Paper Type and Burning
In order to establish which paper to use I have tested how they react to fire, with the aim of creating an image with detail and texture in the singed areas. The four types of paper I am considering are all from Ilford: fibre-based matt and cotton rag, and resin-coated pearl and glossy.
I have also tried using both a lighter and a chef's blowtorch to see what different results I could achieve. The lighter was difficult to use - it took a long time to burn through the thick fibre paper but it was useful for melting the resin paper in small areas. On the other hand, the blowtorch was very effective but more dangerous. I was able to burn holes into the paper and to manipulate the size of the flame to achieve a variety of burning and melting effects. As long as I assess and mitigate the risks, this will be a good option.
Fibre-Based Paper
Above: Ilford Multigrade Art 300 - Cotton Rag
Below: Ilford Multigrade FB Classic - Matt
Resin-Coated Paper
Above: Ilford Multigrade RC Deluxe - Pearl
Below: Ilford Multigrade RC Deluxe - Glossy
I found that the RC paper burned more readily, but if heated more slowly, the resin melted and began to bubble and crack. The FB paper burned more cleanly, but mostly crumbled to ash. As the RC paper created more texture and interest around the burnt areas, especially on the paper with the pearl finish, I feel that this would be a good option for the images I plan to burn. However, I also tried to apply ink to the cracks in the resin coating, but the ink didn't stick. In order to effectively use the ink, I would need to use FB paper.
In printing my lightbulb image on various papers, I found that heating the RC paper to achieve the desirable cracks was difficult and led to unsatisfactory results, so I will have to rethink how to achieve this image. As the burning isn't working, I may have to return to Photoshop and draw the cracks onto the negative, to then colour with ink on FB paper. Of the two FB papers, I prefer the cotton rag over the matt. The matt seems to achieve deeper blacks, but the texture of the cotton rag is beautiful in person, and it also is better suited to hand-colouring as it is more porous.
While I would prefer my prints to all be on the same type of paper for consistency, the strengths and weaknesses of each type of paper have led me to consider using both types. As the two burning images would be my key prints, I could print those on resin and the other prints on fibre paper. This would allow me to utilise both paper types for their strengths and retain a degree of consistency for the exhibition. I plan to use the Ilford Multigrade RC Deluxe - Pearl for my large prints, and the Ilford Multigrade Art 300 - Cotton Rag for my smaller prints.
Ink
I have some beautiful platinum rag paper that is suited to alternative processes. This paper is absorbent and holds pigment well, so I thought it would be a good medium for ink. I tried some watercolour pens which weren't that great - probably due to my poor hand-eye coordination - but I was especially excited to try using my neon acrylic inks. A little water brushed onto the paper allowed the inks to disperse and mix, so I tried creating rainbows and vibrant gradients of colour. I was particularly interested in the way the inks mixed as gravity pulled them down the page. While it didn't create the marbling effect I wanted, these inks remained vibrant as they dried. I feel that this would be useful to create contrast with the monochrome darkroom prints and may be an effective way to bring colour to the "distracted" image without relying on stereotypical distracting objects like video games or phones.
As shown above, the neon inks worked very well with the darkroom prints, and I am thrilled with the results of the "distracted" image. They also worked fairly well on the cotton rage paper with the "compassionate" print (bottom left) although there were some areas where the masking tape barrier didn't hold up well. Unfortunately, the inks weren't quite right for the lightbulb image as they bled too much and it was hard to be precise with the ink placement. I decided to try my watercolour pens again, and they worked brilliantly on this particular image. I also had a wider range of colour options, so I was able to get the full rainbow effect.
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