Grand Canyon photogravures (sepia)

Gallery 270 currently has the portfolio, of artist's proofs for these prints, to show to collectors. Contact them to see the work in person (much more detail and an incredible impression in real life)





"Havasu"






"Winter Canyon"






"Campsite Quanta"






"Matkatamiba"






"New Years Day 2011"







"Camp 118.6"



This edition of 10 prints with sepia ink was made on Rives BFK Off White 100% cotton paper.
There is another addition of 10 prints with Thalo Black ink that was printed on Rives BFK White 100% cotton paper.
1 artist's proof and 1 printer's proof for each addition.


http://artandwater.blogspot.com/2010/10/keep-on-paddling.html

http://artandwater.blogspot.com/2011/04/kolb-photo-studio-south-rim-of-grand.html

http://artandwater.blogspot.com/2011/02/grand-canyon-sketchbook-slide-show.html

http://artandwater.blogspot.com/2011/05/how-to-make-plate-with-photopolymer-for.html

Alternative Photography

Has made a web page for me to showcase my completed images, using the polymer photo gravure process.

http://www.alternativephotography.com/gallery/v/scott-barnes/

I am very happy that my work has developed enough to be accepted into this community, and am flattered that they have made a page for me.

from the header on the alternativephotography.com website:
"Historical photographic methods in use today - the art, processes and techniques of alternative photography"

There are too many unique techniques to list on this blog. Please enjoy my work, but you are also encouraged to explore the Alternative Photography website and look at the engaging work by other artists using varied historical photographic techniques.

keep on paddling (updated)

The photopolymer graveur process has become frustrating. I don't know whether I've become more demanding, with a more finely tuned eye for detail, or I'm just hitting some sort of sophomore jinx with a new process. Perhaps some things are not working right this week. I'm encouraged by some of things I've learned while making mistakes, but frustrated that the final result is not right. The photopolymer graveur process is still new to me, but screen printing is not. I've made three attempts at one image with a screen today, with poor results.

I have three options.
1. Should I give up completely?
2. Should I take a long break and come back to the problems later?
3. Should I keep pushing forward, finding a way to turn anger and frustration into determintation?

I am a fan of option #3. It is one that I naturally follow, and a belief that my experience on whitewater (and other outdoor activities) has reinforced. The river will not stop moving. I will make mistakes along the way, but I need to forget them immediately after they happen and keep moving forward.



I'm inspired by some of the students in my studio classes. Their frustrated learning curve is palpable, particularly when I hear them let out a big sigh, drop their shoulders, and look away from their drawing. What has encouraged me so much, lately, is the frequency with which the return to their work, trusting the process of looking/drawing/looking/drawing/etc. Their faith in the process, and belief that they will make progress, moves me forward in my own work, and give me faith that I, too, will make progress.

Beginners mind...
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update (Oct. 15)

made some progress with the photo gravure



solved the contact problem, mostly...
I admit that I was not as clean as I should have been, so the three pieces of dust tented the transparency enough to lighten up the right side, BUT everything else is looking pretty good, so at least the work flow is good now.

downside is that I still can't make a screen for anything....
I've done so many of these that I can't figure out what I am doing wrong.
It will wait for the weekend. I need a break for now.

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update #3:
I have not liked the overall image, and did not trust how much information would be lost with the gravure process, so I decided to do alot of burning and dodging in photoshop. This was all done while clicking the preview filter on and off to predict results.
After a while I decided, since nothing was working perfectly and this was becoming an experimental piece anyway, to push the burn and dodge to extremes, betting on anything above 80% and below 20% blowing out to pure black or white.


My guesses were about half correct. I pushed it a bit too far, and the image is awkward. But, the extreme example is a good way to learn, and I will keep this one for future reference.
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update #4:
This is a good image. Adjustments in Photoshop improved the image. I am learning how the preview curve actually relates to the final product. The transparency/positive was good. The only problem with this plate was a lack of good contact in the lower right corner. I'll clean the glass on the exposure unit and the print frame before plate #5.


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update #5:
This is the final image.
Contact with the frame was good.
I dried the transparency with a hair dryer to make sure it did not contain any moisture.
I had taken the advice of a friend and sprayed the back of my positive/transparency with matte medium to eliminate Newton's Rings. The same person discovered why baby powder was useful in this process. Brush it on the plate, then brush it off. The super thin residual film of talc will create just enough space for gas and water vapor to escape during exposure. Talc is fine enough to not act like dust and create exposure issues. I imagine that using baby powder would make my results even more predictable.



I will edition this plate.
The next step is to figure out which tone paper, and what color ink I will use for the edition.
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Here are the plates in order, for easier comparison.











http://artandwater.blogspot.com/2010/06/photopolymer-graveur-curves-preview-in.html

http://artandwater.blogspot.com/2010/04/solarplate-etching.html

http://artandwater.blogspot.com/2010/04/photo-polymer-gravure.html

http://artandwater.blogspot.com/2010/05/plate-decisions-and-editioning.html

http://artandwater.blogspot.com/2010/05/photopolymer-aquatint-grayscale-test.html

http://artandwater.blogspot.com/2010/05/variety-in-three-editions.html

http://artandwater.blogspot.com/2010/05/better-look.html

plate decisions and editioning

photo (polymer) graveur
digital printout of the composite photo on top
and two choices (two different plates) to help see how it actually prints


Aquatint (polymer)
These 24 prints are the first pass / first color of an edition.
The edition will most likely be 20 or 21, keeping in mind that it will take two or three experiments to get the second color correct.

Solarplate etching

technically, the plates I used are KM photopolymer plates
http://www.takachpress.com/access/tyobo.htm
the solarplate brand is also available from Takach Press
I'll have to try those as well



Encouraged by good results on Monday night, I went back to the exposure unit and made four plates.
The top one is inked with Charbonnel Etching Concentrated Blue. The range in the plate is good. I think I will change the color since this is the first plate to be printed, and with be the background. (probably some kind of green) I also will experiment with a couple of different off-white and ochre papers.



I decided to test the rest of the plates with black, to make sure I would get the saturation I wanted in a color plate. Testing with black ink on white paper makes judging value very easy. And, if the color is not working out later, at least I know its an ink problem and not a plate problem.
This one will be some kind of lighter blue, and fairly transparent.



This is the main image. It will remain black. No matter how subtle I can get the aquatint, I still have a preference for some kind of strong-handed graphic-looking image in the picture.
Technically, this is still an aquatint style plate. That just allows any width line that I want. I am pleasantly surprised by the variety of line I can get, from super delicate, almost disappearing, to very bold.



This last plate is going to be the top layer of ink. It will be a transparent white. (the black part will be white, so you have to image this image in reverse)
Since everything underneath will be a dark or middle value, (and the paper is not white) I'm curious how transparent the white will have to be. Much of the underlying image may already show through with very little transparent base mixed into the white.