From: Katharine Thayer (kthayer@pacifier.com)
Date: 09/04/02-03:12:54 AM Z
Thanks, Marco. I started gum printing from a kit and don't quite get why
anyone would think it was a bad idea. As I recall, the kit simply
contained a couple of small bottles of gum; a small envelope of ammonium
dichromate powder and a small envelope of clearing agent, with
instructions for mixing each; a tiny tube of paint, and a mimeographed
set of instructions on how to make a gum print. I have a good background
in chemistry so it wasn't that I was frightened of measuring chemicals;
it just made sense to me economically to buy this ready-made package
containing trial sizes of everything rather than diving right in
ordering big jugs of gum etc when I'd never made a gum print and wasn't
sure enough yet that it would be my medium, to invest in ingredients on
a bigger scale.
Katharine Thayer
Marco Milazzo wrote:
>
> Someone sent a message to this list last month asking where to purchase
> cyanotype and VDB kits, and was told (among other things) that it's better
> to mix chemistry "from scratch."
>
> That's true for printers with experience, but I want to put in a word for
> kits -- for beginners (of which I am one).
>
> Mixing chemistry is stressful for beginners. You obsess over every detail,
> hoping that you haven't made a small mistake that will screw up the whole
> batch. Kits allow you to bypass the uncertainties of mixing chemistry, and
> go directly to (the uncertainties of) coating paper and making an image --
> the "fun part" of the process. Experiencing success early encourages you,
> and carries you on to the next steps.
>
> Another advantage of kits is that they allow you to try a process without
> buying a lot of stuff. After you've made a couple of dozen test prints, you
> may want to commit to that process, and buy chemistry -- or you might decide
> that alternative printing isn't for you. Either way, kits are an
> appropriate first step for beginners.
>
> Marco
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