Showcase for Your HCWP's

[MurrayMinchin]

Murray,

I did a lot of "tail chasing" with linearity on several alt photo processes. I tried chart throb with limited success, however I took Clay Harmon's photopolymer workshop and started reading his blog. I really didn't want to invest in an expensive densometer, however he recommended a fairly inexpensive device used for paint matching - here a link to his writeup - https://clayharmonblog.com/posts/ColorMuse2-affordable-colorimeter. Although not perfect, it is surprisingly linear which is what is important, and with a simple linear correction it works well. It has helped me linearize both cyanotype, photopolymer and gum ..... as Koracks has pointed out there are many process variables that must be controlled, it is a good way to start for roughly $100 (US). I quickly learned my UV setup had a "hot spot" and needed to be redesigned.... but good luck

Dave

Thanks for the tip...will look into it.

 

[KYsailor]

Thanks!

Salted-paper is a really nice process... my favorite. I love the connection to the very dawn of photos on paper.

From what I have seen (I have no direct experience) tri-color gum has a very steep learning curve. The two folks I've known who used to use the process both recommended taking a workshop in order climb that hill. Good luck!

Thanks for the encouragement, well.... I have taken a Gum workshop, however the process is very "picky" about paper, coating technique and of course color choice and concentration. I think it requires a certain amount of experience which must be gained through trial and error .... although some of my errors are actually pretty interesting. Thanks for your thoughts.

Dave

 

[MurrayMinchin]

Still farting along Argyrotype Road.

Getting closer on threshold high values, but the Kozo I'm using isn't able to resolve the subtlest of details. Pretty much a 'straight print' in that there was only a light burn on the distant mountain and light dodge on the dark trees when making the negative. Photo taken through our front room window.

White vinyl siding to left of roof vent is supposed to be a pure white paper base as reference point for snow to key off of.

Any Kozo recommendations out there? (I'm using a 30 gsm machine made 100% mulberry bark Kozo-ish Wenzhou Chinese paper originally purchased for polymer photogravures, so unsuited for this process...but it's cheap to learn on).

Photo looks crunchier (grain-wise) here than in real life...

 

[AndrewBurns]

Probably the first (and likely last) cyanotype print ever made by tiling multiple exposures together onto the one sheet of paper. I've been trying for a while and this was the best I could do, but the 'busy' image is doing a lot of heavy lifting to hide the imperfections. Still, I kinda like how it turned out so I might frame it and hang it up anyway.

 

[KYsailor]

Probably the first (and likely last) cyanotype print ever made by tiling multiple exposures together onto the one sheet of paper. I've been trying for a while and this was the best I could do, but the 'busy' image is doing a lot of heavy lifting to hide the imperfections. Still, I kinda like how it turned out so I might frame it and hang it up anyway.

Very nice - I can't really detect the tiling, good Dmax and a few whites - what is the overall size? Wish my handwriting were as good as yours - looks extremely professional.

 

[AndrewBurns]

Very nice - I can't really detect the tiling, good Dmax and a few whites - what is the overall size? Wish my handwriting were as good as yours - looks extremely professional.

Thanks! The paper is A3 size, the image itself is about 300x234mm (12x9.6 inches). My cyanotype coating isn't super consistent but that print does have really decent dmax for the process so I'm happy about that. My handwriting is normally absolutely terrible, I had to practice a few times first, go very slowly and carefully and I also drew some construction lines in pencil to help keep things straight and centred (which I then rubbed off later).

 

[t5SQ]

Van Dyke brown toned in selenium, maybe my fourth or fifth attempt at an actual image (though I've printed about a zillion step wedges and charts...)

 

[AndrewBurns]

Coffee toned cyanotypes. The lighting on my camera 'scanning' setup was a bit uneven which makes the brightness and colour temperature of the prints look a little off.

 

[koraks]

Van Dyke

This process gets so little love, which kind of baffles me. It's great fun, accessible and produces beautiful prints!

Coffee toned cyanotypes

I used to have a coffee toned cyano hanging in my previous darkroom, high above the sink area. I loved that print - in hindsight. The staining was pretty bad, which is why it got stuck about a yard from where it was born in the first place. I now sort of regret having binned it when we moved...

 

[AndrewBurns]

Framed these two, really pleased with how they came out. I mounted them to foam board to keep the prints flat which has made a big difference to how finished they look when framed.





Now up in my stairwell gallery

 

[koraks]

Very nice indeed!

 

[KYsailor]

Framed these two, really pleased with how they came out. I mounted them to foam board to keep the prints flat which has made a big difference to how finished they look when framed.





