Baren Digest               Monday, 1 October 2001       Volume 16 : Number 1573


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From: John and Jan Telfer <jtelfer@iinet.net.au>
Date: Sun, 30 Sep 01 22:16:28 -0000
Subject: [Baren 15805] Re: Oil Based Extender 

Tim asked:
>I'm needing qualified advice concerning the use of extender for oil block 
>printing.
>
>Upon a friend's recommendation, I purchased a 5 pound can of extender.  Now, 
>why and when would I use it? 
Extender is best used for two reasons...to make the oil based ink more 
"plyable" or malleable especially as it gets older, but it also turns an 
opaque colour into a transparent one if you use more extender than 
pigment which will then allow you to use colours on top of one another 
with the underlying colour affecting those on top if they too are 
transparent, or if just the top one is transparent.  But a word of 
caution....try a little out on a spare piece of paper before mixing up 
jar fulls otherwise it becomes a very expensive business and a little 
pigment goes a long way!
>
> How much should I use? 
The amount will depend on what you want your outcome to look like....the 
chicken before the egg, visa versa.....if you just want to thin your 
paint then four parts ink to one part extender (depending of course to 
the stiffness of your original ink) should do the trick that is 4:1 or 
5:1 or 6:1.... but add a little at a time to the oil pigment you have on 
your table to roll out, not to the container!!! Heaven forbid!

For transparency....again, on your rolling out glass or perspex, 
whatever, add the extender to the pigment, and test it as you add each 
scoop....but keep a written record of what you are mixing...eg. one part 
pigment, one part extender....2. second part extender  3. third part 
extender...that should give you a reasonably good medium colour 
transparency, depending on the colour eg. yellow or light blue 4. fourth 
addition, etc.  
Test each time down the sheet of paper you are writing all this down and 
preferably with a strip of your first colour underneath to check what is 
happening with those colours.
So you may have 1 part colour to 3 parts extender or 1:3, or lighter 1:4 
or lighter and more transparent 1:5.

> How will the final print look compared to one not having extender? 
If you only use a fraction like 1:1 then you won't be able to tell the 
difference but you will certainly be able to feel the way the oil based 
ink rolls up, and goes onto the block.
If you use lots like 1:4 even more then you will be working towards very 
lighter and thinner pigment coverage towards transparency.

> Do most of you folks use extender?  Why or why not?
For making the oil ink more plyable, I haven't been needing it of late, 
because I have switched from Graphic Chemical tin tub colour which used 
to have a thick lumpy carpet of unusable scum of oily colour when I 
bought them from the shop, (I often only got 50% from any tin) to Graphic 
Chemical Tubes or thinner Sakura Tubes from Japan, both which are fully 
100% usable and with my rate of printing of late they don't have time to 
settle in the tube.  It is a good idea to show them you love them from 
time to time and give them a gentle squeeze up and down with the lids on 
......then they don't harden, especially if you live in a hot dry summer 
climate....that's why I like my tubes...  ;-)   At college where students 
have a habit of leaving the lids off then we always used extender to be 
able to roll it out, but stay away from linseed oil as an extender as it 
leaves a yellow stain around the colour in time and a smell that won't 
come out of your prints.
Make sure to mix the extender well with your ink otherwise you will get 
streaks.

For transparency I like it.  I used to love it more when I was using oil 
based screenprinting inks, similar to these and used it all the time.  My 
screenprints on World Printmakers will vouch for this. ( 
http://www.worldprintmakers.com/english/telfer/telfer.htm )

>To some extent I can't think of any more questions which would certainly 
>extend this message.  I guess I'm trying to be funny.  Oh well.
I think you could have extended it just a little bit further....

Jan 
Perth 
Western Australia

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From: "bemason" <bemason@concentric.net>
Date: Sun, 30 Sep 2001 11:17:44 -0700
Subject: [Baren 15806] help needed 

Hey printmakers.....
This is for the press printers. I am having a problem with grainy prints and
only in some areas. I would assume from past experience that this is a
pressure problem, but the pressure seems good. I checked the flatness of the
bed and it also seems good. Could the bed change as it goes through the
press? I have an old combination press where the bed lifts to engage the
roller and it is top driven. The bed is about 15 years old but only I have
used it with a few occasional students and guests. So it is not like one
from a school.....I am having trouble with this only with water based
printing and I am using watercolor over gum arabic buffed on the plates.
Could it be the gum? and if so why only in some places? Primarily on the
left side of the press at the leading edge of the prints. Is this a mystery
or what???? Any help would be appreciated.
Barbara

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From: FurryPressII@aol.com
Date: Sun, 30 Sep 2001 15:28:11 EDT
Subject: [Baren 15807] Re: help needed 

if it were oil based i would say the pressure is off because of a number of 
things 
1. block might not be even
2. the alignement might be off on the rollers
3. tympon paper might need to be changed affecting pressure

on water based ink I am not sure

john of the furry press

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From: "marilynn" <marilynn@willapabay.org>
Date: Sun, 30 Sep 2001 12:44:56 -0700
Subject: [Baren 15808] Re:   Baren Digest V16 #1572 

