Digital BW, The Print

I'm intrigued and baffled by the apparent tension
that develops over these printing methods. And, I
had a few thoughts I'd like to throw out there (mind
you, it's 3:00 AM and it's way past my bedtime, so
if you'd like, you're more than welcome to disregard
my ramblings).

Anyway, I am a painter by education as well as
vocation.  But, not the the type most are used to. I
paint photorealistically in B&W.  And, prior to getting
into painting, I was an avid draftsman, producing
photorealistic drawings with graphite (I had about
the fullest range of graphite densities available, in
different thicknesses from chubby graphite sticks to
mechanical pencils), charcoal, and a few other
monochromatic methods. And I was a bit of a hack
B&W photographers.

To me, each of these mediums have always had their
benefits as well as drawbacks.  For example, graphite
can be used to render some of the most refined and
delicate details, but falls short of producing the
blacks that can be accomplished with charcoal.  And,
charcoal, while it can be used to produce very refined
images, can be quite difficult and frustrating to work
with and is more a substance that you learn to work
in cooperation with than control.  Then you have
painting, that while it allows probably the greatest
ability to correct and adjust the image by means of
painting over an area to be changed, is a fluid medium
that does not lend itself to the type of fine lines
achievable with graphite or the gradations so easily
created with charcoal.  And last, there's photography,
which to me, while it renders the world in "optical
correctness" can often be the most difficult to use
as a means of communicating.

Now these were the sum of my repertoire until about
a year and a half ago, when I got into B&W digital
printing.  At first, I knew nothing at all about dedicated
B&W methods.  I simply hit the Black Ink only option
in the Epson driver for my 925.  The results were quite
horrendous in my opinion, compared to a photograph,
but were beautiful in their own right, and I grew to
appreciate them for what they were (If you think the
dots from the new machines are bad, I can send an
example print from the 925).  But soon I found that I
wanted to reproduce my paintings as accurately as
possible and felt that the BO option didn't quite cut
it.

I needed some means of reproducing the smooth
gradients and solid values in my paintings, which
at first led me to buy an Epson 2200 (I still hadn't
found out about dedicated processes), only to discover
that the B&W prints, while they were printed with two
inks were still "grainy" and overly warm for what I needed.
This then resulted in me purchasing an Epson 1280 and a
dedicated inkset.  The first print out of that machine
was nothing short of a disappointment, it just looked
so flat to me.  But once again, the images grew on me
till I grew to love them in their own right.  And, by the
way, my glossy B&W prints out of my 2200, while they
don't look like a gelatin silver print (and why should
they?), and have a "color" all their own, have their own
beauty as well.

I think the point is (in case you haven't inferred it yet) is
that each of these processes, graphite, charcoal, B&W
chemically processed prints, and whatever flavor of
inkjet you prefer all have their strengths and weaknesses
regardless of whether you have an oppinion one way or
the other.  That is the inherent nature of any artistic
medium.  You're representing "your world" as you see it
through a 2D surface that has been prepared by you to
express whatever it is you're seeking to express.  And,
what you've put on that surface ain't reality.  But it does
serve (dependent upon your level of skill) to effectively
communicate your particular spin on reality.

Well, I think that's just about enough of my diatribe. One
last note though, I still use all of these processes to one
extent or another and feel that not only have they all
served me artistically, but they have all increased my
understanding and awareness of the capabilities that
are so unique to B&W media of any kind and all have
their respective place in the artistic world.

So, on that note, Peace, Love, Happiness, Laughter,
Silliness, Random Acts of Kindness and the occasional
Smile to everyone.

Eric
www.ericashworth.net