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Re: applying images to ceramics

Dear friends,

thank you all for giving me the title  of  an expert in the field of
photoceramics!

I hope I can live up to that !

I have now replied to Rosae off the list in answer to her question, but I
just want to say here, that there are many ways to go and many solutions to
how to apply a photographic image to ceramics.

It all depends on how much one knows and how much one wants to learn. And
many other considerations, like time and money. I wish I had some more of
both and could complete my book on the subject, but ...

I just want to mention for all people on the list, as it may be of interest
to some others, there are companies, where one can order different
ready-mades for application on ceramics.

1. Decals. It is special paper covered with water-soluble glue, on which the
photographic image is applied by some printing process (silkscreen,
lithography, carbon transfer, offset etc.) Dry image is overprinted with
oil-based lacquer, that carries the image over to ceramic surface. One can
easily make own decals at home too or instruct any printing house to do it
for you. The easiest way to do it is by what I call "dusting on" of ceramic
pigments on fresh oil-based transparent printing color-base. I also do sort
of "dusting on" on dichromated gelatin, but that is tricky and demands some
experience. Bob Maxey says he has done dichromated gelatin process  with
glazes mixed into the emulsion. I have had difficulties even with very fine
ceramic powders there. It is because one is exposing from the wrong side and
humidity is a critical factor. It is easier with a carbon transfer though,
if one can bother to make carbon tissue with ceramic pigments. There used to
be commercial companies selling this earlier, but I do not know about any
now. Most grave-yard pictures are made by alternative processes, from carbon
to P/P. Enamel process that Judy mentioned has been originally developed by
a French gentleman named Joubert and is a classical "dusting on" process. It
could have also been a hand-colored collodion transfer, developed by Lafon
de Camarsac in 1860-ies.

2. Cromalin art from Du Pont is a special transfer paper process for
ceramics in four colors, which can be printed directly from a computer, but
it demands a hot-laminating press, which is rather expensive. Look it up on
their web-site.

3. Computer transfers for ceramics from different companies. One has just
been mentioned by someone, they call them "mug transfers". Check also:
http://www.clcdigital.com

I hope it is of interest to some people on this list and can be found in the
lists archives later, when new questions about photoceramics pop up.

Best regards to everybody,

Galina.

  

on 03-04-2001 22:01, Judy Seigel at jseigel@panix.com wrote:

> 
> 
> On Tue, 3 Apr 2001, Sam Wang wrote:
> 
>> 
>> - Galina on this list is probably THE person who can give you the
>> real scoop on the subject. See Judy's article on her in Post Factory
>> Journal, one or two issues back.
>> 
> 
> thanks Sam .. I suspect Galina may be the world's authority on photo on
> ceramic. If anyone within earshot has grant funds -- SHE should write the
> book!
> 
> Post-Factory #5 in an article titled "Galina Manikova, Nordic-Russian
> Goddess," shows among other things her 170 cm long cyanotype on a stone
> slab. (Quick, how long is 170 cm, do you think I know? Just kidding,
> probably life size???)
> 
> There are also her tech notes for photographs on glass or ceramics,
> cyanotype on ceramic, and some formulas.  At the end she says, "other
> methods include dusting on, carbon, silkscreen and photo resist. [However}
> most books I've found are not reliable and not correct."
> 
> I'll add that there's an EXTREMELY interesting-looking show at John
> Stevenson gallery, 338 W 23 ST, NYC until May 15 -- and images can be seen
> at www.johnstevenson-gallery.com. John Yang photographed the "sepulchral
> portraits" from Mount Zion cemetery in Maspeth Queens and printed them in
> pop. These are photographs, "called 'enamels' in their day" (I assume
> carbon prints) fired onto porcelain or metal tablets.  I'm not sure that
> they would be so gorgeous if not aged... but wonderfully wonderful in the
> announcement.
> 
> Judy
> 
> 

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