I would think sulfite works like an alkali - as in bleaching, although more gently than sodium carbonate etc. Sodium/potassium oxalate, citrate etc actually dissolve ferric ferrocyanide so that fading is irreversible.
:Niranjan.
I would think sulfite works like an alkali - as in bleaching, although more gently than sodium carbonate etc. Sodium/potassium oxalate, citrate etc actually dissolve ferric ferrocyanide so that fading is irreversible.Learn something new every day! I knew about potassium oxalate but I didn't know about this. Thanks, something new to try sometime!
+1…The balcony print is revelatory for me…I”ve always associated cyanotypes with Pictorialism, but this one almost feels like a photogravure.
Otherwise, much appreciation for Andrew’s work as well—very curious how he will frame these…I’m assuming a float mount on a mat board that is “colder” than the image/paper?
this balcony image as a photogravure
Comments appreciated.
I am working on an edition of twelve cyanotypes for a group portfolio... one print from each of twelve people; each contributor receives a copy of the complete folio.
In working on this project, I am trying to decide if I want to include the untoned cyanotype of the image I have chosen (which I like well enough) or whether to tone the prints. Toward this end, I have done some testing with the results shown below.
The prints were toned with the indicated materials using the method described by Annette Golaz (see: https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781003093169/cyanotype-toning-annette-golaz).
Comments appreciated. Thanks.
View attachment 394867
Nice Andrew. You can bleach cyanotypes with sulfite if you want to make them lighter.
You guys have me jonesing to make some alt prints but sadly my printer took a bow last year. I really need to fix it or replace it. Just have to get around to it.
Andrew, these are all absolute beautiful.
Really nice work - I was so inspired, yesterday I took a few of my (less than perfect) cyano's and decided to do some toning - had some tannic acid powder - made up a 10% solution and tried brush toning..... direct toning did not seem to much of anything, so I bleached (washing soda) them a bit and retoned and got some results ( see below ) I have come to the conclusion it's all about the paper. The Arches Aquarelle WC stained pretty badly - won't eve show the results. The flowers are on Canson Bristol XL - I think I left them in the bleach too long - the print looks grainy now. The balcony image was on Sumi-e and really stained badly as you can see. While I did get some backs the midtones have that purplish cast, which I do not care for... will have to give that Fluid 300 HP a try....but thanks for getting me started on toning cyano's again - with the right paper and toning agent the results can be really wonderful as you have shown.
Dave
+1…The balcony print is revelatory for me…I”ve always associated cyanotypes with Pictorialism, but this one almost feels like a photogravure.
Otherwise, much appreciation for Andrew’s work as well—very curious how he will frame these…I’m assuming a float mount on a mat board that is “colder” than the image/paper?
I am working on an edition of twelve cyanotypes for a group portfolio... one print from each of twelve people; each contributor receives a copy of the complete folio.
In working on this project, I am trying to decide if I want to include the untoned cyanotype of the image I have chosen (which I like well enough) or whether to tone the prints. Toward this end, I have done some testing with the results shown below.
The prints were toned with the indicated materials using the method described by Annette Golaz (see: https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781003093169/cyanotype-toning-annette-golaz).
Comments appreciated. Thanks.
View attachment 394867
Thanks Niranjan, that makes sense. A mild alkali "bleach" rather than an actual "reducer". I've wondered if a very weak potassium oxalate solution might add "pop" like farmer's reducer can for a silver print. Maybe make highlights brighter, and potentially help with the common problem in toning cyanotypes that there seems to be prussian white or something else in all highlight areas, and not just paper + small amounts of PB... that often turns pink or otherwise fails to stay white through the toning process.... another thing on a long list of things to try!
My choice would be the Wattle version, because of the shadows.
In that case I will put off buying potassium oxalate. Probably could be applied selectively with a paintbrush....Yeah, I worked on this possibility once upon a time. The problem was, as I recall, unlike Farmer's which attacks the lighter parts first leaving the denser relatively less touched, potassium oxalate also reduced the Dmax while it lightened up the highlight areas. So the "pop" was not as impressive. Print just lost density everywhere more or less - like proportional reducers.
:Niranjan.
Gorgeous! That scene works so incredibly well in this process. Very well done.
I agree it's a lovely scene in each of the tonings you've shown, but I remain partial to what you're achieving with the Sumac. Also in this case. For me, that one is really a leap ahead of the pack.
@koraks and @Raghu KuvempunagarFrank, all prints look great to me. If I were to pick only one, I would vote for Sumac with Wattle being a close second.
My choice would be the Wattle version, because of the shadows.
I like the wattle version - the best blacks are in the Sumac, however I do not care for the slight purplish tinge ( at least on my monitor) the wattle blacks are almost as good I find the overall tint most pleasing.
Yeah I've been avoiding bleaching these prints because I don't like the loss of shadow density I seem to get.
Nice, as people have mentioned I like how sharp the balcony print is. People don't tend to associate cyanotype with fine details in prints but there's no reason you can't get that with an appropriate starting image and a good smooth paper.
Have you ever experimented with either combining toning agents or multiple toning sessions? I'd be interested to see what wattle and sumac toning together looks like, the combination of the two might result in a more neutral tone overall.
Thanks for the comment.Interesting. I had the same thought! I like the color too.
I think that @koraks is one the same page (pardon the pun) as me on this subject.
Regarding bleaching/toning... you don't say what you have used as a bleach. Most folks use sodium carbonate (washing soda) which is probably the strongest (most alkaline) choice.
By switching to a weaker base you will get different effects both in terms of the density and the color. Other choices of base include ammonia and bicarbonate. See this post for some examples: https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/on-the-toning-of-cyanotypes.175185/
Most recently, following Annette Golaz' method, I have been using calcium carbonate (chalk) in the same solution as the toning agent. Thus 'bleaching' and toning occur simultaneously.
Calcium carbonate is quite insoluble in water and thus this limits how high the pH can go, so the pH is much lower that when using sodium carbonate.
I hope that I am not offending anyone by repeatedly mentions Golaz' toning method but it is really a new and different from the traditional methods of toning cyanotypes. It is, in my humble opinion, well worth considering if you like cyanotypes.
Printed some new photogravures over the weekend - using a new three part QTR profile Clay Harmon has developed with Richard Boutwell (B&W Mastery) it seems to work pretty well. I photographed these with my phone and downsized - seem to have some artifacts in the jpgs but overall I really like them.
As an aside to Andrew - I just had some fluid HP delivered today - going to make another pass at toned cyano's - I really liked yourresults, hopefully using this paper/process will help.
Dave
View attachment 395486View attachment 395487
Printed some new photogravures over the weekend
Very beautiful; I particularly like the hue in the cyan/blue-toned seascape.
Very nice, do you have any more information about your process? I think I'd like to try photo/photopolymer gravure sometime but there seems to be 100 different ways to do the process and I know nothing about it...
I've been waiting for 2 weeks for more paper now, had to order it from the UK because it's out of stock everywhere in NZ (in the sizes I want at least).
Thanks, I have started to mix some other colors in with the black ink, in this case a prussian blue, and I like the results.
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?