Re: Gum Tri-Color Yellow

Katharine said, large snip:
>I agree
> that a change of pigment is probably a better solution than adding more
> of the light pigment. Trying to make a light or weak pigment dark or
> strong by adding more of it reminds me of the story about the guy who
> owned a small factory and was losing money on every item he made; his
> solution to the problem: "heck, I'll just increase sales and make it up
> in volume." Of course if you're using too little pigment to start with
<snip>

Tom,
     Of course, this is the assumption I am making, that you're not using
enough pigment, or I wouldn't have suggested it.
     I would go ahead and double your pigment; what do you have to lose
except one piece of paper? I'd certainly try it before running out and
buying more pigment. That way you find out real quick if it is your
practice or the pigment that is the problem.
     I use nickel titanate and cad yellow and another one I can't remember
the name aureolin or gamboge, but a permanent one), all usually M. Graham or
Daniel Smith and sometimes W+N (using up old supply). I always start with
the same mix, regardless, knowing that if I use the nickel titanate I get a
more muted yellow brown than with cadmium. I keep stocks of all on hand.
Yellow ochre, too.
     To give you an idea of how much of any yellow I use:
a 14ml tube squirted into a 50ml bottle of gum stock.
2 tsp of this mix + 2 tsp gum + 3 tsp water +1 tsp saturated am di (which
coats about 8 or so 8x10's).
     On top of the cyanotype layer when exposed the color I get is a pea
soupy green.
     The other reason I suggested an increase of pigment is because of your
complaint that you had undefined steps...I find my yellow steps don't appear
as defined as the other pigments in general, due to the paleness of yellow,
but nevertheless, if you want contrast to increase, add more pigment.
     The other thing about yellow that is hard, is that you can be deceived
into thinking you have a lot of pigment in the mix by the yellow of the
dichromate. With magenta and blue, it just makes you think your color is
more red-orange or green-blue, respectively, than normal, not that it is
more saturated.
Chris
Received on Fri Jun 4 06:12:54 2004