Mixing gloop for carbon transfer

Curt · Sep 14, 2010

The person who picked Glop for the term to describe carbon pigment/gelatin must have been having a bad day.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glop

Definition of GLOP

1: a thick semiliquid substance (as food) that is usually unattractive in appearance
2: tasteless or worthless material

glop·py\ˈglä-pē\ adjective

Examples of GLOP

I remember the glop they used to feed us for school lunch.
<the restaurant served glop that brought back unpleasant memories of my high school cafeteria>

Origin of GLOP
origin unknown

First Known Use: circa 1944

For me it's like this:

1: mine is a very attractive.
2: mine tastes like, well, sugar and jello, that's J- E- L- L- O- when you sing it.
Worthless? Come on, it fantastic and the results are getting better all the time.

Vaughn · Sep 14, 2010

Curt said:
The person who picked Glop for the term to describe carbon pigment/gelatin must have been having a bad day.

For me it's like this:

1: mine is a very attractive.
2: mine tastes like, well, sugar and jello, that's J- E- L- L- O- when you sing it.
Worthless? Come on, it fantastic and the results are getting better all the time.

There are most likely several, if not many, sources for "Glop", with me included. I remember getting tired of typing in (on the old Carbon List) "pigmented gelatin" all the time. "Glop" seemed approbiate to me. Back deep in the archives will probably be a short discussion on the word somewhere.

Even though I have called them my Jello Prints for years, somehow, the deep thick blackness that they start as inspires "Glop" more than attractive tastiness. But the results....definitely more filling and great taste.

Curt · Sep 15, 2010

So it's less filling and has great taste, sounds like a food commercial. How about Midnight Infinity? Or just "MI"

If I wasn't indentured here and going on a journey out west I would have more time to make carbon prints. There just isn't enough time to do it all, I've had to proportion everything which is too bad, I need to cut back and get closer to center. :w00t:

It should be about time to start planing for Newport!

lxdude · Sep 15, 2010

Vaughn said:
Even though I have called them my Jello Prints for years, somehow, the deep thick blackness that they start as inspires "Glop" more than attractive tastiness.

Mmmm...licorice Jello!

lxdude · Sep 15, 2010

I figure it's onomatopoeia for the sound it makes being poured out.

I guess it's onomatopoetic license, then.

Jim Graves · Sep 15, 2010

Vaughn said:
There are most likely several, if not many, sources for "Glop", with me included.

Actually Vaughn ... your the first one I heard it credited to ... several years ago at my first workshop in the Bay Area ... from quite a few years before that.

Vaughn · Sep 15, 2010

lxdude said:
I guess it's onomatopoetic license, then.

Sounds like that might be the case.

I like Glop -- that is why I use a pouring method that I use my fingers to spread it around. Fun stuff!

What was the original question?

sanking · Sep 15, 2010

If you go to the following page at the Bostick and Sullivan web site you will find a linke to Home Grown Carbon Tissue, by Robert Nugent. http://www.bostick-sullivan.com/techart.php

In this article you will find the use of the term glop to describe a pigmented gelatin solution. I am certain that this is the first time I recall the word being used in print, either in published literature or on any of the forums. I am not certain how long this article has been up but I believe it dates from 2003-2005.

I notice that the word glop is not used in my manual on carbon printing, which was published in 2003, but I do use glop in the article I have at unblinkingeye.com (http://unblinkingeye.com//Articles/Carbon/carbon.html), which went up several years later.

Based on the above I am fairly certain that my use of the term began only after reading Mr. Nugent's article.

Sandy King

Photo Engineer · Sep 15, 2010

Sandy, you used GLOP personally and in e-mails. So, as a purist , I will respect this term.

Hehehehe.

PE

Jim Fitzgerald · Sep 15, 2010

Okay, remember this that " I love the smell of acetone in the morning, it means carbon printing". For those of us that use acetone to sensitize there is nothing nicer than that smell. GLOP is good and good glop is great and I agree with Sandy, one must pay their dues but the rewards are awesome!!

Jim

Vaughn · Sep 16, 2010

We should give Robert the blame, I mean credit then, for the term Glop!

paul_c5x4 · Sep 16, 2010

I came across some articles last night from Bostick & Sullivan on www.carbonprinting.com - It answered some of the other questions I had in mind to ask (like what support to use for the tissue).

Thanks to the suggestions & comments here, I went out and purchased a couple of tubes of water colour paints from the local art shop. If I get the chance, I'll mix a small batch of GLOP (I still prefer "gloop") over the weekend and experiment.

Jim Fitzgerald · Sep 16, 2010

Paul, try fixed out x-ray film for tissue support or any film that is about 1" larger all around. It is reusable and works great for me.

Jim

sanking · Sep 16, 2010

I prefer Yupo for the base for carbon tissue. Yupo is a synthetic polypropylene paper that can be purchased in many sizes and weights, and it can be re-used many times if you clean it off after use. I prefer it to clear plastic supports because before I made the tissue I write notes on the back of the tissue indicating date, formula, etc.

Sandy King

sanking · Sep 16, 2010

My favorite pigment is the Black Cat Ink from Dick Blick. It gives a drop dead beautiful brownish black color that is my favorite carbon look. Look around and you will find many really good carbon printers using the Black Cat. Speedball from Dick Blick is also nice, but just a bit more gloss.

I did not coin the use of the word glop, and I did not invent the coating rod, but I believe I may be the first person to champion the use of Black Cat for making carbon tissue!!

Over the past several days I made some comparison prints with tissue made with Black Cat and Sumi ink, and even when Dmax and contrast were adjsuted the prints made with Black Cat just had a glow and beauty that the Sumi inks prints lacked.

