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Message 1
From: "Roy"
Date: Fri, 7 Apr 2006 08:44:12 -0700
Subject: [Baren 30585] hanga pigments
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This might be old hat for most of you on the forum, but please
help us newer people: What are the good and bad qualities of
various water based pigments especially for hanga? I couldn't find
much beyond dry pigments in the Encyclopedia. Is it there?
(Maybe these results can be added later.)

I'll start out with what I've found/heard/read.
Roy

----------------------------
Hanga Pigment Options

Powdered pigments such as those from BarenMall
Good: traditional hanga
Bad: some are toxic if breathed, must mix, some need mulled

Pure pigment dispersions:
Good: inexpensive, don't need prepared, work well for hanga diluted
Bad: some colors don't mix well

Water soluble block printing inks:
Good:
Bad: are too opaque for hanga

Pastels broken down with alcohol (ala Robert):
Good: (looked good on exchange 27)
Bad: may contain too much chalk

Watercolor: Tubes, Inks?

Gouache: ?

Colored Sumi: ?

What else (?dot matrix printer ink refills)?

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Message 2
From: "Robert Viana"
Date: Fri, 07 Apr 2006 14:06:53 -0200
Subject: [Baren 30586] Re: hanga pigments
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Hi, to this effect, I was wondering if anyone has tried Golden airbrush colors? They are high quality and seem to be similar to the guerra dispersions. I have some primary's that I am going to try, but if you have already, please give some feedback.
Cheers, Rob


>
> Watercolor: Tubes, Inks?
>
> Gouache: ?
>
> Colored Sumi: ?
>
> What else (?dot matrix printer ink refills)?

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Message 3
From: "Jean Womack"
Date: Fri, 7 Apr 2006 10:43:23 -0700
Subject: [Baren 30587] Re: New Baren Digest (HTML) V35 #3434 (Apr 6, 2006)
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Murilo, I am a big fan of your block prints. We have race tracks in this area and I go occasionally. Your horse and rider inspired me to start making prints about horses again. I went to the track and took my own photos for it. So you are really MY teacher. So far I have just done etchings and one blue horse running in the wrong direction. But it's a start. I hve been on Baren since 1997.

Jean Womack
http://www.jeanger.com

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Message 4
From: Mike Lyon
Date: Fri, 07 Apr 2006 12:56:54 -0500
Subject: [Baren 30588] Exchange #24 Gallery (finally)
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Our Baren Exchange #24 gallery is AT LONG LAST ready for viewing --
that and previous exchanges may be viewed by visiting our gallery
pages at http://barenforum.org/exchange/exchanges.html

-- Mike


Mike Lyon
Kansas City, Missouri
http://mlyon.com

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Message 5
From: Darrell Madis
Date: Fri, 7 Apr 2006 13:47:29 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: [Baren 30589] Re: Exchange #24 Gallery (finally)
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I'm always sorry when I'm not in an exchange. Very interesting group, nice work.
BTW for Bobby Rosenstock either the picture is missing or the print is only embossing. Would be good to know which.

Darrell

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Message 6
From: eli griggs
Date: Fri, 7 Apr 2006 13:55:02 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: [Baren 30590] Re: hanga pigments
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Hi there:

Try looking here
http://kremer-pigmente.de/englisch/homee.htm. Kremer
pigments are first rate and you know exactly what it
is that you are ordering when you make your pigment
choices. Great service too.

Cheers,
Eli

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Message 7
From: Mike Lyon
Date: Fri, 07 Apr 2006 16:28:51 -0500
Subject: [Baren 30591] Re: hanga pigments
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Roy wrote:
>...What are the good and bad qualities of various water based
>pigments especially for hanga?

Dear Roy,

My personal experience with moku-hanga pigments...

Suitable, proven, widely used, in order of expense cheapest to most costly:

* dry pigments available from Baren Mall, Daniel Smith, and many
others: least expensive alternative and 100% saturated by definition
-- use with caution -- fine powders can cause lung cancer and some
pigments are toxic. Each pigment has its own character which must be
learned -- some are lumpy and should be ground before use, some mix
readily in water, some mix readily in alcohol and then in water --
characteristics when mixing and printing varies with pigment and
sometimes supplier.
* pigment dispersions: available from (see
http://barenforum.org/encyclopedia/entries/007_04/007_04_frame.html )
Guerra Paint and Pigment, Daniel Smith, and many others. Relatively
inexpensive and highly saturated. Already 'mixed' easy to use right
out of the bottle. Each pigment has its own character and
peculiarities which must be learned.
* sumi: black works great at any dilution for moku-hanga -- not
too expensive.
* prepared watercolor and gouache in tubes: most expensive but
easy to find and work very well for moku-hanga. Watercolors
(depending on pigment) are more transparent, gouache is same sort of
stuff but opaque.

