Fine Art Photography and prints
My first carbon transfer print in five years. 7″ x 10″
Paper: Hahnemuhle Platinum Rag sized with fluid matte medium
10% gelatin, 50g sugar, and 14g “Black Cat” ink
Negative: Pictorico Ultra Premium Colorized HSB 140, 100, 40
Image: 720ppi diffusion dithered
Today I completed a registration punch setup to include permanently mounted hole punches. Can’t wait to try it out on multi-layer carbon transfer printing. Not fancy, but I believe it will work.
I’ve finally finished building a new vacuum frame. It replaces one I built a few years ago which used a commercially available plastic film called Kreen. I ran into too much variability in the UV density of that product and decided I needed to begin using a glass cover over the negative and paper.Here is the new frame with the UV exposure unit behind it. The frame rolls out from under the bulbs for access.
I built this unit over the existing frame using the original 3/4″ plywood as a base. The new frame is 1″ x 3″ select pine and the pieces measure 40″ (front and back) and 30″ sides.
Here, I am pre-drilling holes for mounting the aluminum strips which will hold the Neoprene sheet in place. It was quite a project drilling then countersinking the aluminum every two inches.
I placed a strip of wood behind the back edge as a stop for the 1/4″ plate glass. I decided against fancy hinges and will likely add a strip of Duct Tape as a makeshift hinge.
I decided to add support for the Neoprene which was surprisingly heavy at a span of 40″. The black material was a leftover from the original frame. At this stage I realized I may need future access to the inside of the frame. I did not want to have to remove the Neoprene and weatherstripping, so the metal angle brackets were moved to the outside of the frame.
Here is the sheet of Neoprene (rubber) I purchased from Foamorder.com. It is 3mm thick, and is textured on one side with a nylon mesh on the other side. The textured side will be face up against the glass to allow channels for the air to escape. The pre-cut sizes are large enough for a replacement sheet for use in the future.
After mounting the Neoprene using the aluminum strips to hold it in place, I attached flat, closed-cell foam weatherstripping 3/4″ wide by 1/4″ thick. Unfortunately, this did not allow a vacuum to develop. I then added a small D-tube rubber weatherstripping on top which worked nicely. At the two seams of the D-tube material, I sealed the ends using a fast-setting rubber glue.
Before mounting, I cut a 1/4″ hole in the Neoprene for attaching the vacuum hose.
The hose is attached to the sheet via a automotive tire valve stem. A small piece of leftover Neoprene acts as a guard to protect the glass from the chrome valve stem. The texture of the rubber sheet is very apparent here.
For the needed volume I purchased a vacuum pump rated at 2.5 cfm. I mounted a power strip for easier on/off switch access.
I used the same gauge as my old setup. Here it is pulling over 17 inches of vacuum with the new frame. I have a bleeder valve (not shown here) for fine adjustment of the vacuum.
The image below show the layers. 1. wood base frame 2. Neoprene 3. aluminum strip 4. Foam insulation 5. D-Tube insulation 6. Glass
Finally, here is the new UV meter from Ian Leake (tapered box) which just arrived this week. Behind it is a controllable outlet box which will turn off the bulbs when the correct exposure has been reached.
And the remote sensor placed onto the glass. It is out of the way of the largest print I plan on making at 20″ x 25″ with the paper temporarily bonded to 25″ x 30″ aluminum sheets for accurate multi-layer registration.
As of this writing, the vacuum frame has not been used in making a print, having been completed only this afternoon. But, I did place a sandwich of paper mounted to metal, a negative and a carrier sheet into the frame and fired it up, and there appeared to be solid contact.
Links:
UV Meter: https://ianleake.com/light-counter-system/
Neoprene: https://www.foamorder.com/neoprene/neoprene.html
Low iron glass: http://www.starphireglass.com/
I’m in the process of revisiting tri-color gum bichromate printing and wanted to create a viable pin registration system. Here’s what it looks like with a negative. The paper is mounted onto aluminum using Fusion 4000 dry mount film and a heat press.
A sheet of 0.010″ aluminum flashing from the local hardware store serves as a ridged base to keep the paper from stretching or shrinking during the three-plus hours of water bath development . . .
And a hole punch from the now-defunct “Staples” office supply. I modified the carriage to allow a larger opening on each side. First, I punch holes in the thin aluminum, then into all three carrier sheets simultaneously for proper alignment.
It punches a 9/32″ hole to precisely match the Ternes-Burton pins.
