Platinum/Palladium and Gum Bichromate Printing with Digital Negatives with QTR
- Instructor: Kerik Kouklis
- Course Meets: Feb 2-5, 2018 (FULL)
(Friday-Monday) 9am to 5pm - Tuition: $750 +$175 materials fee ($925)
- Class Limit: 8
- The tuition for this 4-Day workshop will include all chemistry & printing supplies.
This workshop is designed for people who have no (or some) previous experience in platinum/palladium printing or other alternative processes. However, if you already know how to make platinum prints, you may want to take this workshop to learn a great way to make digital negatives and also refine your existing printing skills. You will learn the basic techniques of platinum/palladium printing and then you will learn how to make digital negatives using the Quad Tone RIP (QTR) program, and then continue making more platinum/palladium prints from additional negatives. Finally, you will learn how to enhance your platinum/palladium prints by adding a layer or layers of gum bichromate to alter the tonality of the print and add richness to the shadows beyond what is possible in a platinum/palladium print alone.
The workshop will consist of maximum of 8 people so each student will have plenty of one-on-one instruction.
Day 1
- Dedicated to learning the platinum/palladium process or refining your existing printing skills utilizing the digital negatives Kerik will make for you before the workshop. There will be a variety of papers to experiment with as you delve deeper into this beautiful process.
Day 2
- The second day will be dedicated to learning the craft of making digital negatives using QTR. You will learn how calibrate the system for your own Epson printer. We will use a straightforward approach that is streamlined thanks to a Photoshop script written by David Eisenlord. The script eliminates much of the tedious math and measurements required to create the Photoshop calibration curves utilized in the process. You will receive a copy of the script for your own use as well as an illustrated manual.
Day 3
- We will continue with printing using the new negatives you will make on Day 2 and finish the day by learning to apply gelatin sizing in preparation for the gum bichromate overlay.
Day 4
- The final day of the workshop will be dedicated to learning how to add gum bichromate layers on top of your platinum/palladium prints resulting in a print with enhanced tonality and richness.
Some of the topics to be covered in this intensive workshop will include:
The basics of the platinum/palladium process
- Making Digital Negatives with QTR
- The basics of the gum bichromate process
- Making combined platinum/palladium/gum prints
- Characteristics of different papers
- Hand-coating techniques
- Contrast control techniques
- Materials suppliers
- Print and negative retouching
- Options for UV light sources
IMPORTANT NOTES:
Students are required to supply their own digital images to convert and print. We will also allow time on Day 1 to shoot additional images. Please bring a digital camera for this purpose.
Bringing your own laptop is highly encouraged. (Mac or PC) Minimum requirement: Photoshop CS3. This will allow you to set up your own system with Kerik’s assistance, and the workflow will be dedicated to your own work. Don’t worry; we will have at least one computer available for everyone to share.
Accommodations
Carmel River Inn at 831.624.1575 — use discount code “CVA” for special rate
Carmel Mission Inn at 800.348.9090 — use discount code “CA” for special rate
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