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Karl is the inventor of the Gumoil photographic process, which he
created in 1990.
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Writer / Karl P. Koenig
The gumoil process
Always be careful when handling chemicals. Read the health
and safety instructions.
In
1990 Karl P. Koenig created
the gumoil photographic process of making polychromatic prints.
It is a positive to positive process. That is, an enlarged photographic
image on film, plastic, or on thin white paper is contact printed
on an equally large sheet of good quality water color paper which
has been coated with unpigmented gum arabic, sensitized with potassium
bichromate. This sheet is then developed in plain water and a faint
(negative) image emerges on the yellow surface. Air dried, after
thorough washing, it is then pigmented with oil paint vigorously
rubbed over the entire surface.
The
excess is later wiped off. In a short time, this sheet is dipped
in an etching bath which exposes the next tonal regions of the picture,
and when dried again, a second color can then be rubbed in. This
too is followed by etching, washing and drying. Several colors can
by this method be applied. Note that this is photographic pigmenting,
not hand-coloring. Note also that this is not what is known as oil
printing nor is it the historic gum
bichromate method. Although the "technology" of the gumoil process
is distinctly 19th Century, its components were not actually put
together until recently. Ultimately a complete picture is accomplished
which can be varnished and matted.
The process uses:
Potassium bichromate: Saturated solution, warm,
one part with three parts liquid gum arabic.
The etching bath is clorox, one part, and six parts
water.
A more detailed procedure with the chemistry, timing, and technique
spelled out can be found in Karl's book Gumoil Photographic Printing.
Contributions
If you have a step-by-step version or variation
on the gumoil process you wish to share, please feel free to contribute
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