Getting over palladium - with Bill Schwab Mar 21-24, 2024
Getting Over Palladium
Gum/Palladium Printing
with Bill Schwab
It has been said that once you see a gum bichromate over platinum or palladium print, you'll never look at a plain palladium print as finished ever again. It gives a depth and control of color that is unmatched by platinum/palladium printing alone.
Please join me for an in-depth exploration into the wonderful world of gum over palladium printing, a photographic method that takes perhaps the most beautiful and permanent platinum/palladium process to an even higher level. A hand-made photographic process that involves creating light-sensitive emulsions on fine watercolor paper and processing it through light and chemistry.
We will be working first in the palladium process as base levels for printing and then adding gum layers later on with some experimentation with adding cyanotype to the mix as well. However, the emphasis will be on building gum layers to complement the palladium.
This workshop will cover 4 days which will give each student ample time to further explore the process and refine their technique. Each student will have plenty of one-on-one instruction that will be geared toward each individual's current capability. The objective is to get people hands-on experience printing which is the best way to learn. Standing around watching an instructor print will only get you so far and we want everyone printing on their own as soon as possible.
You need no prior experience of the process to join in because, although the process can be a bit intimidating in all of its finer details, this course will get the novice up and running while giving the experienced printer a chance to explore further. It gives the student a chance to work with the process right away without all of the trappings of collecting needed equipment, materials and chemistry. And, once you're hooked, it will be easy for you to navigate your way through working with the process in your studio.
Some of the topics to be covered in this workshop will include:
- Making Digital Negatives with QTR
- Hand-coating techniques
- Characteristics of different papers
- Contrast control techniques
- Materials suppliers
- Print retouching
This is a four-day workshop that will allow the participant plenty of time to understand and master the process. The cost of this class is $950, which includes all materials needed to make beautiful prints.