Some temperaprint questions - beware! these are dummy, beginners questions

Dear Pete,

I'm asking by the list because apparently there are some others which are
interested with Temperaprint process.

Today I tried to make my first temperaprint on fixed semi-matte photopaper
(will try Yupo after Thursday because the store is closed until then due to
the religious fest of sacrifices). I prepared the egg first, I did beat
thoroughly one whole egg and then filtered it using a very fine trea
strainer. Then, I mixed two parts of egg with one part of saturated
potassium dichromate solution. As I wanted to keep the first try as simple
as possible, I decided to make a monochrome print. My choice of color for
the monochrome print was Winsor-Newton Burnt Umber acrylic (Galeria series
#076, iron oxide pigment); apparently not a good choice!

Question 1: I couldn't manage to get a satisfactory mix of acrylic pigment +
sensitized tempera solution. I poured two (small) spoons of STEM (standard
emulsion mix: 2 parts egg + 1 part saturated solution) into a vessel then a
spoon of acrylic paint, mixed/stirred with a hard bristle brush. Then I
added two more spoons of STEM, mixed/stirred again... Finally, I added the
last two spoons of STEM and stirred again (final emulsion consisting of 1
part pigment + 6 parts STEM). The total time of mixing/stirring was around
10 - 12 minutes but there was still small undissolved particles of pigment
in the emulsion. What can I do to make the pigment dissolve better? Is this
some "operational" error or was is due to my errant mixing method? Or it is
the choice of pigment that caused the error?

After messing with the pigment, I decided to try coating (to see if any
other problems will develop in the later phases of temperaprint)... I used a
foam brush to coat and I got bubbles everywhere! Whatever I did, I couldn't
get rid of the bubbles. I guess the foam brush was overloaded because
everytime I pressed it hard to the substrate - the gelatin side of a fixed
semi-matte RC paper in my case - the brush spurted paint from the sides. If
I weren't pressing the brush then there was thousands of bubbles across
where it passed.

Seeing this, I gave-up my first try and decided to ask questions before
recommence :)

Question 2: What I did wrong with the foam brush?

Question 3: The unsuccessful coating with the foam brush looked very thin to
me. What is the correct method?

a) Recoat several times (say... 3 to 4 times) before exposing or
b) Coat, expose, develop and recoat (again 3 to 4 times for a single color)?

Thanks in advance,
Loris.
Received on Mon Feb 2 16:32:04 2004