bi3@georgetown.edu
Date: 04/04/03-02:01:15 PM Z
In response to my message about Van Dyke over cyanotype, both
Jacques Verschuren and Shelley Rauch asked for a web site to see the
prints I wrote about. These prints were ones that were in the latest
round of the traveling portfolio that was started a few years ago.
Members of the group all contribute prints and then the resulting
"portfolio" is sent around to each member in turn. For some of the
rounds the prints were put up on the web, but this wasn't the case this
last time, and I have no way of doing it myself. (By the way, the
portfolio group is open to everyone, although so far only to those
living in the US.)
I can't remember why I decided to try this combination again. I only
worked with it for two printing sessions, and as I reported, I had very
different results the two times. My feeling is that you can get some
interesting prints using this combination, but that it is unpredictable.
I didn't continue experimenting with it after sending in my prints to
the portfolio.
Jacques asked several specific questions which I will try to answer.
About overexposing the underlying cyanotype, I remember that this has
been recommended. I did not do this; my exposure was "normal" for this
negative and the cyanotype print by itself looked normal, except that
using cyanotype diluted 1:1 with water produced a lighter blue as would
be expected. I don't know what you mean by "images in which the
darkest areas could absolutely not be retrieved after washing".
I also don't understand your statement "which takes a much longer time
to expose than the initial VDB print" in response to my writing "After
the exposure with Van Dyke, you have a brown print (nothing of the blue
print shows)." I exposed the Van Dyke for either the same time as the
cyanotype or 1/4 less time.
The fixer didn't appear to affect the cyanotype. In the fixer, the
brown of the VDB slowly fades away. The final print will be different
depending on how long it is left in the fixer; take it out when you like
the effect. I don't remember how long it took for all the brown to
disappear--maybe something like 15 minutes.
I don't know whether this is any help. I think this is something you
have to play around with until you get something you like. You might
try diluting the emulsions as others have done. The print I liked best
was made with the Van Dyke diluted 1:1 with water (cyanotype full
strength).
Suzanne Izzo
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