casein

Greetings casein printers--

I've been making some initial tests for casein printing, but run into a
problem I haven't seen mentioned -- it does what they say, give a longer
scale than gum -- but the highlights are either totally broken up, or not
there at all... the tones end abruptly at what would be about 70%.

I generally run about a dozen 21-steps at a time, a given mix with
different papers.... and of all these just ONE had perfect beautiful top
tones... it was on a strip of gelatin sized lanaquarelle... and showed 10
separated steps in all.

That was an odd strip of the Lanaquarelle I had around... I don't have
another (or not a sized one) to see if it repeats. I'm wondering now if
that was just an accident of the way the hand applied the coat on that
strip, or if there is that big a differential between papers for
highlights.

I find, by the way, that the top tones tend to be better, although quite
coarse, on unsized paper, for instance, Rives BFK. But the same paper
sized, removes the top two or so steps, and the remaining top step looks
shredded.

Has anyone seen this? any advice? the thought occurs to me that I'm using
too much pigment, but I don't see any benefit to the medium otherwise. The
tests with less pigment didn't show steps, rather a ramp... and no
higlights either.

TIA,

Judy
Received on Wed Feb 18 00:19:34 2004