Tri-color Gum Printing with Diana Bloomfield Aug 22-24, 2025
Workshop Overview
In this intensive 3-day workshop, Diana will show you how to print in the 19th century process of gum bichromate.
Using CMYK color separation negatives, you will make multi-layered tri-color gum bichromate prints on watercolor paper.
After mixing an emulsion of watercolor pigment, potassium dichromate, and gum arabic, this mixture is brushed on watercolor paper, dried, and using a negative that corresponds to your pigment choice, exposed to UV light. The print is then developed and cleared in plain tap water. The print is built by repeated layerings and careful registration of negatives until a full, rich image is achieved
No prior experience with this type of printing is necessary, so join us for three full days of fun and experimentation with this interpretive, intuitive, and infinitely creative photographic printing process. Once you experience the joy of gum printing, you will never be the same!
The making of digital negatives will be discussed, but for the workshop itself, please send at least two color images (files at 300 dpi and at least 10” on the longest side). Send the images at least 2 weeks prior to the workshop. An email with details will be provided once you are registered.
For an overview of Diana's approach to tricolor gum, check out her website description here.
This class is limited to 5 participants.
General workshop policies and information can be found here.
Location
All of our workshops are given at our studio, located at:
96 Weaverville Rd. Suite 108
Asheville NC 28804
Diana Bloomfield Bio
A photographer for nearly 40 years, Diana’s work has been widely exhibited and published. Specializing in 19th century photographic printing techniques, her images have been included in a number of books, including Jill Enfield’s Guide to Photographic Alternative Processes; Christopher James’ The Book of Alternative Photographic Processes; and she is a featured artist in Christina Z. Anderson’s Gum Printing: A Step-by-Step Manual, Highlighting Artists & Their Creative Practice.
A native North Carolinian, Diana lives and works in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she received her MA in English Literature and Creative Writing from North Carolina State University. She teaches workshops throughout the country, and in her beautiful backyard studio.
Diana is represented by the Ryan Gallery at Art Intersection in Gilbert, Arizona, and by photo- eye Gallery (Photographer’s Showcase), located in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Hahnemehule Paper is a generous sponsor of our workshops and they supply the wonderful Hahnemeuhle Platinum Rag and Hahnemeuhle Etching papers. Check out their range of papers at their website.