Now up in my stairwell gallery

Excellent cyanotypes, and nice framing. Would you be willing to share the type of paper and the details of the coffee/cyanotype process you used

I have done some toning of standard cyanotypes on arches WC cold press using strong instant espresso and the staining was very bad. However yours look much better.

 

[AndrewBurns]

Excellent cyanotypes, and nice framing. Would you be willing to share the type of paper and the details of the coffee/cyanotype process you used

I have done some toning of standard cyanotypes on arches WC cold press using strong instant espresso and the staining was very bad. However yours look much better.

Cheers.

I first tried bleaching before toning in sodium carbonate, using Magnani Portofino hot-press watercolour paper, but the bleaching made the print look faded and the paper stained horribly.

Then I tried a short toning (30 minutes) without bleaching on the other paper that I use which is a very cheap store-brand hot-press watercolour paper, and that turned out significantly better, with decent dark eggplant blacks and quite acceptable levels of staining. Unfortunately I can't really tell you much about the paper as it is just re-branded by a local art store chain, but it's 230 gsm and almost certainly not pure cotton or anything fancy. Here's a link:

Gordon Harris Wet Strength Cartridge Pad 230gsm 30 Sheets

Pad of 230g Wet Strength Mixed Media Cartridge Paper. Double sided - canvas finish/smooth finish. 30 Sheets Portrait Pad Wet Strength papers are recommended for printing, proofing and wet media techniques. They have the ability to absorb water without deteriorating. Suitable for acrylic, oil...

www.gordonharris.co.nz

I think the paper makes a huge difference to how bad the staining is, and I couldn't tell you what it is about this paper that works, maybe the sizing?

I use 6 tablespoons of cheap instant coffee powder dissolved in 500mL of boiling water, which is then added to 3L of cold water (I had quite a few prints to tone and a large tray). I pre-soaked the prints in water in the hopes that it might prevent the paper absorbing too much of the coffee, and then placed the wet prints face-down in the coffee and let them sit for 30 minutes before removing and washing.

 

[KYsailor]

Cheers.

I first tried bleaching before toning in sodium carbonate, using Magnani Portofino hot-press watercolour paper, but the bleaching made the print look faded and the paper stained horribly.

Then I tried a short toning (30 minutes) without bleaching on the other paper that I use which is a very cheap store-brand hot-press watercolour paper, and that turned out significantly better, with decent dark eggplant blacks and quite acceptable levels of staining. Unfortunately I can't really tell you much about the paper as it is just re-branded by a local art store chain, but it's 230 gsm and almost certainly not pure cotton or anything fancy. Here's a link:

Gordon Harris Wet Strength Cartridge Pad 230gsm 30 Sheets

Pad of 230g Wet Strength Mixed Media Cartridge Paper. Double sided - canvas finish/smooth finish. 30 Sheets Portrait Pad Wet Strength papers are recommended for printing, proofing and wet media techniques. They have the ability to absorb water without deteriorating. Suitable for acrylic, oil...

www.gordonharris.co.nz

I think the paper makes a huge difference to how bad the staining is, and I couldn't tell you what it is about this paper that works, maybe the sizing?

I use 6 tablespoons of cheap instant coffee powder dissolved in 500mL of boiling water, which is then added to 3L of cold water (I had quite a few prints to tone and a large tray). I pre-soaked the prints in water in the hopes that it might prevent the paper absorbing too much of the coffee, and then placed the wet prints face-down in the coffee and let them sit for 30 minutes before removing and washing.

Andrew,

Thanks for the information - I agree the paper choice is important, some of my best cyanotypes were on canson XL recycled - I am pretty sure it is a cellulose paper. Will give some other papers a try and see if I can get similar results. Thanks for the reply

Dave

 

[KYsailor]

not sure if this belongs here - I have been doing some photogravure intaglio prints from my digital images. Using the direct to plate process with a fairy linear curve in QTR. Printed on hahnemuhle durer copperplate with black ink.... was messing around with doing some gum layers over the intaglio prints. Was using some prints that were not "perfect" but had some small flaws/uneven inking etc. Decided rather than using gum layers I would to try just hand paint in some watercolor over the print. Now I have absolutely NO skill in watercolor or painting, but decided to give it a try - I was surprised how it came out - not perfect but not too bad either. Wondering if others have gone down this path - sort of like old silver gelatin B&W prints that were hand colored.......


City Gate in Gerace, Italy - Calabria

 

[koraks]

I like that!

 

[CreationBear]

KYsailor, hope you’re managing the snow! I was wondering if you have your etching press sorted…I keep circling back to the idea of making oil transfer prints, though sneaking a big Conrad into the house might upset our domestic harmony.