Questionable at best for moku-hanga -- fun to experiment, but expect
all kinds of problems and surprises (mostly unhappy). Not
necessarily stable or archival. :

* Water soluble block printing inks: are intended as
oil-based-ink substitutes which allow soap and water
cleanup. Generally unsuitable for moku-hanga.
* dot matrix printer ink refills, laser toner, ground-up pastels,
ground-up chalk, carpenter's chalk, powdered graphite, tea, ketchup,
mustard, curry powder, you name it...

Good luck!

-- Mike


Mike Lyon
Kansas City, Missouri
http://mlyon.com

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Message 8
From: Mike Lyon
Date: Fri, 07 Apr 2006 16:45:15 -0500
Subject: [Baren 30592] Re: Exchange #24 Gallery (finally)
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>I'm always sorry when I'm not in an exchange. Very interesting
>group, nice work.
>BTW for Bobby Rosenstock either the picture is missing or the print
>is only embossing. Would be good to know which.

Bobby Rosenstock image is missing -- I'm waiting for Bobby or Barbara
to send me one... Until then it'll be blank.

-- Mike


Mike Lyon
Kansas City, Missouri
http://mlyon.com

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Message 9
From: Barbara Mason
Date: Fri, 7 Apr 2006 18:20:50 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: [Baren 30593] Re: hanga pigments
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Roy,
the powdered pigment that you mix with alcohol and store as a paste and then add to water is the best, hands down. You can mix any color from a few and it stores in paste dispersion almost forever. If you wear a mask and work in a closed room with no air moving (fan or furnace blower) the pigment is not dangerous. It can be messy to mix it up, but if you work from light to dark and spend a couple of hours, you only have to do it once a year or so. I use a piece of glass to work on and did go through quite a few paper towels trying to keep everything very clean and uncontaminated.

Watercolor works well, but it is pretty expensive compared to the pigment and alcohol. Also it has gum arabic in it, which is the binder, so this changes it a little bit. The advantages are that the colors are mixed and there is a huge assortment. Like all art supplies, the more you pay the more pigment is in the tube.

Gouche will work, but is more opaque so you lose the wonderful transparent feel of traditional prints.

I have never used colored sumi.

You can buy pigment in suspension from Guerra in NY and possibly Synopia in San Francisco. I got mine in powder from the aren mall and recently some Sennilier pigment from Graphic Chemical. It was fantastic, but it was cadium colors...so I guess you take your chances with this if you want these colors. I mixed them with alcohol and they are fabulous. I put them in sealed plastic containers and think they will keep almost forever. I understand Richard Steiner is coming out with some pigment in suspension in tubes soon, so I am anxious to see and try it. Richard lives in Kyoto and teaches contemporary Japanese woodblock. With any luck he will be in on the tail end of the summit in Vancouver Washington this year so all who come will get to meet him.

Really, almost anything will work, some just works better than others...so as a beginner it is sort of trial and error. What one person loves another can't stand...so you have to decide for yourself what pigment you like the best depepnding on the way you print.
Best to you,
Barbara

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Message 10
From: "Marilynn Smith"
Date: Fri, 7 Apr 2006 19:54:44 -0600
Subject: [Baren 30594] Re: Baren Digest (old) V35 #3434
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If a paper is 250 grams is that 90lb or 120lb???? Please answer.
Marilynn

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Message 11
From: Blog Manager
Date: 8 Apr 2006 03:55:05 -0000
Subject: [Baren 30595] Baren Member blogs: Update Notification
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This is an automatic update message being sent to [Baren] by the forum blog software.

The following new entries were found on the listed printmaker's websites during the past 24 hours. (16 sites checked, just before midnight Eastern time)

*****************

Site Name: BarenForum Group Weblog

Author: Julio
Item: Sun Fading and UV-Glass protection
http://barenforum.org/blog/archives/2006/04/sun_fading_and.html

*****************

Site Name: Woodblock Dreams

Author: Annie B
Item: Zea Mays Printmaking Show
http://woodblockdreams.blogspot.com/2006/04/zea-mays-printmaking-show.html

*****************

Site Name: pressing-issues

Author: Ellen Shipley
Item: Mudd Block2 Print
http://pressing-issues.blogspot.com/2006/04/mudd-block2-print.html

*****************

[Baren] members: if you have a printmaking blog (or a website with a published ATOM feed), and wish it to be included in this daily checklist, please write to the Baren Blog Manager at:
http://barenforum.org/contact_baren.php

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