VAN DYKE PRINTS:
ALTERNATIVE PROCESSING
Photography II
Van Dyke printing is an alternative process invented in 1895, using several chemical emulsions and ultraviolet light to expose the image. It is a process that has always intrigued me, and thankfully, I was able to try it out!
It begins with painting on the emulsion to watercolor paper, allowing it to dry.
We then move on to taking the desired image into Photoshop and making it into a negative, printing it on transparency paper:
Then we layer the two, placing them in the film proofer to ensure an even exposure. Now the fun part! Standing outside and watching the magic happen:
As you expose the image to UV light, you can watch the emulsion turn into this lovely Van Dyke brown. The clear negative blocks certain areas of the emulsion to create different values.
