On Sat, 29 Nov 2003, Sandy King wrote:
>
> You wrote above, "to use dry dichromate and then add water seems
> rather inefficient." I know that you do not suffer from reading
> incomprehension so I have to assume you have not read Sam's article?
Now ask me if I *intend* to read Sam's article... if I didn't know that I
don't want to measure dry dichromate for each print, the details you
mention today set my hair on fire... (tho OK, if someone sent me the
article I'd read it, but you know I only do websites in extremis, and if
possible to avoid even then, do.)
And now you say dry *gum*? A royal pain IMO. I can't deny that Sam makes
beautiful prints, but every premise you present is just exactly what *I*
don't want and against my entire way of printing -- not to mention wiping
out some of the marvelous flexibility of gum printing, making it just
about like --- oh! no! -- CARBON !!
For instance, aside from the business about starting with dry gum, causing
more measuring and mixing, stirring and waiting, there's the fact that I
DON'T WANT TO MAKE EVERY COAT EXACTLY THE SAME. Did I say I don't want to
make every coat exactly the same? The beauty, in fact, the MIRACLE of gum
is that I can -- and do -- put in just exactly the kind of coat I need, or
think I need, or imagine, or decide to try, each one often as not SUPPOSED
to be different...
This is not to say I don't screw up a lot, far more I daresay than Sam,
but inbetween I find new effects & magical things happen. There are also
choices of very pale slight coats that are merely touches or veils...&
very contrasty coats that will just affect the shadows... & so forth & so
on.
Meanwhile....
> Sam's article makes it perfectly clear that you first add water to
> the dry gum, and after it is well mixed the resulting solution
> becomes the stock coating solution to which no more water is added.
> To make a coating solution you take a small amount of the stock gum
> solution and then you add pigment, and *finally*, and just before
> coating, you add the small bit of dichromate.
>
> There are two big advantages to working this way, from my
> perspective. One advantage is that by adding the pigment with the gum
> solution before adding the dichromate you get a very precise idea of
> what the final color will really look like. As anyone who has worked
> with gum knows, once the dichromate is in the mix colors are very
> distorted. Another advantage is that the percent solution of gum in
Sandy, I know that you do not suffer from reading incomprehension so I
have to assume you have not read MY article about gum printing in
Post-Factory #1. One of the first points I make is that you mix the gum
and the pigment first, before adding the dichromate, exactly so you can
brush some out to check the color (but also because it's easier to
integrate a paint worm into the gum which is more viscous than the
dichromate solution). I also point out how important it is to mix the
pigment in thoroughly with a soft little round brush, so you don't get raw
bits of pure paint... among other lore, hints, reasons, observations,
principles, facts, experience and suggestions.
> the coating solution will always be the same. This assures that your
> coating solution will have the same consistency and speed
> characteristics so the only variable is the type and amount of
> pigment.
As noted previously, I find that a lot of the magic of gum is improvising
during printing and development... if all the coating solutions are the
same, you lose some of your tools & range... and I myself would probably
lose interest. Although the image is very important to me, I cannot
separate it from what they call in artspeak "the facture" -- the making
of the print, its constitution, as an essential part of its life, meaning,
message, story, power, whatever you want to call it. And "always the same"
is not part of that equation -- for me. Heaven forfend !
> It is probably true, as you say, that gums can have many different
> speeds. That is also true with gelatins. All the more reason to
> understand your materials.
>
> And who cares anything about the gum standard? Sam has made a point
> of the fact that this is his way of working and if it does not suit
> others then so be it.
What gum standard are you talking about? I didn't know there was one...
But I agree about one's way of working being a personal privilege --
within reason. I do know however that over the years I have had or heard
about students and colleagues who were VERY sensitive to dichromate
(everyone is somewhat sensitive) and one of them couldn't go into the room
where dichromate was used. I could not in good conscience increase the
exposure to dry dichromate -- and certainly not for myself.
Clearly Sam leads a charmed life in many respects, but... guilty as
I feel about leading the young and impressionable into use of this
material, as I understand the matter, dry dichromate used that way
presents a greater risk.
But, PS. If identicality is your goal, there is STILL no reason you can't
get identical coats by measuring the gum and the dichromate solution (as I
do when I want to match a particular color, for instance). And that
dichromate solution can be as weak as you please.
Judy
Received on Sun Nov 30 01:53:04 2003
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