My girlfriend has just made her first tonings of cyanotypes, made with a "tea" of oak tree bark - and it works really well! No need to go buy that tanning acid!
Fun, and easy to do. And it works quick too...
I wonder how walnut or willow would do... off to experiment!
Very interesting, Emil. Just by coincidence, last time I stopped at the vintners' supply shop, they didn't have any tannic acid, but they gave me a teabag of oak.
I'll have to try it out.
Tom, on Point Pelee, Canada
Ansel Adams had the Zone System... I'm working on the points system. First I points it here, and then I points it there...
I like to use gallic acid to create iron gall ink using the new cyanotype process. I think this is the closest to a black silver print possible with this process. It is my experience that for the redevelopment (after bleach) to use distilled water and freshly mixed gallic acid. The mixture should be used immediately as once the gallic acid oxidizes it will cause the pigment to migrate throughout the paper causing spots, bleeding, etc. If it is fresh, quickly done, and well washed, it will work. If you dally, you will have a problem.
I have done extensive research into the stability of the iron gall ink. Will it last 1000 years? maybe, depending on how it is stored. Do I care? not really. It only needs to last me 75 yrs until I don't care anymore.
..and now I have tried Walnut. Walnut bark in a bottle - then boiling water on it and let it soak for a long time (mine soaked for at least two days, but I don't know whether that is nessecary..)
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Originally Posted by gandolfi
