From: Katharine Thayer (kthayer@pacifier.com)
Date: 12/15/02-03:43:43 PM Z
Hi Joe,
Are you referring to the fact that over time the colors of the inks in
these old ads have shifted and faded? You want that color-shifted look?
If that's so, there's probably not a color emulsion that will reproduce
that for you, but since you're talking about doing gum anyway, I
wouldn't worry about getting that color balance or lack thereof on the
film but would create it with your choice of gum colors. Someone here
who works in the printing industry could probably help you with the
right choice of colors to substitute for the "process" colors, to
simulate the fading and color-shifting of the inks.
Yes, you can paint over gum with acrylic without a barrier between. You
could also use watercolors to paint over gum. In either case, you won't,
or shouldn't, get an interaction between the overwashes and the gum
layer, (what I mean here is that the overwash shouldn't disturb the
hardened gum) as the pigment in the gum layer will be hardened and
inert.
Katharine Thayer
Joe Tait wrote:
>
> I have an enduring love affair with the complete unreality of 50'/60's
> advertisements & I have a few ideas that I would like to bite off that look for,
> but have little experience shooting color and was seeking some advice.
>
> Are today's color emulsions just too clean and refined to get anywhere close to
> what was used forty plus years ago? Are there lens filters out there that could
> help the situation? I have taken initial shots with some older lenses
> (Koni-Omega Rapid & LF barrel lenses), and they are certainly more suited in
> this situation to say my Nikon lenses, but I am definitely not getting a
> negative anywhere close to what I want. I am shooting this under tungsten studio
> lighting with kodak supra.
>
> Gum seems the obvious choice for this. Should I not worry about the negative as
> much and concentrate on gum's ability to be "painterly"? This will be my first
> serious shot at gum....any suggestions on a substrate (preferebly _not_ paper)
> that would retain a decent amount of detail and allow me to get bold color? I
> want a short scale, semi-blocked up shadows and high-contrast. These prints are
> planned to be process prints, btw....
>
> Can you paint on top of gum with acrylic w/out an intermediate layer of varnish?
> I would like to do just that in light washes with translucent liquitex medium
> viscosity paints, but with a varnish layer I worry about the interaction that
> makes glazing/washes so attractive.
>
> As a side note, what were the working process/techniques of the press/graphic
> designers of the time? I see a lot of ads that are just b/w shots with spot
> plates and are easy enough to duplicate, but most of my favorite ads appear to
> be process. Was it just the emulsions, or manipulation of the separate process
> plates? Maybe the instability of the inks? The color is just so off, but
> pleasing to the eye and expressive, makes me want to fear communism and buy a
> toaster....
>
> -Joe
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : 01/31/03-09:31:25 AM Z CST