Re: a newbie's first post: gum, temperaprint, oil printing, sizing, and computer negatives

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From: Gordon J. Holtslander (holtsg@duke.usask.ca)
Date: 06/12/03-04:56:45 PM Z

For sizing and hardening my gum prints, I use gelatin and harden it with
chrome alum. Chrome alum has no odor, I think it is much less toxic than
formaldehyde or glyoxal.

I have a serious allergy to formaldehyde. Other alternatives for sizing
I've heard are dilut acrylic gesso and cornstarch. I've not used the
latter.

I tried using fixed paper as a base for gum printing. It was a complete
disaster - The coating turned our very uneven pretty much useless.

My favourite papers for gum are stonehenge white and bfk rives.

I've tried a little bit of oil printing. So far I've only been able to
produce prints with regions a little darker than others. I don't think
its an easy process to master by yourself.

The key seems to be preparing the paper properly so that it will be
hardened properly so that it is capable of holding just enough water to
repel ink

Try Ed Buffaloe's article http://unblinkingeye.com/AAPG/OP/op.html

There is also a good chapter on this in "Coming into Focus"

I think using fixed photographic paper as starting point for oil printing
is a good idea. My prints on this were marginally better than the others

Gord

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Gordon J. Holtslander Dept. of Biology
holtsg@duke.usask.ca 112 Science Place
http://duke.usask.ca/~holtsg University of Saskatchewan
Tel (306) 966-4433 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Fax (306) 966-4461 Canada S7N 5E2
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