Course, as I suggested on the Yahoo carbon forum, this may be one of the reasons I never liked silver gelatin printing and switched to alternative work.

Sandy King

Jim Fitzgerald · Sep 16, 2010

Sandy, I agree that the Black Cat is the "cat's Meow" for a great image tone. I use it as my base. You suggested this ink and I love the tone. I also add my own ink to change it up just a bit but still keep the warmth.

Jim

sanking · Sep 17, 2010

Jim Fitzgerald said:
Sandy, I agree that the Black Cat is the "cat's Meow" for a great image tone. I use it as my base. You suggested this ink and I love the tone. I also add my own ink to change it up just a bit but still keep the warmth.

Jim

Jim,

I do a huge amount of experimenting with different inks and combinations, as you might have guessed. Just received today a number of different inks that I plan to try out in the next weeks and months. Never know the magic that is on the other side of the fence.

BTW, I encourage everyone to experiment with different surfaces. Fixed out photo papers are great for many images, but some of my carbon prints work much better on sized art papers, and even with the art papers there are many different looks that work best. And then there are metal surfaces such as aluminium and metal composite that will give you a totally different look.

But you are doing great work. I love the print you sent me and anybody out there on the west coast is fortunate to have you to do workshops. And Vaughn of course, who also does great carbon work.

Sandy

Dinesh · Sep 17, 2010

I just had the privilege of seeing Sandy's carbon prints in person at Elevator Gallery and they truly sublime.

Jim Fitzgerald · Sep 17, 2010

sanking said:
Jim,

I do a huge amount of experimenting with different inks and combinations, as you might have guessed. Just received today a number of different inks that I plan to try out in the next weeks and months. Never know the magic that is on the other side of the fence.

BTW, I encourage everyone to experiment with different surfaces. Fixed out photo papers are great for many images, but some of mine work much better on sized art papers, and even with the art papers there are many different looks that work best. And then there are metal surfaces such as aluminium and metal composite that will give you a totally different look.

But you are doing great work. I love the print you sent me and anybody out there on the west coast is fortunate to have you to do workshops. And Vaughn of course, who also does great carbon work.

Sandy

Sandy, thanks for the kind comments. I owe a lot to you and Vaughn for helping me with my carbon knowledge and inspiration.

I think that once you master the mechanics of the process and dedicate yourself to carbon printing and pay your dues you see the benefits. I love finding pigments and combination's that give an image just the right look. The options of having papers to add to the mix is a great benefit also. It is nice to know that through or workshops we can inspire a handful of photographers that are looking for the process that is "them". This is why I only print carbon transfer now... the process is me. So thanks again.

jim

sanking · Sep 17, 2010

Photo Engineer said:
Sandy, you used GLOP personally and in e-mails. So, as a purist , I will respect this term.

Hehehehe.

PE

Ron,

Thanks very much. And the respect comes from someone who probably knows GLOP even better than me!!! I can not imagine how much of this stuff you must have dealt with in your career at Kodak!!

Best,

Sandy

paul_c5x4 · Sep 21, 2010

Stuff like Black Cat inks, Yupo paper, and even litho masking tape are virtually unobtainable in these parts. Eventually found a traditional printer that had a reel of tape I could blag, but Yupo and Black Cat get blank looks.

If fixed out RC paper doesn't work as a tissue support, I have some OHP film that I can try next.

Jim Fitzgerald · Sep 21, 2010

paul_c5x4 said:
Stuff like Black Cat inks, Yupo paper, and even litho masking tape are virtually unobtainable in these parts. Eventually found a traditional printer that had a reel of tape I could blag, but Yupo and Black Cat get blank looks.

If fixed out RC paper doesn't work as a tissue support, I have some OHP film that I can try next.

Paul, you can use old film as tissue support. I know Vaughn does and I use fixed out x-ray film as a tissue support. See if you can find any paint colorants. I also use paint tints with my inks. Raw umber, burnt umber, lamp black etc are generally available at real paint stores here.

Jim

Nikola Dulgiarov · Sep 21, 2010

paul_c5x4 said:
Stuff like Black Cat inks, Yupo paper, and even litho masking tape are virtually unobtainable in these parts...

If it's hard in England, try in Bulgaria
The only dry pigments I found are sold in kilogram quantities and so far I've used just tempera gouache, with moderate success( for a moderately bad printer, that is )
Along my plunge into carbon printing and the alternative processes, I've gotten countless "What??!?"s and vapid looks in all the hardware stores in my town and the region.

Loris Medici · Sep 21, 2010

Nikola, don't you have india ink there? I know there are very successful Bulgarian caricaturists, the ink they use should work... I use technical pen (Rapidograph) ink (Rotring brand, specifically) myself; it's cheap enough when purchased in bulk (USD 30 per 250ml, enough for 20-25 liters of glop!)... Look for technical pen ink in the stationary stores.

Regards,
Loris.

paul_c5x4 · Sep 21, 2010

Jim Fitzgerald said:
Paul, you can use old film as tissue support. I know Vaughn does and I use fixed out x-ray film as a tissue support. See if you can find any paint colorants. I also use paint tints with my inks. Raw umber, burnt umber, lamp black etc are generally available at real paint stores here.

Jim

I had made a note of your comment about using old film, but the only size I have is 5x4. X-ray film, whilst a good idea, would mean sourcing yet more stuff - If I ever come across any, I'll snap it up straight away. In the meantime, if anyone is looking for thymol, I found bee keepers use it for varroa mite control (and it is reasonably cheap).

Mixing gloop for carbon transfer

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