I begin with a 0.007″ Duralar carrier sheet for each of the negatives. The carrier is placed down on the two pins, and a negative is aligned and taped onto the carrier. Then a second carrier is placed on top of these and the second negative is aligned and taped to its carrier. Finally, the second film is removed and the final carrier is placed on top of the first and the third negative is aligned and taped.
Here, all three negatives have been secured to a carrier sheet and are ready for printing. For each color, I install the pins into holes in the aluminum sheet, attach a carrier sheet (with negative) onto the pins and tape the sheet down to the metal. The pins are then removed and the exposure is made.
Does it work? I hope to find out this weekend. This system has been adapted from a video I found by Newman Company on silkscreen printing. Here’s the link:
To satisfy my curiosity, I measured various films used in contact printing of alt-process works. Here is a list of materials I use along with their UV blocking/transmission percentages in descending order. A big surprise was the variation between old and new “Kreen” film used in plate burners (and my homemade setup). I’ll have to watch for this degradation moving forward.
Here is a pin registration board I created today for making large color gum prints. It consists of white marker board from Home Depot, a strip of aluminum epoxied to the lower edge of the board to act as a base guide, and three registration pins taped into place on the left. Note: this is the same piece of board I showed in a post from 2016 when I was working in the gumoil process just re-purposed for color printing. It was a plain, flat board back then used for stretching full sized watercolor papers and measures 24″ x 32″. I can tape the pins anywhere near or far apart depending on the size of the print.
The next image shows what it will look like with a full size sheet (22″ x 30″) of Fabriano Artistico Soft Press. The blue mat board is only there to simulate a thin sheet of 24″ x 36″ aluminum to which the paper will be temporarily bonded using Fusion 4000 dry mount film and a heat press. The aluminum sheet will rest on the 3/4″ x 1/8″ thick aluminum bar at the bottom, and will bump up to the registration pins on the left for consistent placement.
Again, having neither the aluminum sheet nor large separation negatives at the moment, I’ve tried to simulate an added piece of extension film with the registration holes punched into it and taped to the negative.
Here are the registration pins. I ordered two different heights, but all have 9/32″ pins. I am not sure which height I will need, but I suspect the shorter ones will suffice.
For punching the holes in the negative extension sheets, I found a 9/32″ hole punch this morning at Staples for $15.
I removed the center punch to give a larger spread between holes. My plan is to punch two holes; one in the center and the other near the bottom. Then I will slide the outer hole punch up to align with the existing center hole and punch a third hole at the top end of the negative extension sheets. This will give me a 17″ span between top and bottom holes plus one in the center.
Before I can use the punch, I will have to cut a slot in the sides at both ends to allow for the wider film. I’ve marked where the metal will be removed.
The advantage of this configuration is that I don’t need an expensive commercial registration punch AND will not need to punch holes in either the paper or the aluminum. In addition the paper will not stretch or shrink while printing multiple layers while mounted to the metal sheet. One down side will be having to align and tape down the pins for each size print. How well does it work? I will find out in the coming weeks as I complete my initial calibrations for gum printing.
Today I decided to add a layer of Dorlan’s Art Wax to my gum bichromate prints. The wax adds a measurable degree of clarity and depth to the colors which may not show here, but I’ll post it anyway:
In addition, I mixed up my first batch of gum arabic (gum acacia). I tried to duplicate a formula used by Hans de Bruijn in the Netherlands. I got carried away with adding the distilled water and now the solution is a bit thinner than it should be. The Specific Gravity should measure 1.107 or 14 degrees Baume. Instead it calculates to 13 degrees. It’s now on top of the refrigerator where I’ll let some of the water evaporate overnight.
I just finished a week-long workshop learning gum printing with Diana Bloomfield. Here are some of the resulting prints. Most were three layers plus an additional layer to adjust color cast or to boost contrast.
Now it’s on to calibrating for my working environment.
I Finally completed my new UV lights and vacuum frame. It will accommodate a full sheet of watercolor paper with room to spare. It uses 24: F30T8 BL bulbs and six electronic ballasts for the light source. The black skirt is made of felt and blocks stray UV. The bulbs are suspended just 2″ above the vacuum table.
Here’s a peek at the 24 black light bulbs. The end sockets are mounted to a sheet of 3/4″ maple plywood with a layer of galvanized steel in-between as a ground plane for the bulbs. Below the bulbs you can see three computer fans used to cool the bulbs during use.
