From: Heidi Weller (ghweller@bright.net)
Date: 02/23/03-09:23:00 PM Z
Hi Chris
I consider myself a gummist as well - that is the process I have used almost
exclusively for about 15 years now. I can't say that I have ever had
problems with particular colors, but I do stay with certain hues because
they are a part of the palette I like. I use am. di. too, and a starch
size, and bisulfite for clearing. I usually print 16 x 20 or 20 x 24 sizes.
Good luck with your alt course!
Heidi Weller
Ashland, OH
----- Original Message -----
From: Christina Z. Anderson <zphoto@montana.net>
To: Alt Photo List <alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca>
Sent: Sunday, February 23, 2003 5:17 PM
Subject: gum printing
> Hi List,
> My usual barrage of questions for the week--but hey, at least I post
my
> test results, too, huh?
>
> Gum questions:
> 1. Which colors absolutely do not work? I have these notes: hooker's
> green (washes out), emerald green, and any chromium based colors. I've
loved
> the quinacridones in the past...moonglow by D Smith seemed to wash out
quite
> a bit but could've mixed it up wrong. Do all whites work OK and has anyone
> tried a white on a dark paper?
> 2. Do you use am di or pot di? I learned on am di and am wondering if it
> is worth it to buy some pot di. Webb/Reed say only use am di if you can't
> get pot di. Hirsch says use am di. Go figure. I just want to know what
> you guys use, and I do have the notes from the past about am di being
lower
> contrast/muddier but then those saying that isn't the case. Does it boil
> down to what you are used to?
> 2a. If you diluted am di to the same percent as pot di would it be
> equivalent in speed?
> 3. What clearing agent do you use? I have come across sodium sulfite,
> sodium bisulfite/metabisulfite, potassium bisulfite, and sulfuric acid 1%
> solution. Does sodium sulfite truly do the trick so I don't have to
choke?
> the metabi literally gives me instant asthma.
> 4. Has anyone used lemon juice in the sensitizer to insolubilize it,
> decreasing exposure and giving better midtones? (Demachy, Photo-Aquatint,
> p. 39).
> 5. Dare I ask this, has Demachy's stain test been hashed out on this list
> already or is it worth mentioning? His book is from 1898, before Paul
> Anderson's 1911. Is it possible to talk this out civilly? If he has not
> been discussed, I can sum up his test and post it. Considering I've only
> been on the list 3 yr or so, you all could have been around this block
> before.
> 6. How many gummists are there? I know Judy, Dave, Katherine, Joe, but
who
> else isn't speaking up? Even part-timers?
> BTW, why I keep asking questions is I am in the starts of developing
a
> "user friendly" alt course as to how I would teach it if given the chance.
> I did it with experimental. Now I want to with alt. I've figured out I
> would "hook" the students first by doing easy enlarged negs (paper,
> imagesetter, ink jet), start them out with instant gratification cyanos,
> argyros, (then vdb, kalli, salt) to really get them hooked, then get into
> easy one coat gum with spray starch or acrylic sizing, then teach such
> things as better enlarged negs, better sizing, etc. afterward, before
> progressing into the more expensive platinum/palladium/zia. The biggest
> whines I hear is "it's so time consuming, I can't stand gelatin dripping
all
> over, I don't have any good large negs, etc." Kinda like the view
> camera--forget the zone stuff in the beginning, get them out there fooling
> around with the camera til they get seduced by the large neg and camera
> movements, and then go thru the complex stuff. They have to know "what's
in
> it for them" first. My philosophy for the day (of course, 10 processes in
> one semester is probably total overload).
> Chris
>
>
>
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