Re: What are the advantages of using Cyanotype as the first layer for tri-color gum prints? Paper Problems...

Dear Christina,
Thank you so much for your insights, I do have some
more questions:
How hot do you make the water for pre soak the paper?
Why do you use 2A: 1B?
What is the difference between fabriano artisitico and
Fabriano artistico extra white?
My exposures are super long... 25-30 minutes under
UVBL.
The bulbs are about 4 inches away from the print. I
got them at topbulb.com. Is it possible that there is
something wrong with my bulbs? My negs are not very
dense. They are suitable for gum prints.
thanks,
Carmen

--- "Christina Z. Anderson" <zphoto@montana.net>
wrote:

> Lotsa questions, lotsa answers, Carmen,
>
> For one, you never need to use very hot water for
> your presoak or any stage.
>
> Two, I am surprised that Fabriano Artistico 140 lb
> is fragile in water in
> the 22x30 size ?? I make close to that size of
> paper--15x21 size gums, but
> I have to cut my paper to fit my contact frame which
> is 17x21--and I never
> have problems.
>
> Two, the benefit of the cyanotype underlayer is
> sharpness and ease of
> registration. It's like all your detail of the
> image is anchored in that
> layer, and then the rest falls into place.
>
> Three, I use traditional cyanotype 2A:1B on Fabriano
> AEW and I will tell you
> for sure it is an unsuitable paper for cyanotype,
> but since you are not just
> doing cyanotype it doesn't matter. You just have to
> approximate the cyan
> layer of a tricolor negative, so your initial layer
> won't look complete. I
> would not use that paper if I were to do just
> cyanotype, but FAEW is my
> paper of choice for gum. I use the hot press. The
> soft and cold are really
> easy to coat, though.
>
> The dark spots (oh my, should I call them speckles?)
> sound like uneven
> sizing or uneven soaking in of the cyanotype layer.
> When I have encountered
> that, I have used Tween 20 in my cyanotype mix. 1
> or 2 drops per 10 ml of
> mixed solution.
>
> I think the other answers of not enough exposure are
> right on. Unless your
> sizing is too heavy underneath your cyanotype?
> Even on unsuitable paper,
> you'll get a full image, it'll just be blah and
> grey-blue, like the image on
> the right on Darryl Baird's website:
> http://www.darrylbaird.com/ALT/GUM
>
> On Fabriano AEW, by the time I get to exposing my
> image I would have to say
> that my layer is pretty blue/green, too, but it
> doesn't wash off. I am
> exposing 6 minutes under UVBL.
> Chris
>
> Dear List:
>
> What are the advantages of using Cyanotype as the
> first layer for tri-color gum prints? And, which
> paper
> is good to use with the cyano-gum process?
> I am asking because I bought many sheets of 300 LB
> Fabriano Artistic and Arches Aquarelle paper, and
> the
> paper did not work for cyanotype. The cyonotype
> emulsion turned blue-green when dried had blue spots
> and after exposing, the emulsion would wash off
> almost
> completely, leaving a very faint print with blue
> spots. Judy suggested trying acidifying the paper. I
> did not have any acid except white distilled
> vinegar,
> which I used, mixed 1:1 with distilled water, and
> that
> seemed to resolve the problem (thanks Judy!). I did
> test the paper with a gum print using thalo blue
> watercolor and it cleared fine on pre-shrunk,
> un-sized
> paper. I am using 300 lb paper because I am making
> very large gum prints and the lighter paper was
> falling apart when soaked in very hot water. Maybe
> there is a lighter weight paper that is cheaper than
> the 300 lb and will work well for 22x30" gum prints?
>
> Thank you for sharing your expertise.
> Carmen
>
>
>
>
>
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Received on Sun Sep 18 20:04:33 2005