CARBON PRINTS
Duration: 3 days
Cost and Terms
Carbon prints have the greatest range of tone and subtlety of gradation of all the traditional or alternative photographic processes.
It is important not only as a means of making prints but also it is vital to the traditional method of making copper plate photogravures.
Ambulatory at Abbey Dore
Carbon Print
A carbon print is made by exposing a 'carbon tissue' sensitised with a dichromate.
The carbon tissue consists of a sheet of carrying paper coated with a gelatine impregnated with pigment which was originally carbon black, hence carbon, but now can be made of other permanent pigments. The Autotype Company have recently ceased to manufacture carbon tissues so the only carbon tissue available are those made by Dick Sullivan at his facility in Santa Fe. We will use the Bostick and Sullivan tissues on workshops at Hands-On Pictures. We recommend that students acquire their own carbon tissue from Bostick and Sullivan before the workshop.
Arrangements can be made to buy the tissue at one time.
On the workshop we will prepare negatives, either digital or film. Which can include the taking of in camera film negatives on a 10 x8 camera such that they are exposed and developed for carbon printing. As with most traditional processes, getting negative right means that you will get the print right.
We will sensitise the tissue, expose it, develop it in warm water and then transfer the image consisting of a delicate gelatine, to its final support. Once this has been done the final print will last as long as the paper on which it is printed.
The time table will be:
Day one: Introduction and making negatives, start preparation of tissue
Day two: Preparation and sensitisation of the tissue for drying overnight.
Day three: Making prints.
The carbon tissue consists of a sheet of carrying paper coated with a gelatine impregnated with pigment which was originally carbon black, hence carbon, but now can be made of other permanent pigments. The Autotype Company have recently ceased to manufacture carbon tissues so the only carbon tissue available are those made by Dick Sullivan at his facility in Santa Fe. We will use the Bostick and Sullivan tissues on workshops at Hands-On Pictures. We recommend that students acquire their own carbon tissue from Bostick and Sullivan before the workshop.
Arrangements can be made to buy the tissue at one time.
On the workshop we will prepare negatives, either digital or film. Which can include the taking of in camera film negatives on a 10 x8 camera such that they are exposed and developed for carbon printing. As with most traditional processes, getting negative right means that you will get the print right.
We will sensitise the tissue, expose it, develop it in warm water and then transfer the image consisting of a delicate gelatine, to its final support. Once this has been done the final print will last as long as the paper on which it is printed.
The time table will be:
Day one: Introduction and making negatives, start preparation of tissue
Day two: Preparation and sensitisation of the tissue for drying overnight.
Day three: Making prints.