An electric hour meter will keep track of bulb usage.
And here’s the vacuum table showing the Kreene film partially unrolled. The usable (black) surface measures 27″ x 38″ with an overall size of 35″ x 44″ of maple plywood. The vacuum pump runs on 12 volts and was re-purposed from an old automobile windshield repair kit. It is powered by a 33Ah battery and a smart trickle charger. At the front of the table is a bleeder valve to control the amount of vacuum for various processes. So far I have seen the pump pull a maximum 16 inches of vacuum on this table. The black textured surface was purchased from Lowes hardware and is contact glued to the plywood. Surrounding that is 3/4″ Velcro (self-adhesive, hook side). A hole is drilled near the upper right and lower left corners of the Velcro and brass hose couplers are epoxied into the holes on the bottom of the table. Plastic tubing of 1/4″ i.d. is fitted onto the brass pieces and connected to a “tee.” Then a single tube runs to the vacuum pump.
Resources:
Textured black rubber mat Available at Lowes stores in the kitchen shelving area.
Hour Meter: search Amazon.com for “110v hour meter”
After some testing for optimal color, exposure time, etc. Here is the first print made with a dedicated negative. Bristlecone pine roots.
The neg color was 130-100-60 on the HSB scale.
And here is a screen shot of the Photoshop adjustment curve used to linearize the mid-tones.
There is a lot of work still to be done in fine tuning all of the techniques.
Today I tried printing using another batch of old negatives. I used the last papers poured a week ago. These prints were all made with the 4″ foam roller. While I like the photo-realism of the roller, I will soon be trying brushes to apply the oil-based ink. First, here are the three negatives I used:
And here are the three oil prints done today:
Chess table in Chatuchak Park, Bangkok, Thailand.
The Manger (from Gertrude Kasebier negative – National Archives)
MJ -the original was shot with a point-and-shoot camera under harsh lighting, but this print accentuated the high contrast.
Here’s an attempt at drying a print with a reverse-curl frame. I’m hoping that as the gelatin shrinks, it will pull on the clamps and begin to straighten the thin 11×14 acrylic sheet the image is resting on and not tear away at the edges.
Yesterday, 4/15/16, I mixed up 1-1/2 liters of gelatin in preparation for pouring a dozen sheets of future oil print paper. For my own future reference, here’s the recipe:
120g gelatin (for an 8% mix)
50mL isopropyl alcohol
7.5mL of a 1% chrome alum mix
1.5mL glycerin
Distilled water to make 1.5 liters
Here are some shots of the day:
Three leveled pouring stations made of plywood, plate glass, and galvanized sheet metal.
Freshly poured clear gelatin with 0.035″ magnetic vinyl strips to act as a dam. I use 80mL per sheet and smooth the liquid with a heated stainless steel rod. Each paper is 11″ x 14″
Sheets are hung to dry for two days.
Finally had a chance to ink up a couple of test prints. The first was overexposed but shows some good relief detail in the Bristlecone pine forest. I used an old digital negative made for platinum/palladium.
Next test was an abandoned cabin near Fairplay, Colorado. again, this was made with a digital neg made for Pt/Pd.
Here’s a closeup of the cabin with a ruler to give scale.
The inking was primarily done with a 4-inch foam roller. I then tried modifying local contrast with a 1-inch bromoil brush. I used Graphic Chemical 1496 Black Lithographic ink. The matrix soaked in 70-degree water for one hour before inking. The paper was made a week earlier with an 8% gelatin mix and poured using 0.035″ magnetic strips as a dam. The solution is leveled with a heated stainless steel rod.
Here are some images of my first exposure tests. This is 8% gelatin with 20mL isopropyl alcohol and 5mL of 1% alum. Poured at 0.035″ using magnetic strips as a dam. Gelatin was leveled with a heated 5/8″ rod.
Sensitized with 4% ammonium dichromate 1:1 with isopropyl alcohol (2% total) at 7mL total or 0.125mL/sq in. This amount seemed excessive for only a single coating.
There appears to be good detail at the 15 min exposure, but I will retest tomorrow with a more detailed negative at 12, 14, 16, 18, 20 min.
Exposure times 5-30 minutes:
Here is a closeup of the relief after soaking 30 min in clearing bath:
And here is the same image done in palladium on COT 320 paper using the exact same negative:
I have decided to begin oil printing with Fabriano Artistico Hot Press paper of 300 gsm weight. First, I begin by stretching the paper by soaking it at room temperature for five minutes. I found this large 28″ x 30″ tray at Lowes hardware store. it is intended as an appliance drip pan and was only $28.
