Actually I started with Kwik Print, thinking that after I mastered that
I would move on to gum, but I just couldn't make Kwik Print work for me
at all and finally gave up on it. I did have a conversation with the
manufacturer of the materials who told me I probably had outdated
materials and that's why it wouldn't work. And then, I guess I did get
PF's kit. It's been quite a while ago and I'm a bit fuzzy about it, but
I don't know why else I would have this Grumbacher lamp black, and also
now that I think of it, the cute little bottles that I pour the gum into
out of the gallon jug to make it easier to handle must have come from
that kit. At any rate I quickly used up the kit, except for the lamp
black (at the time I was using other colors and wasn't interested in
printing black) and went on to buying in bulk. I prefer Daniel Smith
watercolors, although for a time I was using Graham, a brand that's made
in Oregon and may not be known elsewhere. (They were having a half price
sale on it at my local arts supply store.) My palette is somewhat
idiosyncratic but gives me the soft unsaturated look I like in the
tricolor gums. For monochromes I tend to soft blue-greys, greens, browns
and a warm black.
Thanks for your input about gum. I wasn't sure when I posted which gum I
was using, but I'm sure now that it's PF gum and that I'd been planning
to get Daniel Smith next, because it's cheaper, but hadn't yet ordered
it. With all this talk about how much success depends on sticking with
the combination that works for you, I'm a bit reluctant to switch,
because everything is going fine as is.
Katharine