Digital BW, The Print

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "Martin Wesley" 
<mwesley250@e...> wrote:
> Jim,
> I sent around a traveling collection of coated prints and no one 
was
> inspired by the look to take up varnishing.


Untrue, young man.

I might not go as far as saying that your package alone inspired 
me to coat, but your posts, and Robert's, and others tweaked my 
curiosity to experiment. As of now, I'm glazing every "serious" 
print that I make for display.

Here's my procedure:

1. Make print on Museo or PhotoRag.
2. Leave highlights just a tad open and light.
3. First coat is with LeFranc Ageing Varnish. In the bottle, it's the 
color of 10W40, and about that thick. It tints the highlights 
somewhat yellow, and punches up the black in the Museo.
4. Let that dry one day.
5. Final coat is with Oleopasto, applied with either sheetrock 
knife or foam brush, and then finish-brushed with regular brush. 
It's very thick, like petroleum jelly, and dries a semigloss, and 
leaves body and texture of the brush strokes.
6. Let that dry one day.

http://marktucker.com/temp/5481.JPG

I have been wrapping the prints around a wood frame, almost 
like a canvas painting, but honestly, that's getting old, even now. 
Adds lots of time that won't be rewarded come sale time.

I think my new thing will be to coat just the image area, so that it 
shows a semigloss look, against the matte look of the 
surrounding paper. Much less post-production. I'm just not sure 
how I'll frame it, because I don't want glass in front of it.

One big thing that this whole mess does -- it takes the 
"computer-ness" out of the print to a large degree. The prints feel 
more hand-done and organic.

I'm sure that what I'm doing is not OSHA/Archival-approved, but 
hey, I like the look and I hate every water-based product that I've 
tried. They all leave that "plastic-y" look; oil is the only way for me.

Just my opinion.

MT, http://www.marktucker.com/