Carbon Transfer Tutorials
I offer individual instruction on monochrome carbon transfer printing in my home studio located in upstate South Carolina. The private tutorials are based on the use of traditional carbon historical materials and printing techniques, most of which must be hand made.
Carbon transfer is one of the oldest of all photographic processes, having been introduced more or less in its present form in 1864 by the Englishman Joseph W. Swan. Carbon is a contact printing process that gives a final image that consists of a pigment suspended in hardened gelatin. Carbon prints have a unique image quality characterized by surface relief and a very long tonal scale with an almost absolutely straight-line curve. Prints can be made in a wide range of colors and tones and when suitable pigments are used the prints are extremely stable. My approach combines traditional darkroom techniques with contemporary methods of image controls and the production of digital negatives with Epson photo printers.
In working with me you will learn everything needed to your own carbon prints, including, the materials, equipment and supplies needed for printing with carbon, information about printing light sources, and how to make carbon tissue, starting from the raw materials of gelatin, sugar and pigments. All of the various steps in making a carbon print will be explored in depth, including sensitizing carbon tissue, preparation of final support papers, exposing the sensitized tissue , combining the sensitized and exposed tissue with a final support, and development of the carbon print in warm water.
If interested in a private tutorial contact me via email for scheduling and information about tuition costs.
