clay
01-28-2010, 01:30 PM
I'll bet there would be a market for that. There is just a huge amount of things to both learn and acquire to get into the process.
I agree with you about the roller size issue. Conrad will upsize the roller on request. For the larger presses, you can get a upsized top roller as large as 8-1/2".
There is no doubt that the screen technique is easier to learn and removes a variable that can be hard to pin down. Not to mention the whole debate whether you should put the ground on the plate before the tissue or on the plate after the tissue is attached....
One thing that is also easy to underestimate is the need to develop the technique and skill to consistently ink wipe and print a good plate. If you are doing this in isolation, the calibration process for your positive could be very difficult because you are chasing a moving target.
When I first learned the process, I assumed that the printing part of it would be sort of easy and mechanical. This notion could not be further from the truth. The manner in which you ink and wipe can really make HUGE differences in how your print will look. And that only comes with lots of practice. It is quite eye opening to watch someone who has been doing this for thirty years take a plate you have been struggling with and quickly and efficiently produce a beautiful print.
I've been really toying with the idea of making a photogravure how-to video, selling a kit that includes all the chemicals, and then offer something like a year of proofing on my press to people who buy both.
That way they could spend a whole lot less and try everything at home without having to buy a press or go to a workshop far away from where they live. And they get the benefit of somebody that can guide them and tell them what they are doing wrong. Most photogravure workshops start around $750 and you have to travel to them for a minimum of three days, which could be another $600-$1000 for room and board in the cities where the top photogravurists live.
I wonder how many photographers would be interested in something like that. Is there a way for me to gauge consensus on something like that with the forums' software, anyone has any sugestions?
I saw the prints at Crown Point Press, they are beautiful. The print you link to is nice, but the stunner of the group is this one (http://www.crownpoint.com/prints/2595/day-octapus) The brilliant quality is something I've never seen on a photographic print before, no matter what the technique. It's a tour de force in printmaking.
About the Conrad, it's probable that it will work. The thing is, the smaller the diameter of the roller the least likely you'll be able to get a print. I should clarify. Most presses can exert the pressure. The problem comes pulling the print. It becomes very inconsistent and difficult to do an even print. But of course you would have to try it to be sure. The problem is, unless you know someone who does photogravures, and they let you borrow a plate to test, it becomes a chicken and an egg kind of proposition.
And Clay you're 100% correct about using dustgrain for photogravures. But it's easier and more consistent to learn with the screen. Learning how to lay down and control an aquatint can take just as long as learning to do photogravure! It's an art in itself.
Steven
I agree with you about the roller size issue. Conrad will upsize the roller on request. For the larger presses, you can get a upsized top roller as large as 8-1/2".
There is no doubt that the screen technique is easier to learn and removes a variable that can be hard to pin down. Not to mention the whole debate whether you should put the ground on the plate before the tissue or on the plate after the tissue is attached....
One thing that is also easy to underestimate is the need to develop the technique and skill to consistently ink wipe and print a good plate. If you are doing this in isolation, the calibration process for your positive could be very difficult because you are chasing a moving target.
When I first learned the process, I assumed that the printing part of it would be sort of easy and mechanical. This notion could not be further from the truth. The manner in which you ink and wipe can really make HUGE differences in how your print will look. And that only comes with lots of practice. It is quite eye opening to watch someone who has been doing this for thirty years take a plate you have been struggling with and quickly and efficiently produce a beautiful print.
I've been really toying with the idea of making a photogravure how-to video, selling a kit that includes all the chemicals, and then offer something like a year of proofing on my press to people who buy both.
That way they could spend a whole lot less and try everything at home without having to buy a press or go to a workshop far away from where they live. And they get the benefit of somebody that can guide them and tell them what they are doing wrong. Most photogravure workshops start around $750 and you have to travel to them for a minimum of three days, which could be another $600-$1000 for room and board in the cities where the top photogravurists live.
I wonder how many photographers would be interested in something like that. Is there a way for me to gauge consensus on something like that with the forums' software, anyone has any sugestions?
I saw the prints at Crown Point Press, they are beautiful. The print you link to is nice, but the stunner of the group is this one (http://www.crownpoint.com/prints/2595/day-octapus) The brilliant quality is something I've never seen on a photographic print before, no matter what the technique. It's a tour de force in printmaking.
About the Conrad, it's probable that it will work. The thing is, the smaller the diameter of the roller the least likely you'll be able to get a print. I should clarify. Most presses can exert the pressure. The problem comes pulling the print. It becomes very inconsistent and difficult to do an even print. But of course you would have to try it to be sure. The problem is, unless you know someone who does photogravures, and they let you borrow a plate to test, it becomes a chicken and an egg kind of proposition.
And Clay you're 100% correct about using dustgrain for photogravures. But it's easier and more consistent to learn with the screen. Learning how to lay down and control an aquatint can take just as long as learning to do photogravure! It's an art in itself.
Steven