> a) do you use different pigment strength for different coatings, what order
> are they in, and how long do you expose them (relative to the exposure for
> the first coating)
All my pigmenst are pre-mixed, so my pigment strength is predictable from
one print to another (or so I hope). Generally, I print a black first, just
to get some tone, and then I work from there depending upon the image. Often
I alternate between warm and cool tones, one keeping the other in check so
to speak. When I'm trying for a pseudo realistic image (i.e. real colour) I
use a brush to take out what I do not want, and to control colour intensity.
Invariably, after I've done with the colour coatings (usually 4-6), I have
to add several blacks just to beef up the shadows. I have yet to get a
really rich black, as my black is quite weak (on purpose) but by finishing
up with several black in a row, I manage to get a good shadow, without
mucking up the highlights. All the exposures tend to be the same, about 2-3
minutes under BL bulbs.
> b) do you know from the beginning you're going to do multiple printing, or do
> you assess whether it is needed after the first printing? What I'm looking
> for is: do you print the first coat as if you were trying to do the print
> in one coat, or do you use different strength/exposure combination
than for
> a single coating?
I've never achieved anything that even remotly looks good with one coating
(am I doing something wrong here?). The fewest # of coating's I've used is
six, and that image is pale. This may be because I use pastel tones and
lower dilutions, I'm not sure. All my gum prints are intended to be multiple
prints from the very begining.
Eric Boutilier-Brown
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
asbrown@ra.isisnet.com
http://www.isisnet.com/empire/ebb