Re: Gum Tri-Color Yellow

mmatusz@pdq.net wrote:
>
> Katharine,
> After a discussion on yellow pigments a while back, I bought some PY110
> yellow from Daniel Smith. It is a very nice deep yellow, almost orange.
> Very transparent and fascinating pigment. Unfortunately it does not
> ballance well with quinacridine (PV 19) and thalo blue. My experience is
> the same. Very dull dirty browns instead of neutral black. Thalo and
> qiunacridone mix better with PY97, wich is (I think) called hansa yellow
> med at daniel smith. My first attempt with tricolor gum with this
> combination came out pretty good. I think that thalo and quinacridone
> would work even better with more lemon looking yellows. I am testing some.
>
> Marek Matusz
>

Well, it seems a consistent finding so far, there's something about that
combination that doesn't work.

This is exactly why for the first five years or so that I was on this
list, I didn't reveal what pigments I use, because (1) I think learning
gum printing should be an organic, self-generating process rather than a
process that is learned from other people; as I say on my website under
"Can gum printing be taught?" learning from other people only works if
you copy their process exactly in every single smallest detail of
materials, equipment and environment, and it's unlikely that you're
going to be able to do that. (2) Therefore I've never wanted to be in
the position of trying to teach anyone, or tell anyone, how to print gum
and especially, what materials to use. I resented being told when I
came on this list that I was using the wrong materials, even though I
was pleased with the results, and I've never had any desire to dictate
to anyone else what the "right" materials are. (3) Even after I finally
decided that okay, I would share this information because people were
accusing me of being secretive about it, I've always been clear to say
that (a) this is what I use, but I'm not recommending it to anyone else
particularly, and (b) I think my choices are probably eccentric. In fact
I use that very word on my website: "I use rather eccentric pigments for
tricolor; I prefer deeper and more transparent and slightly less
saturated colors than those often recommended for "process" printing. I
use PY110 for yellow, PR175 for "magenta" and ultramarine for "cyan".
And I remember saying, when Tom said he was going to try PY110, that I
was curious whether he would like it, because as I've learned to my
sorrow every time a product that I love and consider indispensable is
discontinued for lack of sales, my taste isn't shared by everyone.

So yes, PY110 is the yellow that I love and use exclusively, but that
doesn't mean I think anyone else will feel the same. So use it at your
peril, and don't blame me if you don't like it.

At the same time, I wouldn't think of using PV19 as a process magenta,
because even in the most magenta-like of the three samples I have, it
has a significantly violet cast. But like I say, each to his own, and
whatever works for you, use it in peace.

Katharine Thayer
Received on Mon Jun 28 11:51:03 2004