"Sunset Avra Valley" ~ Gum Dichromate Print

 This is not the first printing of this image. This is one of those images that must be interpreted before the printing, decisions on colors to use, color layer order and other choices to be made that take the print in a definite direction. I didn't like the direction the other prints were going. Making the command decision to abort a print and start all over, most times is painful, considering the time invested in a gum print. The five days of paper preparations before beginning, then another day for every printed color layer. So, when two weeks have been invested, it's worse than a hang-nail.

The colors I laid on this print were more subtle, until reaching the final two colors of a seven color run. Those final layers left the two primary colors I wanted seen; red(s) and golden light (yellow ochre) for the shaft of light coming through the clouds. it's worth repeating, that I am pretty much color blind to red/green. Thus, finishing a print in red is a bit dicey for me. I can say, if I can see the red on the print, it's red.

Gum dichromate Print ~ Unique

"Sunset Avra Valley" ~ 8"x10"

Avra Valley, Arizona

"Heeber Creeper" ~ Palladium over Kallitype Print

 One of my earlier photographs; circa 1977-78. I had wanted to make this a gum over palladium print, but formatting it to fit to one of the two gum printing formats of 8x10 and 11x14 simply wouldn't cooperate from the original image, which, interestingly enough, was shot on 35mm film. The only effective way to keep the fuller original image, thus if I wanted to print it at all, it had to be 11"17".

This print was prepped in my standard process, making the original image to my liking, concerning the light, converted to "black & white film" [being an RGB image], then on to be image flipped, and negative image before adding the density curve I created, Na2 <curve>, which isn't a radical curve, but a soft one, raising the density range from about Log .6, to Log .8/ Log 1.0. I don't need a lot of density in the digital negatives as they all get printed with my UV printer; 160W [8-tube white black lights] 6-inches from the table top, or about 5" using a printing frame. The standard printing time for this setup is 8-minutes, with toning. If I use the 1% gold/ thiourea toner the time drops to 7-minutes, as tha toner tends to darken the upper tonalities as much as the blacks.

Palladium toned Kallitype

"Heber Creeper" 11"x17"

Heber, Arizona 1977-78

"Grandpa's Chopping Block" ~ Gum over Palladium Print

 This print will likely be the final one in the Grandpa's Cabin series. Each were 11x14 gum ov3r palladium prints, with exception to the original Grandpa's Cabin, which was all gum. This print is a three color gum run over the base palladium print. I used Turquoise, cadmium yellow and quinacridone magenta as the three colors; basically the CYM, with the K being the palladium print.

I have been using the spray dried powder gum Arabic that has become the standard of gum these days, with exception to the pre-mixed gum in the liter. That gum density is 14 balm which is roughly equal to 37% gum solution. I  mix my gum at 50%. I'm noticing that the color layers fall into the paper mor than I like. After eyars of searching, I found raw gum crystals online and purchased a kilo, which I have melted and used. It is much sticker and viscous than the spray powder. The reasons for that are better explained by a chemist. What I can say of it is I am back to the gum I was once  used to. Right after I received this new raw gum I saw another listing for raw bum in the large whole chunks. Even better. I purchased another kilo of that raw gum. I will never need commercial spray dried gum ever again.

Gu over Palladium ~ Unique

"Grandpa's Chopping Block" 11"x14"

"Grandpa's Lantern" ~ Gum over Palladium Print

 I have been making some updates to process, to accommodate changes needed for better image quality. My determination of course, arriving at the ending I had envisioned.  The gum print I am working on now should demonstrate the changes. That's the theory. I've increased the gelatin sizing from 2 1/2% to 3 1/2%, using two sizing dips at 115º-125ºF for one minute, maybe a bit more.

This print is the first 11"x14" gum over print I've made in some time. Life challenges and all. It is another print in the series Grandpa's Cabin. The print is in line of Poor Man's Palladium; palladium toned Kallitype. The palladium print finish becomes the sizing for the paper, and the gum layers lay very nicely on top the palladium surface.

Gum over Palladium Print

"Grandpa's Lantern" 11"x14"

"Arizona Scenic #1" ~ Gum Dichromate Print

 This was a difficult print to make, with th severity of difference between the lower sky, along with the reflection in the mirror smooth water, and the rest of the image There isn't much to say about this printing beyond saying it entails ten print layers, using fourteen color mixes. I am no longer interested in 'making the print look "real", as in what would be seen by the viewer, however that would be seen in full color. My interest is shaping the print image to my version of the scene as I see it artistically. Nothing like the real life version. My primary interest is all about the light in the scene.

Also, in consideration to my choices of colors from the available palate, is that I am pretty much color blind in red/green. When I can "see" red, or green in a print, it's Red. Working with reds and green colors, made up of two or more primary colors printed in shear layers. Subtractive color theory, same as in a watercolor painting. Shear layers of various colors, as "washes". In gum printing a stack of color print layers. One of the controls of gum printing is the application decisions; evenly, over the entire image area, or locally, in a way that doesn't show it was locally applied. That is the tricky part.

I began making gum dichromate prints in 1982, with my early period quite differently from my current period of printing. There was a twenty year period of no printing, just life demands that overtake the best laid plans. Having begun printing again five years ago, give or take, my view of process is now different than in the past. I am not only looking at the process differently, but have had those years to think about that process, with all the variables that control the outcome. Paper, sizing, order of color printed, color choice, color density of mix, application considerations, print time, float time, and water temperature. Each of those alters the outcome in a visual way. Sometimes, in visually striking ways. All of these considerations become almost second nature after time. The thing that shapes those choices is the artistic perspective. Becoming comfortable with the direction being taken, the choices made. The ultimate question being "how do I want this scene, or subject to look in this print". No one else has to like the choices. Only the printer needs to be pleased.

Gum Dichromate Print

"Arizona Scenic #1" 8"x10"

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