Re: gum printing

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From: Christina Z. Anderson (zphoto@montana.net)
Date: 02/24/03-07:48:38 PM Z


Dave, Katherine, and now 17 others I have counted!
     Dave, what amount of powdered pigment do you use in your gum? I see
most measures have 1/2-6g of tube paint per 12 ml of gum arabic; since the
powder doesn't have fillers, you must use way less, huh? I have a bunch of
powdered pigments and then tons of watercolors, so I thought I'd try both.
Also have some nice powdered golds that were an absolute bust when used in
liquid emulsion--probably will be in gum, too.
     Quinacridones are not weak, they are seriously strong, which is why I
like them--the corals and siennas are gorgeous. I'm lucky in that I have
all the paints anyway so I could try all kinds. This is what I found: if
you want a brilliant chartreuse, use Daniel Smith green gold. With more
exposure, the more chartreusey it gets. I got the most garish but fun Pisa
with the green gold base and quinacridone violet on top--pretty trippy, not
for the faint of heart. Successful 2 coats for me were quinacridone sienna
and q. violet on top, q burnt orange and payne's grey, among others. Then
D. Smith has a real 50's blue/green called cobalt teal blue, and I would use
that with moonglow on top. But moonglow would bleed all the time, so I must
not have exposed it enough.
     I just got done reading thru Livick's book, and only have 3 more to
research thru--Farber, James, and Crawford, til I'm done the reading part of
my research and onto the testing part (so far have condensed it into 11pp).
I am quite excited. I've come across such wonderful notes, such as Heidi's
starch size, the discussion a while back of chromium vs. dichromate stain,
and Katherine, I'm glad you cleared up the sulfuric acid point. I've got
some paper sized with brush on alum as per Sandy King, spray starch as per
Hirsch (I heard it yellows) and cannot believe that Livick actually brushes
his sizing on, too. That'd save a heck of a lot of time.
     I also notice Livick uses a 1% pot metabi clear, because it doesn't
soften the gum like sod bisulfite, which is what you, Katherine, said a
while back. I am also really interested that Livick feels you should be
getting a perfectly deep print in two coats or you aren't mixing your
ratios/exposing correctly. We were taught more or less that the more coats
on the better. I suppose both are opposites and there is a happy medium. I
will also try Judy's one coat delicious gum with unsized Buxton...
     More, later.
chris

> Greetings from Big Wonderful Wyoming,
> Most of the pigments I use are bought in powder form. Carbon Black from
> Photographers Formulary is a favorite. Ivory or Bone Black is weaker and
> warmer, but works well. I use the earth pigments a lot, Umbers and
Siennas,
> Indian Red, etc... They're an excellent choice for any gum printer.
> Quinacridone is beautiful but weak, as you've noted. Cadmium reds and
> yellows are effective but tend to be more opaque. Phthalocyanine blue and
> green are excellent - great covering power and intense color. I've also
had
> great results with Cobalt blue (cobalt aluminate). I've never used white.


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