From: Katharine Thayer (kthayer@pacifier.com)
Date: 09/05/02-08:44:17 AM Z
I didn't have to unlearn anything when I went from the kit to bulk
chemistry; the instructions in the kit were 14 pages of
straightforward, useful information, which I kept at my workbench along
with the instructions in Suda House's book and later in Keepers of
Light, til I didn't need instructions any more. It's just basic gum
printing instructions that thousands of people have learned gum printing
from without particular incident. On skimming over those old
instructions this morning, the only thing that jumps out at me as
dubious is the suggestion that to get a smooth coating one might soak
the paper before coating it, but since I never paid any attention to
that suggestion, I can't say how unhappy or discouraged I would be if I
had followed it.
It's true that starting with black or brown doesn't give you the whole
range of possibilities available, but when you're starting out, as Marco
said to start this thread, you're just trying to get it right and get a
print; once you've mastered that then you can go on to explore all the
possibilities. At least that's the way my mind works, and my advice to
beginners is always to master printing in one color first before trying
others. At any rate I'm sure I bought some colors and was printing in
different colors very soon, while I was still using the chemicals in the
sample kit. Would there be anyone so literalminded as to think they
could only print with the color provided in the kit?
At the same time I would certainly recommend against the kit that costs
$108 and includes six tubes of paint, a strange collection of colors
most of which I'd never use. For color, a person would do much better
to choose one's own colors than to buy a "color-printing kit;" I agree
with that much at least. This expensive kit also relies on instructions
which I disagree with most of and would even say some of it is downright
wrong. But others seem to find them useful, so ..each to his own is what
it boils down to, yet again.
kt
Judy Seigel wrote:
>
> OK, here's my argument against "kits" -- the ones I'm familiar with (for
> gum) came with instructions that were pretty wrong or very wrong, colors
> of brown & black for one kit, "process colors" for the other, and
> represented overall a drastic reduction of the reality & possibilities.
> True, if all went well one could go on from there, but I think would be at
> least as likely to toss it.
>
> And going on from there would also require unlearning (in many cases) as
> well as the other hurdles of scales, chemicals, etc. The cost for 100 g
> potassium dichromate at Artcraft is $6, most people could get a squib or
> two of watercolor paint free if they don't already have a few tubes -- and
> gum arabic is available -- what, maybe $12 a pint at art supply stores. ?
> In other words, they could get several years materials (except the paint)
> for less than $20. My sense of the matter is that with ample supplies on
> hand, it's easier, maybe INEVITABLE, to try some more and then maybe
> again, if at first it doesn't "succeed."
>
> The kit, last I saw, was about $16 .
>
> Incidentally, although I myself feel unhorsed, so to speak, without my
> triple beam balance, both cyanotype and gum are readily mixed with dry
> measure -- teaspoons, narrow vials, a hole drilled in a piece of wood, ml
> measures in scoops in small volumes sold by American Scientific Surplus,
> among other strategies.
>
> Judy
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