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2-Colour Gum Over Cyanotype: The Wrapped Yatai

Andrew O'Neill

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A smaller version is sitting in the gallery which I uploaded several weeks ago. This one is a bit larger as it's going in a group show this month. Here is the making of it...

 

mshchem

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Just viewed the video. Excellent work. Beautiful results. Maybe someday I will give it a go. I have so much silver prints to make.

These tri-colour prints are amazing. Great subject too!
 
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Andrew O'Neill

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So far I've made Carbon Transfers, Kallitypes, Cyanotypes, Ferroblends, and Tri-Colour gums with this paper. It works extremely well for a cheap paper (cheap compared to my regulars, Hahnemuhle PR, and Revere Platinum).
 

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Very nice, and thanks so much for sharing. I do some tri color work and it is good to know the canson paper works without PVA sizing. I already use it for "straight" cyanotypes and I know it works fine for that application. Any additional info you would like to share - curious what watercolor pigment/concentrations you are using for the yellow and magenta (red) layers - I find my choice of water color pigment ( there are so many) has a strong impact on the color balance of the final print. Also I assume you are using a curve to adjust your negatives for the three colors - I have a cyano curve I developed for canson WC - do you have any suggestions to curve the other layers. I know people have many different approaches to this .... curious what you are doing. Again thanks for taking the time to make these videos.....
 
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Andrew O'Neill

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@KYsailor I'm using Daniel Smith pigments. Indian Yellow (PY7), and Quinacridone Magenta (PR122). I've been quite happy with them. I can't remember off the top of my head the ratios, but I'll check and report back. I've thought about trying Calvin Grier's pigments, but to darn expensive. Maybe one day...
QTR for the profiles. I use the same curve (generated with Chartthrob) for both Cyanotype layer, and Gum. I know some people use curves for each colour, but this works for me.
 

KYsailor

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Thanks that is helpful - I have CZ Anderson's book on gum printing, while that is a good resource, it is really great learn from other's experiences. I have looked at the Calvin Grier pigments as well. I was at a workshop where I tried a few of them - they are very intense and as I recall, I oversaturated the layer I tried with them.

I now have about 2-3 yellows and magentas each ( and a few blues, but mostly use cyanotype), I try to pick the pigments that seem to go with the overall "look" of the image.... but I still mess up a lot with strange color casts......I need to keep reminding myself this is "art" and not a strict color reproduction - I could do that with my printer..... again thanks for the reply and all the efforts you put into your videos.

Dave
 
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Andrew O'Neill

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@KYsailor sorry for getting back so late... Here are my ratios:

Indian Yellow: .06g/5ml gum
Quinacridone Magenta: .08g/5ml gum
(and if I use blue watercolour) Phthalo Blue (Green): .04g/5ml
(and if I use blue watercolour, I almost always have to put down a black layer) Daniel Smith Lamp Black: .05g/5ml

I prefer to mix up my own gum arabic from scratch. I have a video mixing up some...
 

imgprojts

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In my PVA Chiba experiment I am using fluorescent Yellow for the yellow layer, Fluorescent Magenta for the magenta layer and cyanotype for the cyan layer. One of the interesting advantages(maybe?) is that after I wash the yellow and magenta layers I simply align the UV projected image onto the paper by moving the paper around with a few magnets to hold it in place. There, I then paint the next layer over it in place and wait for it to dry. The PVA material dries very quickly so I am exposing the next layer within 15 minutes. I've been watching the 3 color videos and the dark colors come out more contrast. So I'm experimenting with alignment pins now so I can put cyanotype first then the other layers. The fluorescent mica powders sold on amazon for example, you only need a little bit of to make the image glow brightly in UV.
 

KYsailor

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Thanks so much again - I will keep this in mind - those pigment loadings are a bit higher than I use,maybe I should try higher loadings. I have had problems with the Phtalo Blue being grainy, but that may just be my poor coating technique. The lamp black is an interesting idea - I have read about others using a black layer with the cyan negative to "pull the image together"... I will have to watch your video , I am using premixed gum, but I also have a bag of powder I bought as a back up.

I know Calvin Grier was developing some non-bichromate gum materials - I believe I saw a video of yours, some time ago where you tried them. I have looked at Calvin's site and he seems to have taken them off the market - and said he would reintroduce them - but it has been some time. I would like to give those a try when he re-releases them.

Dave
 

KYsailor

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FYI, Here is a tri color gum I did over a photogravure intaglio print - it was on print making paper which is very porous so I had to PVA the heck out of it - but it seemed to work OK - Cyano, Quin Gold and Scarlet Pyrol. Probably could have used a sienna to make the street a bit more brown.....



 
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Andrew O'Neill

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I would say that that turned out quite well! Speaking of photo gravures, I did heaps of them (monochrome) on zinc and copper plates, back in my university days (80's). I would have continued, but being a poor, starving artist, I could not afford a press.
Yes, I have tried Grier's PMF. I liked it... but too expensive, so I'm sticking with traditional gum.
I recommend making your own gum arabic. At least up here, it's more economical. Cheers!

andy
 
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