Working on this firemen print.  Have a preliminary sketch.  Question ??? How
is hand coloring accepted in a print?  I realize it would have to be very
consistent and am not even sure i will do it, just wondered, as it is such a
small area of color.  Carol Lyons what an awesome idea for hanging prints of
this project.
Marilynn

------------------------------

From: Mike Lyon <mikelyon@mlyon.com>
Date: Sun, 30 Sep 2001 17:15:34 -0500
Subject: [Baren 15809] Re: Baren Digest V16 #1572 

At 10:00 PM 09/30/2001 +0900, you wrote:
>Mike, I like your tiles too! I've been thinking about tiles myself. Penrose
>tiles are pretty cool.

Thanks, April, and welcome home!  I like Penrose tiles, too, but they are 
too advanced for me right now, as they are two or more different shapes and 
I am still having trouble understanding the form of decorations on simple 
identical tiles.  Maybe in a few more years?

I'm so far away from NY (Kansas City), and still dreaming hard about the 
attacks all night -- last night I dreamed I was part of a group of 
independent film makers documenting the hijackings -- we were filming 
people sucked out of aircraft and tumbling in the backwash of the giant 
jet-wing while waiting for our imminent crash.  Very anxiety filled.  Later 
we filmed the Statue of Liberty's head as it repeatedly fell, hooked onto a 
long cable.  Encouraged falling people to kick and wave and move about 
realistically.  Then swimming for shore with my daughter and sinking pink 
and adobe colored LEGO (r) style war ships smoking all around.  A gigantic 
eagle blocked my way, struggling and flapping and splashing in a vain 
effort to lift out of the sea some enormous and disgusting bottom dwelling 
sucker thing the same pinkish color as the ships, its bronze beak and 
talons very dangerous.  Wet sand filled all the buildings, and there wasn't 
any exit.  Woke up still feeling at the edge between sanity and madness, 
and was comforted to snuggle with my wife and calm back into the 
morning.   My exchange print this time is of lovers interrupted in a huge 
field of sunflowers (or daisies?) by the sound of a jet just partly visible 
in the corner as it exits the black bokashi sky.  From an event like the 
one in NY, thousands dead and displaced, the misery and suffering spread 
like waves in the ocean, reaching far and wide and touching everything.

Mike



------------------------------

From: "Philip Smith" <SmithArt@Pacifier.com>
Date: Sun, 30 Sep 2001 16:06:25 -0700
Subject: [Baren 15810] Re: help needed 

Barbara, have you tried putting your printing block on top of the printing
paper, and the printing paper laid on top of four or five sheets of
newspaper?
That little bit of cushion might help.
Philip
Hammond, OR
USA

------------------------------

From: "bemason" <bemason@concentric.net>
Date: Sun, 30 Sep 2001 16:06:59 -0700
Subject: [Baren 15811] Re: help needed 

Thanks, Phillip. I am printing off mylar sheets, with all tree blankets so I
don't think turning them over would make any difference. I am starting to
think it must somehow be the gum arabic as I seem to have eliminated
everything else. It is very strange, though as I am doing things the way I
always do...sorry to put this out on this list but I was just so frustrated
and hope someone would have an idea. Rats. Back to the studio and fighting
this thing once more. I will figure it out.
Barbara

> Barbara, have you tried putting your printing block on top of the printing
> paper, and the printing paper laid on top of four or five sheets of
> newspaper?
> That little bit of cushion might help.
> Philip
> Hammond, OR
> USA
>
>



------------------------------

From: Aqua4tis@aol.com
Date: Sun, 30 Sep 2001 19:25:40 EDT
Subject: [Baren 15812] Re: Baren Digest V16 #1572 



mike and april
      what is a penrose tile?   how do you print with these?
im all the way out here in california and i wake up everynight now and have 
to turn the light on and read to keep the images out of my head
georga


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From: Bossbumpy@aol.com
Date: Sun, 30 Sep 2001 20:56:22 EDT
Subject: [Baren 15813] Re: Our extended family 

Dear Jan, Barbara, & Sharri:

Thanks so much for the base tint extender advice.  Before this discussion I 
used it once but wasn't sure that I was mixing or applying it properly.  Now 
I know!  It's great to know friends who have experiences and information that 
we novices can call on for help.  This is regular extended family.  Ha Ha!

Thanks a lot.

Tim Scott

------------------------------

From: "Bea Gold" <bnj50@earthlink.net>
Date: Sun, 30 Sep 2001 18:08:13 -0700
Subject: [Baren 15814] Time to start! 

