From: Judy Seigel (jseigel@panix.com)
Date: 02/17/01-04:09:05 PM Z
On Sat, 17 Feb 2001, Don Bryant wrote:
>
> No rating is given on the bottle. The directions only indicate usage as a
> method to obtain translucency for watercolors.
Most gum arabics "work," only they perform differently -- time, pigments,
size, etc. that were best with one probably not with all others. You can't
tell til you try. However, some gums prepared for printmaking processes
have additives that hurt bichromate printing, different preservatives can
react differently. Etc.
You don't want to BUY a watercolor gum, however, because to refine to
waterwhite and package in small amounts, makes it 5,628 times more
expensive than gallon of 14 degree baume. The off color of lithographers
gum does NOT show in the print. Even a gum tone dark as coffee seems to
burn out, CONTRARY to "the books" (which copy older "books" without
testing).
If it's not 14 degree baume doesn't matter either. That's just a starting
point: I add water to a mix about 99% of the time. Viscosity and
proportion of gum emulsion aren't cast in concrete, in fact best changed
according to needs of each color and layer, I find, usually.
Judy
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