VDB's and exposure, etc..

Hi,

Where can I buy Crane's Kid finish reasonably? I just cannot seem to be able to find it... Let me know if anyone knows. Thank.

Warmyl,
Tsuyoshi

Phillip,

I have been using Fabriano Aristico - mostly cold press but hot press also. You mentioned sizing, I have not needed to size my papers. You also mention adding gum to the VDB mixture - I haven't heard of that before. I do add a drop or two of Everclear (190 Proof grain alcohol) as it seems to help the paper to absorb the solution.

I also use the 2% citric acid that Joe mentioned.

You mentioned the Richeson 9010 brush. I have one but only use it for Platinum. For VDB I usually use a Hake brush - I got 8 of them on sale for $15. They have a shedding problem at first but when that stops, they are very good for a number of processes. I dedicate a brush to each process to avoid contaminating one process with another. I have also used a glass rod but, for VDB, I prefer a brush.

As for the color after coating, I always double coat and my emulsion is always yellow-green.

I believe that Cranes Kid Finish can be found at a good paper/stationary store.

I've been adding one drop of Dial Hand Sanitizer (alcohol essentially and some sort of thickening agent) and it helps the paper absorb the solution (per Dan's suggestion of the 180proof. Good idea!

Tween 20? So many options! I'm going to try hunting down some Cranes and Fabriano Artistico..

I'm pretty new to printing van dyke brown prints and am really enjoying the process. I'm using Canson Mi-Teintes paper, unsized with good results (good even coat)..

Any tips? I've been reading and reading and aside from adding a bit of gum arabic to the solution prior to coating i'm still feeling a bit in the dark about the whole process.

phillip
keep experimenting. youll find (as I did) that so many things play a big part in how your final prints turns out... how long you wait after coating to make the print, how much solution you use when coating, the method you coat, the paper, all of it plays a big part in it. the article on: http://unblinkingeye.com/Articles/Vandyke/vandyke.html
is very informative and Wynn White did a really good job giving easy starting points for toning processing etc etc.
is there anything specific you have questions about?

What would be some good papers to try next?
Also, a lot of people seem to recommend the Richeson 9010 brush but well..
I'm a bit poor at the moment. Is it really worth it? The foam brushes i'm using at the moment work great with cyanotypes but with vdb and some papers, the brush disintegrates onto the paper. With a dampened foam brush it isn't as bad but it's still aggravating.

Also, as far as sizing goes; Does a starch sizing work better on some papers than gelatine?

After coating the paper, some of the sheets are a dark brown, others a light yellow. Do different papers respond differently to the vdb solution?

Sorry for the vague post and also sorry for the rambling reply to my own post..
That Wynn White article is great and i'm itching to try some gold toner..

White's article is very good and inspirational.

You might also try Crane's Kid Finish stationery as that works well with VDB and cyanotype as well. I like the ecru color toned with Clerc's gold toner the formula for which is given in White's article.

After reading comments made by Sandy King in various venues on the internet the past few years, I've come to use a 2% citric acid clearing bath as the initial bath in order to help eliminate excess iron salts from the print. Using this method, I notice the prints do not shift density as much during processing.

As far as your question regarding color after coating, I suspect the silver nitrate may be reacting with organics in some papers to cause the different colors. Is this a form of fog or are you only referring to the color of the emulsion? My emulsion always remains a yellow-green color after coating on Cranes.

Joe

I've located some Cranes Kid Finish Ecru and so far it is awesome!
I also picked up a $3.00 3/4" flat watercolor brush with a good sharp point and it's a joy to use. I am also fiddling around with glycerine and so far it seems to help keep the sensitizer from soaking in too quickly.

Thank you for all the replies!