MG WT Semi-matte for bromoil?

[Dave Morrow]

Hello,

I have some Ilford FB Warmtone semi-matte and was thining about trying bromoil for the first time. I was going to order some black ink and tanning/bleach chemicals. I've heard that people have used MG FB matte, but would warmtone semi-matte be suitable? :confused:

Thanks,

Dave.

 

[don sigl]

My bet is that it will work OK. Its the matte surface that matters. I have used all kinds of papers for bromoil. Once you figure out the time/temperature soaking time for the paper, you can start producing results.
If this is your first pass at bromoil, I would suggest that you try a bromoil paper first. These papers are not super coated, and are usually easier to work with. David Lewis makes an excellent paper, which can be had on his website:http://www.bromoil.com
There are several other papers available as well. bostick & Sullivan, etc.
BTW, the finest modern paper I have used for Bromoil was the Agfa multi matte surface. This paper had a really beautiful pebbled like matte surface that was capable of renduring wonderful detail using bromoil techniques. Too bad its gone now.

 

[terri]

I agree with Don, the Agfa MC 118 was the best. I still have some in the freezer and will use it till it's gone, but I like experimenting with other papers, too.

If you want to learn on the best, you can still pick up the Agfa at Freestyle, I believe. Once you get the hang of bromoil basics, trying other papers may not seem as painful.

Good luck! Bromoil is addictive.

 

[Dave Morrow]

Thanks for the replies. I ended up getting the Fotospeed Bromoil Kit which has 10 sheets of 8x10 bromoil paper. I guess I'll cut it down to 20 8x5's to practice on.

 

[don sigl]

Thanks for the replies. I ended up getting the Fotospeed Bromoil Kit which has 10 sheets of 8x10 bromoil paper. I guess I'll cut it down to 20 8x5's to practice on.

You might want to start with a few 4x5s. The larger image sizes are definitley harder to create. I usually work with 5x7 sizes. The larger the image, the more difficult it is to keep the layer of ink even (Especially if you have any large areas with very even tone). The print will start drying out before you can get a complete coat on it.
I would also suggest that you start with images that have a lot of varying tonal areas. Tree foliage, for instance will probably be easier to ink than a blank grey sky.
Also, start with the stiffest ink you can get. The more the ink is let down, the more precise control is needed.(brushwork/temp control). The best stiff ink I have found is the product made by David Lewis. I've tried a lot of fine inks, but David's inks are much stiffer than anything else I've seen, and are the easiest to control for people starting out.
Just some suggestions.

Have fun. its a really beautiful process.