Hi folks the time is NOW!  The sign up for Exchange #12 is available by
going to: http://barenforum.org/ and the to the Exchange program  or to
Administration links -  then click on  "here" of the Exchange 12 Sign-up
page.  Read the Details and the Sign-up for Baren Exchange 12, (CAREFULLY)
and if you are interested and eligible please do sign up for #12.  Good luck
and enjoy!  Bea Gold

Here is a bit of help for the Time Zone Converter link.
>Uncheck - CURRENT DATE/TIME
>Put in date:  October 1, 2001
>Put Time: 3:00:00
>
>Choose FROM TIME ZONE: GMT
>Select your location TO TIME ZONE
>Press CONVERT

some examples are:

03:00:00 Mon Oct 01 2001 in GMT converts to

12:00:00 Mon Oct 01 2001 in Asia/Tokyo
04:00:00 Mon Oct 01 2001 in Europe/London
06:00:00 Mon Oct 01 2001 in Africa/Kampala
20:00:00 Sun Sep 30 2001 in America/Vancouver
11:00:00 Mon Oct 01 2001 in Asia/Singapore
23:00:00 Sun Sep 30 2001 in US/Eastern


------------------------------

From: David Bull <davebull@woodblock.com>
Date: Mon, 01 Oct 2001 10:23:07 +0900
Subject: [Baren 15815] Re: Time to start! 

Bea wrote:
> Hi folks the time is NOW!  The sign up for Exchange #12 is available by
> going to: http://barenforum.org/ and the to the Exchange program  or to
> Administration links -  then click on  "here" of the Exchange 12 Sign-up
> page.  

Sorry to interject here Bea, but the times you have posted are incorrect.
The actual start of sign-up is 3:00 pm GMT ... you have given the
information based on 3:00 am GMT.

So for those who are interested in joining Exchange #12, please just
follow the time information given on the sign-up page ... the examples
given in {Baren 15814] are incorrect ... (add 12 hours and they will be
OK ...)

Apologies for the confusion ...

Dave


------------------------------

From: Princess Rashid <prashid@worldnet.att.net>
Date: Sun, 30 Sep 2001 22:08:20 -0400
Subject: [Baren 15816] Re: Oil Based Extender 

Thank you so much,

this is exactly the info I needed tonight!!Actually I don't have an "extender"
product but I'm using Daniel Smith Oil Transparent Medium. Now I bought it to use
for making transparencies but from my experimenting and from some of your info
I'm thinking it can also be a fine extender....Am I right?

Princess
JaX, FL

John and Jan Telfer wrote:

> Extender is best used for two reasons...to make the oil based ink more
> "plyable" or malleable especially as it gets older, but it also turns an
> opaque colour into a transparent one if you use more extender than
> pigment which will then allow you to use colours on top of one another
> with the underlying colour affecting those on top if they too are
> transparent, or if just the top one is transparent.  But a word of
> caution....try a little out on a spare piece of paper before mixing up
> jar fulls otherwise it becomes a very expensive business and a little
> pigment goes a long way!
> >
>


------------------------------

From: "bemason" <bemason@concentric.net>
Date: Sun, 30 Sep 2001 21:17:59 -0700
Subject: [Baren 15817] Re: Oil Based Extender 

Princess
Maybe you are right, is it for oil paint or printing ink? If for oil paint,
it might eventually damage the paper and cause haloing like linseed oil, but
if made for ink, you are in business.
Barbara

>
> this is exactly the info I needed tonight!!Actually I don't have an
"extender"
> product but I'm using Daniel Smith Oil Transparent Medium. Now I bought it
to use
> for making transparencies but from my experimenting and from some of your
info
> I'm thinking it can also be a fine extender....Am I right?
>
> Princess
> JaX, FL
>



------------------------------

From: Princess Rashid <prashid@worldnet.att.net>
Date: Mon, 01 Oct 2001 05:13:32 -0400
Subject: [Baren 15818] Re: Oil Based Extender 

Barbara,

It's sold with the ink. I used it tonight 1:1 ratio with the ink, D. Smith
Traditional Black #11.. It worked.....much better ink flow than just the ink
alone.!! And it doesn't take as much ink to get good coverage.  I'm in
business...Yeah BABY!!!!

Princess

bemason wrote:

> Princess
> Maybe you are right, is it for oil paint or printing ink? If for oil paint,
> it might eventually damage the paper and cause haloing like linseed oil, but
> if made for ink, you are in business.
> Barbara
>
> >
> > this is exactly the info I needed tonight!!Actually I don't have an
> "extender"
> > product but I'm using Daniel Smith Oil Transparent Medium. Now I bought it
> to use
> > for making transparencies but from my experimenting and from some of your
> info
> > I'm thinking it can also be a fine extender....Am I right?
> >
> > Princess
> > JaX, FL
> >


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End of Baren Digest V16 #1573
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