Re: Zimmerman's gum process

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From: Art Chakalis (achakali@gcfn.org)
Date: 11/12/01-12:51:46 AM Z


On Mon, 12 Nov 2001, Judy Seigel wrote:

>
> On Sun, 11 Nov 2001, Art Chakalis wrote:
>
> > .... Do the statements on
> > what I will call color saturation hold water? My interpretation is that
> > he indicates that replacing the black pigment in the 4th printing with a
> > mix of the three primary colors, to creat black, will enhance the
> > print's colors? Anyone with experience/comment?
>
> I think that's period bound -- there was a time -- not sure I should admit
> I was there, but in the 30s for instance we were taught to mix black with
> complements, to never use black paint. That was a principle of the
> Impressionists -- no black. I'm not quite as old as Van Gogh, but the idea
> took a while to reach the mainstream. In the early days we discussed this
> on the list -- the taboo against both black & white in (different) circles
> of watercolorists.
>
> As to whether it's true in gum printing or not... impossible to tell,
> because it depends (in my experience) ENTIRELY on everything else -- which
> particular pigments, which black, which negative, etc.
>
> When I made some echt color-separated gums, the only way I could use a K,
> or black neg, was by washing most of it off, otherwise it was death. But
> I've had both success & failure with both methods when printing monochrome
> differentially. My feeling now is that IF you have a good mix, and IF you
> have the right negative for it, and if the image can take it, and IF you
> work that way, you MAY get more punch from a sparingly used actual black.
>
> (I think Keith Gerling has been more successful with black layer than I
> was, however, maybe because he's a finer person, maybe because he knows
> how to make the right black neg digitally. Keith, are you there????)
>
> Judy

Judy,

I did not realize the history behind the avoidance of black. I was
actually musing about some of Land's color experiments . . . thinking
the black base of primary color could play into the color of subsequent
layers.

Sincerly, Art

Art Chakalis
Columbus, Ohio, USA


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