"Lady in Light" ~ Gum over Palladium Print

I have filled the portfolio case with thirteen palladium prints of the  Civil War Reenactments, and now working with gum over palladium printing. One of the images I have been holding for just this time is the first gum print I have begun working with a technique I have long desired to try out. Until now, I haven't had the right image to try out this technique. What I was after, was adding brush strokes of color, applying layer over layer of each color brush strokes, different colors, creating something akin to Impressionism.

Turns out, the densities of this image were stark, with at least a five-stop difference between the subject's face in the shade of the hat, and the background, which was pretty much off the charts. Once I was several color layers into the printing, getting the subject printed in correctly, I began on the background. Turns  out, the densities were so high, I abandoned printing them in my UV printer, instead, placed the print frame on a stand and faced it into the sun. The print time was 10-minutes. Facing the sun. Even then, the brush strokes of color didn't hold their original shape, but reduces mostly in the edges, leaving much softer points of color.

I've decided to keep the print, for now. May flatten the image and re-print again. The exercise of this technique has just begun, with expected changes and variations upon the theme are to come. Which points to a very important factor when making gum prints. There are no real boundaries, no 'correct' way of printing, beyond, the practical process guide. That is, the basic procedure needed for a workable gum, things like pre-shrinking the paper, sizing when needed, [and their are various ways and levels of doing that], mixing the colors [dry/wet, how much, % solution of gum used,  negative setup [contrast and density range], printing time and water temperature among some of the procedural steps. Water temperature is a primary part of the printing procedure. It' can be a big deal.

This print has twelve print layers using that many print mixtures, some combinations. There is a downside to making many print layers, especially when the contrast is high. Each new print layer of color, darkens the image, even slightly, with the most affect of darkening being in in Zone 1 thru Zone 3, mostly in blacks, then darker areas of shadows, as those areas absorb/hold the pigment the most, and are fully printed in, so no color reduction, at all. Eventually, when they become 'too dark', tiny cracks begin to form, and those areas feel a bit 'crusty, dry'. Care must be taken when possible, when coating.

Something I have to deal with has to do with my being nearly color blind to red/green, leaves me printing theoretically. Using subtractive color theory, I know how colors are 'supposed' to work when overlapped, using shear mixtures. There seem to be 'empty spaces' in areas that likely have a red layer or shade therein.

Gum over Palladium Print

"Lady in Light" ~ 8"x10"