New Gum Print Beginning

Along with the testing for platinum/palladium printing I just began, I also have two newly prepared sheets of paper for gum printing. It has been since June when I finished the last gum print, The Swing. I did begin this same print a few months ago, trying out a different sizing routine. I have often wondered if there was a real difference between two coats of 2 1/2% gelatin sizing and one coat of 5% gelatin sizing. Yes, there is. And I don't like it. Didn't like it thirty years ago either.

With fresh printing sheets on hand I got the negative & paper in registration and applied the first coat, using watercolor lamp black. The negative is slightly thinner than I prefer, as the print time is under 10 minutes. With a float time around 2-3 minutes a six minute print time holds to zone 7. That just means more care taken for each layer to get the color up to the textural zone I want to hold, after floating. At this time, theoretically, the print time is round 30-45 seconds per tonal range. Give or take on the float time, and water temperature.

The first coat came out well, floated for over five minutes to bring down the black to where it belonged. The print is titled "Jars in the Window", with two ball jars in a nook near a window, which is open, and the densities outside that window are very much higher than inside. Most of the image of the outside of that window floated off, being the high densities in that area. To connect the two areas I will apply a second coat of lamp black, only to that window area of high density. I will then print that down and float the image only to a textural range of zone 6 & 7, or just slightly below. Then, the two areas will be in normal printing range of each other and the colors will then be added layer at a time, and printed to the tonal range chosen for that color.

When the print dries down I will take a snap and post it for a sample of what that print image might look like. I might even show each print layer as it is applied for further example of how a gum print goes together, layer at a time. What you end up with is a photographic watercolor. Stay tuned.