Van Dyke Brown

Eventhough that title bears the name of the famous Flemish master, actualy it describes an early photographic printing process. The process was so named due to the similarity of the print color to that of a brown oil paint named for painter Van Dyck.



Printing with Van Dyke Brown requires the use of a large format negative in the size of the desired print, a suitable substrate for coating and subsequent printing, and a UV light source, either sunlight or suitable bulbs. The substrate can be almost anything that the solution will adhere to. Watercolor paper is a good first choice, but trickier substrates such as metal, glass or tile can be first 'sized' with gelatin or arrowroot to facilitate coating. The substrate is coated with solution under tungsten light, air dried, and coated a second time if desired for a stronger image.

This is the story behind some of my drawings I sell - usually on eBay. Well, I wrote correctly "drawings" in spite of the fact that the process is about printing photography. The magic behind the pictures I listed in auction follows:

I use large format negative and i scratch the drawing into it with dry point needle - thats why I consider it to be a drawing. Then I use the process described above and print the drawing on paper. It has very special atmosphere and many customers found it very attractive.

I print limited editions - usually about 10 pieces from each drawing and each piece is marked and signed. You are welcomed to visit my auction listings and look at them. I will welcome all comments about how did you like them, whether you found the technique interesting, etc.

I can guarantee that you will not find other artists using this technique that way, as it came out of experimenting with my friend - photographer, who uses old photography printing processes and who experiments with them all the time - as an invention I found very interesting.

You can be sure that is something very new and original and you can be first in this century to own first pieces of that unusual invention. Just check it out on eBay - new pieces are coming. Bid, buy, look through, comment, be happy. Be present when a new phenomenon is rising.

Looking forward your comments, don't affraid to ask a question. I will be glad to pass more information to you.