From: Christina Z. Anderson (tracez@mcn.net)
Date: 03/22/01-10:35:28 PM Z
Here goes, folks:
From the Ilford Monochrome Darkroom Practice by Jack Coote. This
process yields a gelatin relief image that can be dyed in any desired color.
It looks like a line drawing in color, kinda like the old tone line thing.
The etching process softens the gelatin surrounding the silver image, making
it soluble in warm water. It works great with RC paper: use glossy or semi
matte, not pearl because pearl will retain dyes in the highlights. Use a
high contrast filter (a positive used to expose the paper will result in a
positive image). Expose and process the print as normal but do not use a
hardener in the fixer. After a 2 minute wash, place in the etch-bleach bath
(30g copper chloride, 100 ml 80% acetic acid, water to 1000 ml; mix one part
of this with one part of 20 vol hydrogen peroxide). Leave image in this for
twice the time it takes for the image to completely bleach out (usually 2
min). Remove softened gelatin from the print in 120 degree F water, by
using a soft brush or cotton. Dye image in any water soluble dye.
You can also, according to Coote, develop the print, DON'T fix, but
simply wash and then bleach directly. Then, before washing away the
softened parts, use an additional black and white image and expose the paper
again, using a negative, onto an area of unused silver halide. The
sensitivity of the original emulsion will have been changed by immersion in
the bleach-etch solution, so tests are necessary to arrive at the correct
exposure for the superimposed silver image. After development, the residual
halides can be removed from the gelatin by fixing and then washing in the
hot water used to form the relief image.
Well, that's Coote, for ya. Doesn't sound like the mordancage I have
seen with wavy gelatin veils around a partially dissolved image. Hmmm. But
it dispels the notion of etch bleach being between develop and fix only.
All three mentions in this post talk about bleach/etch being able to be done
with old prints, as well as prints being developed and fixed, as well as
between the two steps, as well as developing again whenever.... Oh heck,
I'll have to try one more process now, and try to dig up some RC prints that
aren't contact sheets...
Here is, then, the Schultz Shutterbug article: Bleach etch eats away
all the shadow detail and leaves gelatin only where the highlights were.
Fiber paper will bleach without etching, in that article (this contradicts
your experience, Jonathan, correct?) so use RC, non supercoated the best,
either Luminos or Kentmere working well. Use an image with a density of
about .80. Most midtones are going to be lost, so look for images with big
areas of bold tone in clear shapes. It has to be high contrast, too.
Overexpose by 10-20%. Mix up two solutions: the solution A of cupric
chloride 30 g, acetic acid glacial 80ml, water to make 1000ml. Solution B,
hydrogen peroxide 6% (20vol). Store in separate bottles, mix equal parts of
the two solutions. 150-200ml is sufficient for each 8x10 print. Submersion
is the same--a couple minutes. Then rub off the emulsion with cotton balls.
You can redevelop the print at this stage, washing it well, then returning
it to the developer for several minutes perhaps, and fixing afterwards as
usual. Luminos Pastel papers will leave the remaining image in the base
color of the paper; otherwise you will have to dye, tint, or tone your
image.
Now, Spirit of Salts (thanks Randall): (silly me: I own two copies,
not knowing before ordering that the same book is titled differently in
different countries): same formula for the chemicals, except this one
allows the normal hydrogen peroxide available in drugstores. The difference
in process is to use a lith film positive with just two tones, which the
other two sources don't suggest. Rubbing takes place under the copper
chloride solution. Only one to explain what actually takes place, which is
the black parts of the image have been removed, the white parts of the image
are etched and leave a fine rough surface onto which the dyes adhere. Rub
the dye onto the surface of the print with cotton balls, after etching.
Please excuse quickie condensation, but you get the picture. It
seems...bleach etch is bleach etch. When I was at SPE in Savannah, I did
see two examples of mordancage from student work, presumably taught by Craig
Stevens. One looked similar to a sabattier, which I think is similar to the
bleach etch process outlined above whereby not much was left of the gelatin
but the negative edge image of some weeds. The other looked entirely
different, more primordial. Neither looked like the veiling I have seen of
Opalenik, which she terms mordancage. Only one, the student work at SCAD
that looked primordial, resembled a continuous tone image and not just a
line-y kinda thing. (can you tell it is late and I am at a loss for words?)
But the ones in Shutterbug, and the ones on line in Jonathan's mentions seem
more photographic and less 1970's psychedelic--could it just be the amount
of emulsion that is rubbed off, or the rubbing itself that is the dif? Who
knows---will test it and get back to you sometime in the not too distant
future, and Jonathan, you who teach and do this process, please do share
what you will find out about it shortly.
Chris
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