Gum Bichromate: Alternative Photo Printing

A course by Tipia Lab , Specialists in Chemical Photography

Specialists in Chemical Photography. Bogota, Colombia.
Joined March 2020

Learn how to expose your images to sunlight then develop them with water using this creative printing technique that combines photography and painting

96% positive reviews (48)
1,639 students
Audio: Spanish
Spanish · English · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch

Learn how to expose your images to sunlight then develop them with water using this creative printing technique that combines photography and painting

How far do the limits between photography and painting stretch?
In this online course, Mario Nieto and Katalina Fuentes, the founders of Tipia Lab, show you how to create prints from a negative by combining chemical processes, art, and natural light.

Alongside this couple, who are passionate about the chemistry of photography, learn the gum bichromate process from scratch to make one-of-a-kind images by hand. Without needing the specialized environment you might think, add a special emulsion and sunlight to your negative and watch the magic unfold.

Read more ↓

What will you learn in this online course?

15 lessons & 30 downloads

Prepare your photography
15 minutes, 51 seconds
Prepare the paper
9 minutes, 39 seconds
Prepare the emulsion
11 minutes, 57 seconds
Print the digital negatives
2 minutes, 45 seconds
First emulsifying session
11 minutes, 40 seconds
The development
9 minutes, 33 seconds
  • 96% positive reviews (48)
  • 1,639 students
  • 15 lessons (1h 52m)
  • 30 additional resources (17 files)
  • Online and at your own pace
  • Available on the app
  • Audio: Spanish
  • Spanish · English · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch
  • Level: Beginner
  • Unlimited access forever

What is this course's project?

Produce an image in gum bichromate, combining one or several colors in different layers.

Projects by course students

Who is this online course for?

Anyone interested in learning alternative photographic processes as well as printing and creating images by hand.

Requirements and materials

No previous knowledge of photography or painting is required, you just need to have a basic grasp of Adobe Photoshop and photo editing—this will help you in the preparation of the digital negative.

As for materials, you need:

- a warm-tone light bulb
- a light table or light box
- a contact frame
- brushes, art paper, and painting supplies
- watercolors or water-soluble paints
- clear acetate
- gum arabic
- chemical process supplies
- safety materials
- and a few other things specified by the teachers in the course


Reviews

1,639 Students
48 Reviews
96% Positive ratings

Tipia Lab

A course by Tipia Lab

Teacher Plus
Specialists in Chemical Photography

Tipia Lab is a workshop school of traditional and alternative chemical photography, founded by Mario Nieto and Katalina Fuentes, which focuses primarily on the 19th century technique of gum bichromate. Both artists have specialized in chemical imaging for more than 20 years and are passionate about the research of alternative photographic processes.

The name comes from the Greek "typos" related to printing, or the art of copying. Their goal is the preservation of knowledge so that new generations have the opportunity to know and work from an analog and traditional perspective. Through their career, they have collaborated with Fujifilm, among other notable brands.


Content

  • U1

    Introduction

    • About Me
    • Influences
  • U2

    Preparation

    • Bichromated rubber: outstanding artists and works
    • The materials
    • Prepare your photography
  • U3

    First steps to prepare the gum

    • Prepare the paper
    • Prepare the emulsion
    • Print the digital negatives
  • U4

    Preparation of bichromated rubber

    • First emulsifying session
    • UV exposure
    • The development
    • Second layer
  • U5

    Finished! What's next?

    • Completion of the copy and neutralization of residues
    • Archiving and conservation of bichromated gum
    • Problem resolution
  • FP

    Final project

    • Gum Bichromate: Alternative Photo Printing

What to expect from a Domestika course

  • Learn at your own pace

    Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.

  • Learn from the best professionals

    Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.

  • Meet expert teachers

    Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.

  • Certificates
    Plus

    If you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.

  • Get front-row seats

    Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.

  • Share knowledge and ideas

    Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.

  • Connect with a global creative community

    The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.

  • Watch professionally produced courses

    Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.


FAQs

Domestika's courses are online classes that provide you with the tools and skills you need to complete a specific project. Every step of the project combines video lessons with complementary instructional material, so you can learn by doing. Domestika's courses also allow you to share your own projects with the teacher and with other students, creating a dynamic course community.

All courses are 100% online, so once they're published, courses start and finish whenever you want. You set the pace of the class. You can go back to review what interests you most and skip what you already know, ask questions, answer questions, share your projects, and more.

The courses are divided into different units. Each one includes lessons, informational text, tasks, and practice exercises to help you carry out your project step by step, with additional complementary resources and downloads. You'll also have access to an exclusive forum where you can interact with the teacher and with other students, as well as share your work and your course project, creating a community around the course.

You can redeem the course you received by accessing the redeeming page and entering your gift code.

If you're a Plus member, when you complete a course you've purchased, you'll instantly get your personalized certificate. You can see all your certificates in the Certificates section of your profile. You can download your certificates as PDFs and share the link online. Learn more about certificates.
Gum Bichromate: Alternative Photo Printing. Craft course by Tipia Lab

Gum Bichromate: Alternative Photo Printing

A course by Tipia Lab
Specialists in Chemical Photography. Bogota, Colombia.
Joined March 2020
  • 96% positive reviews (48)
  • 1,639 students