Vandyke issues

SMBooth · Dec 28, 2011

Over the Christmas period Ive been having a go at doing some Vandyke images, and I seem to have a problem. The problem is I'm getting a large amount of grey in the final image including some of the edge where the paper (Arches Aquarelle) was coated but got full exposure to the sun. Could this be a coating issue, i put on 2 coats using a foam bush dried between coats with a hairdryer. The exposure time seem very short too, less than a minute in the Australian sun.

Vandyke issue009

tony lockerbie · Dec 28, 2011

I tried a couple a few months ago, and my problem seemed to be mainly a coating issue, I just couldn't get it even. The emulsion just seemed to be soaking into the paper too much, maybe I need to size it. The colour wasn't a problem, just the streaking and uneven density. I used a glass rod and then tried a Hake brush, which I preferred.
Your problem may be down to the water, or fixing....what fixer are you using?
Tony

cliveh · Dec 28, 2011

Please tell me your Van Dyke chemical formulation and I maybe able to help.

Hexavalent · Dec 28, 2011

Try only one coat of sensitizer, or two coats diluted to 75%.

It looks like an excess of sensitizer from what I can see, which would explain the very short exposure, and muddy tones.

SMBooth · Dec 28, 2011

Ok thanks, the formula is the standard 9/1.5/3.8 found online using green Ferric Ammonium Citrate. I thought after posting it might of been fogging. The fix was very dilute plain hypo, next time I'll mix a batch to 5% solution to be on the safe side. Might go get me a Hake brush at the arts store before trying again.

cliveh · Dec 28, 2011

can you please explain this in detail with process steps?

SMBooth · Dec 28, 2011

Clive.
Mix is as per Wynn Whites notes, mixed with distilled water. http://www.alternativephotography.com/wp/processes/kallitypes/vandyke-notes
2 coats applied in dimish room with drying time under film box between coats. Paper: Arches Aquarelle 300gsm
Sensitizer applied with foam bush, i never measured out the senistizer just poured some into plastic container used and pour what was left back into bottle. Next time I will measure out 2ml per 8x10
Film and paper in contact frame under sunlight.
Wash in water, funny that nothing seem to wash out
Fix in dilute plain hypo.
Wash in water
Dry

cliveh · Dec 29, 2011

SMBooth said:
Clive.
Mix is as per Wynn Whites notes, mixed with distilled water. http://www.alternativephotography.com/wp/processes/kallitypes/vandyke-notes
2 coats applied in dimish room with drying time under film box between coats. Paper: Arches Aquarelle 300gsm
Sensitizer applied with foam bush, i never measured out the senistizer just poured some into plastic container used and pour what was left back into bottle. Next time I will measure out 2ml per 8x10
Film and paper in contact frame under sunlight.
Wash in water, funny that nothing seem to wash out
Fix in dilute plain hypo.
Wash in water
Dry

OK, I think I can help. After exposure in sunlight and before the first wash in continuous running water, get a tray/sink with plug in plug hole and add water (enough to cover the print/s, the quantity of water is of course dependent on the size of your prints, lets say about 4 litres). Add to this about two tablespoons of Borax powder and stir until dissolved. Then add print/s and agitate/stir for about 5 minutes (you will now observe a wash out). Then wash in running water for about 10 minutes before fix.

SMBooth · Dec 29, 2011

Update, spend the day playing, problem was indeed to much sensitiser. I brought a Hake brush to apply, still having application problems, but that seem to be my technique and perhaps oily fingers as the paper has spotty marks all over it.

SMBooth · Dec 29, 2011

cliveh said:
OK, I think I can help. After exposure in sunlight and before the first wash in continuous running water, get a tray/sink with plug in plug hole and add water (enough to cover the print/s, the quantity of water is of course dependent on the size of your prints, lets say about 4 litres). Add to this about two tablespoons of Borax powder and stir until dissolved. Then add print/s and agitate/stir for about 5 minutes (you will now observe a wash out). Then wash in running water for about 10 minutes before fix.

Thanks,
What the Borax do?

Hexavalent · Dec 29, 2011

SMBooth said:
Update, spend the day playing, problem was indeed to much sensitiser. I brought a Hake brush to apply, still having application problems, but that seem to be my technique and perhaps oily fingers as the paper has spotty marks all over it.

One of the papers I use for alt-process seems to have a light coating of dust (perhaps talc), likely from the finishing/packaging process. This surface dust (or whatever it is) reveals handling marks (even gloved hands) only on the final print -- very frustrating! I've discovered that a very gentle wipe with a barely damp cloth/sponge and few minutes to dry before coating makes a huge difference.

Hexavalent · Dec 29, 2011

cliveh said:
...Add to this about two tablespoons of Borax powder and stir until dissolved. Then add print/s and agitate/stir for about 5 minutes (you will now observe a wash out). Then wash in running water for about 10 minutes before fix.

The following reducer works very well with VDB:
[TD="class: nowrap"]Potassium Ferricyanide [/TD]

.25 gm
Potassium Bromide	.2 gm
Hypo	5 gm
Water to make	1000 ml

It works well to clear highlights and salvage moderately overexposed prints.