After soaking, I fasten the sheet to a stretching frame I built from hardware store materials.
When dry, I add a sizing to the paper by brushing on two coats of Liquitex Fluid Matte Medium diluted 1:1 with distilled water.
The following day, I coated the papers with an 8% solution of gelatin. The mix includes:
80gm gelatin (250 bloom)
20mL isopropyl alcohol
5mL of a 1% solution of chrome alum
distilled water to make 1 liter
I coat the mixture onto the paper as follows:
Soak paper in room temperature water.
Squeegee wet paper onto sheets of pre-leveled plate glass and galvanized sheet metal on top.
Lay a framework of 0.035″ magnetic vinyl strips just inside the edge of the paper.
Pour the gelatin mix, heated to 110F, over the paper and spread with a heated stainless steel rod.
Remove the magnetic strips, squeegee off a 1/2″ strip of gelatin on both short sides, and hang to dry.
This page will document my progress in learning a new method of creating photographic prints: the Rawlins Oil Pigment Process. My intention here is simply to document my successes (and failures) for my own use. However, I hope others will find this page useful.
It all began last month when I was invited to spend the better part of a week working with Richard Sullivan of Bostick-Sullivan.com. We began with some carbon printing, then progressed to rod-coating tests and finally oil printing. I’d heard of the Bromoil process, but I must confess I had never read of Mr. Rawlins or his oil pigment process before that week. In the two weeks since that trip to Santa Fe, I have collected several books on oil processes, watched every YouTube video I could find, and have begun ‘tooling up’ for my own excursion into this most interesting, and creative, turn-of-the-century technique.
In a nut shell, You begin with a sheet of watercolor paper, coat it with a layer of clear gelatin, contact expose it to UV light, soak the paper then brush or roll on a heavy oil-based, pigmented ink. Sounds simple, right? Well, since my approach in learning something new is to usually over-research and over-think the data, It could take a while to before the first successful print.
Here are some links to contemporary masters and workers of the craft. They will include both oil and bromoil techniques because the two result in a similar outcome: a photographic print made with hand-applied pigmented oil inks. I will return to this post and add more links as I find them. Note: each link will open in a new page.
Oil Printing:
Oleotype The process from start to finish.
Frantisek Strouhal Canadian oil printer
The Oil Print Process by Ed Buffaloe
A Method for Making Oil Pigment Prints by Ernest Theisen
Robert Pawlowski Check out his color prints! I really like the Sunflowers.
Bromoil:
Norman Gryspeerdt A Six-part video interview of a true master.
Constance Asseman Making an amazing forest print.
Here is a video from Friday’s “Alternative Processes” exhibition at The Center For Fine Art Photography in Fort Collins, Colorado. My Bristlecone Pine Platinum/Palladium print was included in the event.
On Friday I delivered this Platinum print to the Center for Fine Art Photography. It will hang in an upcoming Alternative Processes exhibit beginning October 3, 2014. The print was created on Japanese Gampi paper and Chine-Collé mounted to Rives BFK printmaking paper. Because the print has the potential to last hundreds of years, I chose to use all archival mounting including museum glass, cotton rag mat and backing, and all acid-free materials in the hinges and back. The print is 10″ x 14″ and matted to 16″ x 20″.
While there I met Rebecca Senf from the Center for Creative Photography. in Tucson, Arizona. She is currently curating an exhibit of platinum prints from their archives and was gracious enough to spend a few minutes examining my print. Her insights and positive feedback were greatly appreciated.
Welcome to my new web page and blog. Here I hope to share my photographic journey along with the trials and tribulations of learning and working with several 19th-Century alternative prinmaking processes.
My current focus has been the Platinum/Palladium process and specifically printing on Japanese Gampi paper. In addition, I use digital negatives exclusively and enjoy the combining of Nineteenth- and Twenty-first Century technologies. My software of choice for creating negatives is Quadtone RIP, but I have also studied with Mark Nelson and learned his Precision Digital Negatives process as well.
I an also interested in Cyanotypes, Photopolymer Gravure, and Carbon Transfer printmaking. A while back I ventured into creating Anthotypes and was “discovered” by Malin Fabbri of Sweden who published several of my images in her latest book “Anthotypes.”
Let the journey begin!
