Multiple Layer Gum Printing

[ced]

I like the contrast and only if the child's face was okay it would be very nice indeed.
Looking forward to the sized version if & when you have a result. Have you already used the "K" before starting the gum?
If not how about putting a black in via contact first (i.e. contact print) from a "K" digital neg then sizing and the rest to follow?

 

[sly]

I believe his K layer was the silver gelatin print. Interesting idea.

 

[Bob Carnie]

Please ignore the poor quality of the print as this was more of an experiment. I was just registering negatives by eye and taking little care with coating and washing so it ain't pretty.

This is three colors of gum (CMY) coated onto a silver gelatin print on Ilford Multigrade Art 300 (K layer). The original source was an iPhone image, I printed the color separation negatives on transparencies at Staples.

I couldn't find any information online that someone had tried this combination so I figured I would give it a go. The yellow layer went on somewhat blotchy and to a lesser extent so did the magenta. The final cyan layer coated quite nicely, which leads me to believe that if I sized the paper on top of the silver gelatin image I could get quite good results. Will keep playing around.

View attachment 189862

DUDE- You are on your way, really really nice.

 

[adelorenzo]

Yes in my early attempts at doing CMYK printing I found getting a good black layer difficult with gum. I was playing with cyanotypes for a base layer and then I started thinking about the Ilford paper since it is coated on a cotton rag base. I think its definitely promising for color printing but I really want to try doing single negative black and whites with gum over.

I believe the paper will coat really nicely when sized. It coated decently without sizing.

The other consideration is paper shrinkage. Hopefully its not a big issue as preshrinking would need to happen under safelight.

 

[Bob Carnie]

Your registration issues will go away with pre shrinking , you will need to be careful put the paper to dry in some kind of cabinate in the safelight but this would be the cats ass.. So you are doing gum over Silver which is very cool, I do gum over Palladium when I want a good black image base.
Silver paper is notorious for shrinkage in larger sizes so you need this work around.

 

[Latif Crowder]

where can I buy bulk chemicals in Canada. I've been buying from the U.S but some chemicals they won't ship. Thanks

 

[Bob Carnie]

Nymoc in Toronto sells bulk chemicals

 

[adelorenzo]

What chemicals do you need? I buy mine from different sources but if I know what you are looking for I can offer better suggestions.

 

[Latif Crowder]

Hi Bob, Just talking with them and they are now out of the business. They sold everything to a company, I think they are in Toronto, called CIVA. The number he gave me was 647 715 9890.
The guy at Nymoc said he had not spoken with you for a while so you may not know of change

 

[Latif Crowder]

What chemicals do you need? I buy mine from different sources but if I know what you are looking for I can offer better suggestions.

I got tripped up on Sodium Sulphide, was told coming out of the us it was dangerous goods so they could not ship.

 

[Bob Carnie]

No I did not know this fact... thanks for posting the new number ..

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

Hi Bob, Just talking with them and they are now out of the business. They sold everything to a company, I think they are in Toronto, called CIVA. The number he gave me was 647 715 9890.
The guy at Nymoc said he had not spoken with you for a while so you may not know of change

Thanks for that! I had no idea! I wonder if they have an email address....

 

[Latif Crowder]

Thanks for that! I had no idea! I wonder if they have an email address....

yes just got it
sales@sivachem.com

 

[Bob Carnie]

Just phoned, very friendly and helpful

 

[Bob Carnie]

Observation... so I just tried Fabrinio Artistico as a first coating for Gum, and my normal balance of pigment , gum and ADichromate washed off the paper much faster than any other paper I have worked with...

 

[Bob Carnie]

For all you alt workers go to the thread about Symposium and I can help navigate possible gallery showing in a wonderful exhibit planned for Toronto Contact Photo Festival.

 

[Bob Carnie]

Just added my new plate burner and set them together, really excited to balance in the new machine.

 

[Bob Carnie]

I would like some feedback on this type of image, I am working on a new series and would like to hear negative and positive comments.. I have a thick skin.

 

[jim10219]

View attachment 192918 I would like some feedback on this type of image, I am working on a new series and would like to hear negative and positive comments.. I have a thick skin.

Overall, it's quite nice. The faded edges to the objects within the hard borders bother me a bit. It feels a bit claustrophobic and unfinished to me because of that. I think if there was more depth within the photo, or the border wasn't so defined, it wouldn't have bothered me so much, because fade might have suggested an infinite space. But with the shallow background, fairly uncluttered composition, and a hard border around the edge, it feels as though as only a small area within the normal frame of view is being withheld, which makes it feel unfinished to me. It's especially jarring in the wire mesh object in the background of the right side, which leaves a large portion on the right bare and unbalanced. I think the left side works better, because the fade out isn't so drastic and abrupt. It can be made to work if it feels more deliberate, like how Francis Bacon did with his screaming Popes or in Frank Eugene's "Adam and Eve". That's my only real complaint.

The textures are great! I think gum was an excellent choice as gum's natural texture really compliments the texture of the subjects you chose! I love the subtle use of color as well! Initially it feels rather duo chromatic, black with a splash of yellow, but the yellow invites you to dig deeper revealing the blue and soft red. It gives it a nice depth that encourage you to explore the picture on a micro scale, further enhancing the textures. The composition, especially on the left side, is really nice to! There's good overall balance of light and dark with plenty of negative space. And I don't know if it was intentional, but I really like the clips on the top and bottom of the far right side border. They're fun little geometric shapes that are just waiting to be found and inspire you to seek out more colors and textures beyond the picture itself! They feel like tiny ambassadors between the picture itself and the real world!

 

[Bob Carnie]

Thank you Jim.. I should point out that when I actually show this I am getting the matt to cover the border crap, but I do keep the clips in as I like them as well.
I kept the borders in to get opinions on this aspect. personally I do not like seeing the brushstrokes or rebate, whereas many like them so I left them in for conversation.
Bob

 

[adelorenzo]

The colors are amazing. Even on the screen they make me feel like the image has texture and the look is almost 3 dimensional. I have no idea what I'm looking at which also really grabs my interest as a viewer. Especially those twisted metal bits or whatever they are.

When I cover up one side or the other of the image I really don't find that it works as well, I really like the way they are paired. But I find the line down the middle jarring. I would like to see how these look presented with a two-window matt that covers that line up.

 

[MattKing]

I see two strong images - side by side.
Have you tried that?

 

[Bob Carnie]

the idea on this series is that the lighting , the object positioning is in the exact same spot for each separate exposure, All I did was move the position of the camera, refocus and expose. I was using a old jury rigged passport camera designed to take to images on a single film for clients.. I used the lens caps for covering each side, I like the way the split up the middle comes off as it is really retro first year college photo merge...
In this series I do have singular images when the piece of metal is strong enough to hold by itself , the duo image is for sure the way I want to go with this.


thanks for the tips you all.

 

[Bob Carnie]

this whole series is based on recycled or used materials, food, dresses, bikes , cameras , in this case aluminum, which gets reused time and time again,and we take for granted. With the metal I tried to create fantasy images, this particular one reminds me of Hobbit dragon Smaug. Or something out of Harry Potter.

 

[ced]

I would install some more plate burners and keep them running if it is that cold in your lab

PS love the dragons and yes get rid of the gap in the middle and surrounds, maybe faded (vignette)