It is a bit risky to treat most iron-based processes in an alkaline environment unless one is sure that ALL the iron salts have been washed out. If they remain, it is only a matter of time before fading and mottling appear. A pinch of citric acid or EDTA hastens the removal of the unwanted salts before fixing.

cliveh · Dec 29, 2011

Hexavalent said:
The following reducer works very well with VDB:
[TD="class: nowrap"]Potassium Ferricyanide [/TD]

.25 gm

Potassium Bromide .2 gm

Hypo 5 gm

Water to make 1000 ml

It works well to clear highlights and salvage moderately overexposed prints.

It is a bit risky to treat most iron-based processes in an alkaline environment unless one is sure that ALL the iron salts have been washed out. If they remain, it is only a matter of time before fading and mottling appear. A pinch of citric acid or EDTA hastens the removal of the unwanted salts before fixing.

Hexalent, just to clarify your post, are you advocating this formula as a replacement to borax dissolved in water at this stage in the process, i.e. before washing and fixation? If so are you also advocating same regardless of oxalic or tartric in original formulation?

Hexavalent · Dec 29, 2011

cliveh said:
Hexalent, just to clarify your post, are you advocating this formula as a replacement to borax dissolved in water at this stage in the process, i.e. before washing and fixation? If so are you also advocating same regardless of oxalic or tartric in original formulation?

I use the 'bleach' after 'normal' processing (wash out the excess salts, fix, wash). A dry print can be soaked in water briefly and then bleached if so desired. As there can be considerable dry-down with VDB, I find it easier to determine if a print requires bleaching when it has been fully processed and dry.

A pinch of citric acid in the first wash, regardless of the oxalic/tartaric content of the sensitizer should do no harm; it's purpose is to aid the removal (chelate) of unwanted iron salts that can form insoluble compounds (particularly in alkaline water). I see the citric acid as being cheap insurance

cliveh · Dec 29, 2011

Hexalent, I understand your point, but have you ever tried Borax as a substitute at that 1st stage in the process?

Loris Medici · Dec 29, 2011

cliveh, what's the point of borax? Borax solutions are alkaline, and by using borax before getting rid of the excess iron in the print (that takes place at the first couple of rinses in pH neutral or very slightly acidic water), you guarantee formation of iron hydroxide in the paper, which is definitely detrimental to both the image and the paper. In the context of iron-silver processes, any alkaline treatment before rinse / toning and fixing should be avoided at all costs...

SMBooth · Dec 29, 2011

Appreciate your help guys, the spot look like water droplets, so I will give your idea a go Hexalent. I have seen the reducer formula but was going to leave it until I got the basics worked out. I'll give the borax and citrus a go as like I said earlier nothing seem to wash out of the paper it the first wash maybe this will help. Again thanks to you both.

cliveh · Dec 29, 2011

Loris Medici said:
cliveh, what's the point of borax? Borax solutions are alkaline, and by using borax before getting rid of the excess iron in the print (that takes place at the first couple of rinses in pH neutral or very slightly acidic water), you guarantee formation of iron hydroxide in the paper, which is definitely detrimental to both the image and the paper. In the context of iron-silver processes, any alkaline treatment before rinse / toning and fixing should be avoided at all costs...

I beg to differ.

Loris Medici · Dec 29, 2011

Shane, stay away of borax if you want your prints to last... BTW, citric acid pre-treatment (very little is enough) is what I do too - but that may not be the solution of your particular problem, it's good-practice nevertheless. (I add few drops of 40% citric acid solution into the coating solution too, makes most papers work better. N.B. I add it to the coating solution, not the stock sensitizer solution.)

Regards,
Loris.

Loris Medici · Dec 29, 2011

cliveh, be my guest if you want to differ. In any case, I have to suggest that you do some reading about the chemistry / conservation of iron-silver processes / prints (and paper conservation too...)

Regards,
Loris.

Hexavalent · Dec 29, 2011

cliveh said:
Hexalent, I understand your point, but have you ever tried Borax as a substitute at that 1st stage in the process?

No I haven't tried it. Chemically speaking, it doesn't make good sense to me (though it's not unlikely that I'm wrong )

Hexavalent · Dec 29, 2011

..

SMBooth said:
Appreciate your help guys, the spot look like water droplets, so I will give your idea a go Hexalent. I have seen the reducer formula but was going to leave it until I got the basics worked out. I'll give the borax and citrus a go as like I said earlier nothing seem to wash out of the paper it the first wash maybe this will help...

Ah! The evil water droplet strikes again! A drop on the paper will indeed affect a coating; sometimes causing more sensitizer to sink in, or the complete opposite. I had a (bad) habit of giving my coating brush a good shake before coating, sending droplets flying - and I wondered why I was seeing little spots on my prints.

Some folks add "Tween" or Photo-flo to their sensitizer to facilitate even coating on stubborn papers.

If you look closely, you will likely observe a faint cloudiness in the first wash water; the silver nitrate combines with chlorine in the water producing a insoluble silver chloride (assuming your water is chlorinated). Although there are no spectacular indications that unwanted salts are being removed, be assured that they are!

Good luck, and enjoy your prints. VDB is a beautiful process.

Vandyke issues

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