Experimenting With Many Paints To Blacken Clear Glass Ambrotypes

Tonight I am experimenting with different type paints for backing ambrotypes. Many acrylics, a tempera and a washable paint.

Thinking the best options at present will be to use a high end more expensive archival artist level black acrylic paint with a double varnish applied first. I am also eager to see how washable black paint works. Theoretically you could wash the paint off with the double layer of varnish protecting the collodion, at some later date. The goal is to find a working method for the larger clear glass ambros of the future, up to 35x35 inches.

Will also give asphaltum another try in the coming weeks. My initial work with that material was so so.

I prefer the looking throught the glass feel of the clear glass flipped plate images over tintypes, black glass etc.

 

Trying many types of paints, to back, clear glass ambrotypes