test print of billie joe armstrong from today !

And a test print of Laura Jane Grace

I had this idea to try making Black and White gum prints using a single negative but with multiple exposures.   Recently I experimented with using gray toned Rives BFK with a negative and a positive. I printed the negative using black pigment and the positive using white pigment—the gray would provide a neutral ground.  This idea was inspired by old master drawings where charcoal or ink was used on a “non white” surface (often tan) for shadows and white Conté (or similar material) for the highlights. The results were promising as evidenced by the test print below where Black and White pigments were printed with a negative and positive over Van Dyke that was printed with a negative.

I approached the new B&W workflow by eliminating the positive with white pigment and the gray Rives BFK.  Instead I use a single negative that I register on a piece of white Rives BFK with multiple exposures.

Making the Print: Cyanotype

 I use Cyanotype as the first layer to add detail and enhance the D-max.  I do a 20-minute exposure (no greater than step 3 to avoid altering the color balance) before any gum layer is put on.

*I use Winsor Newton Lamp Black for sets 1-3

SET 1: I expose (about 1 min 40 sec) and develop enough to achieve slight tone in step 3.

SET 2:  I then increase the Gum to Sensitizer ratio to 13:11 (for greater contrast) and expose (about 6 min 30 sec) and develop to achieve slight tone in step 8.

SET 3:  I increase the Gum to Sensitizer ratio again to 14:10 and expose (about 1 min 15 sec) and develop the long enough to achieve slight tone in step 3.

Final layer (gouache) Using the same 14:10 ratio and the Cyan negative I do a short exposure (about 30 seconds) with Lamp Black.  Repeat if necessary for greater D-max and greater depth in the print.

untitled

van dyke brown print

Although I liked the shadow density in my last print, I felt it may have been getting too dark and losing some detail.  So, I changed the curve slightly to bring the numbers up in the first four steps. The new output numbers below appear in red below with the new curve to the left.

Here is the result:

I like the depth of shadows, quality of description and overall contrast of the print.

Here's a side by side comparison of the print from the 2011 curve on the left and the new print on the right with the corresponding curves below.

One final test will see if this will be the new 2012 curve:

Input              Output

0——————--21

16——————49

30——————63

44——————71

58——————76

72——————80

86——————83

1.            Start with an image smaller than the media size

2.            Open document with the Channels window open

3.            Image‐Mode‐Multichannel

4.            Automatically the RGB layers become CMY layers

5.            Click on the icon to the right of CHANNELS

6.            Split Channels

7.      Automatically the three CMY layers become three distinct B&W images

8.            Starting with the Yellow layer-Image-Adjustment-Invert

9.            Image-Adjustment-Levels

10.            Auto

11.            Image Adjustment-Curves

12.            Load Preset

13.            Select-All

14.            Edit‐Copy

15.      Edit-Paste (this will create a new layer that you can delete later on)

16.            Select the Background layer-Edit‐Fill

17.            Black-100%

18.            Image‐Canvas size

19.            Canvas size to equal media size-Canvas extension color-Black

20.            Drag YMC step tablet

21.            Position YMC step tablet

22.            Drag four registration marks

23.            Position registration marks

24.            Drag Y step tablet

25.            Position Y step tablet next to the YMC step tablet

26.            File‐Save As‐Yellow

27.            Repeat steps 8‐12with the Magenta layer

28.            Drag Magenta layer

29. Change opacity of the Magenta layer to 50% to see the Yellow layer beneath

30.            Enlarge to see individual pixels

31.            Position Magenta over the Yellow layer

32.            Delete Yellow layer

33.            Change opacity of Magenta layer back to 100%

34.            Drag M step tablet

35.            Position M step tablet next to the Y step tablet

36.            Delete the Y step tablet

37.            Save As-Magenta

38.            Repeat steps 28-36 with the Cyan layer

39.            Save As‐Cyan