 

[KYsailor]

I like that!

Thanks....

 

[fgorga]

not sure if this belongs here - I have been doing some photogravure intaglio prints from my digital images. Using the direct to plate process with a fairy linear curve in QTR. Printed on hahnemuhle durer copperplate with black ink.... was messing around with doing some gum layers over the intaglio prints. Was using some prints that were not "perfect" but had some small flaws/uneven inking etc. Decided rather than using gum layers I would to try just hand paint in some watercolor over the print. Now I have absolutely NO skill in watercolor or painting, but decided to give it a try - I was surprised how it came out - not perfect but not too bad either. Wondering if others have gone down this path - sort of like old silver gelatin B&W prints that were hand colored.......


City Gate in Gerace, Italy - Calabria

View attachment 387145

Very nice!!!

Like you, I have no real skill in painting. However, I have experimented with hand coloring inkjet prints (see: https://porfolio.gorga.org/hand-colored-pigment-prints). I have not tried using an alt process print as the base; something to add to my 'to do' list.

 

[KYsailor]

KYsailor, hope you’re managing the snow! I was wondering if you have your etching press sorted…I keep circling back to the idea of making oil transfer prints, though sneaking a big Conrad into the house might upset our domestic harmony.

Ahh, we survived the snow/freezing rain. I lived for 20 years in Saratoga county in NYS - so I have seen a lot of snow experience ( and still have a snow blower). Regarding the etching press, I belong to a print studio with several presses - it saves my domestic harmony - off to the studio today! Besides I have met some extremely talented people at the studio and it is enjoyable to interact with them. I am not familiar with the oil transfer process - however it sounds interesting.

 

[KYsailor]

Very nice!!!

Like you, I have no real skill in painting. However, I have experimented with hand coloring inkjet prints (see: https://porfolio.gorga.org/hand-colored-pigment-prints). I have not tried using an alt process print as the base; something to add to my 'to do' list.

I looked at your gallery and I really enjoyed the hand colored prints - I should try that as well. as I mentioned I am "experimenting" with doing tri color gum over some of my photogravure prints. The gum over prints will have better alignment due the semi accurate registration of the digital negs on the print, but will lack the sort of dreamy watercolor look. On the subject of using alt photo as a base, I took Diana Bloomfield's gum workshop last fall, and she is an advocate of starting with a cyanotype base layer base layer ( as the cyan layer) and building up from there. I know Bill Schwab also has some videos of doing gum over cyanotype.... lot of interesting options

 

[CreationBear]

Andy O’Neil has a number of YT videos where he’s doing “gum over” cyanotypes as well—they exhibit an interesting split tone effect. Otherwise, I think you have right idea on getting in with a studio group—
I’ve shied away from photogravure and carbon transfer just because of their big footprint. One more question, though: how are you mounting/presenting your images? Is it possible to dry mount a photogravure print?

 

[MattKing]

Andy O’Neil has a number of YT videos where he’s doing “gum over” cyanotypes as well—they exhibit an interesting split tone effect. Otherwise, I think you have right idea on getting in with a studio group—
I’ve shied away from photogravure and carbon transfer just because of their big footprint. One more question, though: how are you mounting/presenting your images? Is it possible to dry mount a photogravure print?

That would be @Andrew O'Neill

 

[KYsailor]

Andy O’Neil has a number of YT videos where he’s doing “gum over” cyanotypes as well—they exhibit an interesting split tone effect. Otherwise, I think you have right idea on getting in with a studio group—
I’ve shied away from photogravure and carbon transfer just because of their big footprint. One more question, though: how are you mounting/presenting your images? Is it possible to dry mount a photogravure print?

Due to the cost of the plates I generally make plates that are approx 8X10 and sometimes cut them in half. The watercolor image was a half plate. After I dry them, I press them ( between two pieces of thick MDF with a couple of kettlebells on top) and they come out nicely flattened. I do not have a dry mount press. I usually mat them with linen hinges and put them in a frame.

The intaglio printing paper is interesting, it is dampened to print and the paper is "soft" to allow it to deform into the depressions in the plate to absorb the ink. It feels much different than the water color paper I use for other alt processes. I would think it could be dry mounted. If you use traditional oil based ink I have read that it actually takes a couple of weeks to fully dry. I would wait until then to dry mount them.

 

[koraks]

If you use traditional oil based ink I have read that it actually takes a couple of weeks to fully dry.

Indeed. I would avoid heating those prints. The oily solvent may still stain. They do dry out virtually completely at some point.