roller over the inked sheet of glass very lightly
several times, and then roll it over the clean sheet of glass, leaving only
a very small amount of ink on the roller. In this condition quickly pass
the roller backwards and forwards across the matrix. The ink image quickly
appears, but owing to the small amount of ink on the roller, it lacks
proper contrast and density. Dampen this image with a piece of chamois
leather or substitute. then recharge the roller from the glass plate
containing the ink and roll it exactly onto the matrix. The roller, holding
more ink this time, builds up the image to its full potential.
Oil printing, using this method, is very fast and gives an image in ink
which is also extremely even, owing to the smooth action of the roller.
A mixture of brush and roller technique can prove a very useful compromise.
The roller is used to build up the initial image quickly and efficiently,
then the brush is used to finish the image and manipulate the densities for
creative effect. This combination of inking methods is ideal for oil
printing.
The Another tip I would like to pass on concerns conditioning of the
print prior to inking. After exposure but before the final soak, take
a pad of well washed cotton and damp it with PURE artists turpentine ,the
sort that has that fragrant pine scent to it. Rub this pad over the surface
of the print until almost dry, then dry of with a hair dryer or leave over
night to dry naturally, make sure the print is as dry as a potato crisp.
The effect of this technique is to prepare or condition the surface of the
print to take the ink easily. this spirit has a small amount of residual
varnish present which makes the print tacky in the exposed areas but
dissolves away from the extreme highlights this tackiness aids the rapid
take up of ink.
Hope this helps
pete