Explore the painterly world of gum bichromate in a hands-on, two- or three-day workshop at my Hackney studio in East London.
Gum bichromate is a beautiful and expressive 19th-century photographic printing process that combines digital negatives, hand-coated paper, watercolour pigments and multiple layers of printing to create images with a distinctive painterly quality.
These one-to-one workshops are designed for artists and photographers who want to explore the creative possibilities of this slow, material-led process. With individual tuition, there’s time to experiment, develop an understanding of the techniques and begin finding your own approach to gum printing.
Designed for artists and photographers, the workshops balance technical understanding with creative exploration, allowing you to work at a pace suited to this slow, material-led process.
Digital negatives — preparing black-and-white, duotone and tri-colour negatives
Mixing gum emulsions — working with gum arabic, pigments and dichromate
Hand-coating watercolour papers — choosing and preparing suitable surfaces
UV contact printing — understanding exposure and tonal control
Water development — revealing and developing images by hand
Multi-layer printing — building depth, colour and tonal variation through successive coatings and exposures
Gum bichromate is a complex and rewarding process that requires patience, experimentation and an understanding of how images develop through successive layers.
For this reason, all gum bichromate workshops have a minimum duration of two days.
Working over two days gives you the opportunity to understand the complete process, from preparing digital negatives and mixing emulsions to coating, exposing, developing and building layered prints.
A third day offers additional time to explore more complex techniques, experiment with colour and develop a more personal approach to the process.
The emphasis is not simply on producing a finished print, but on understanding the materials, learning to work with their unpredictability and gaining the confidence to continue experimenting independently.
Fine-art photographers and mixed-media artists
Artists interested in historical and alternative photographic processes
Graduates and self-taught practitioners looking to expand their creative practice
Photographers wanting to explore more tactile and experimental forms of image-making
Beginners are welcome. No previous darkroom or alternative printing experience is required.
Duration: Minimum two full days, with an optional third day
Format: One-to-one, hands-on tuition tailored to your experience and interests
Location: Hackney, East London (E2)
Availability: Midweek and selected weekends
Online tuition: Available via Zoom using a multi-camera setup
With over 35 years of professional photographic and fine-art practice, alongside extensive experience teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate level, I bring together historical photographic techniques and contemporary digital workflows.
My approach to teaching is practical, experimental and tailored to the individual. Rather than following a rigid formula, I encourage artists to explore the possibilities of the process and discover how it might contribute to their own work.
My gum bichromate prints have been exhibited internationally and featured in publications including Studies in Photography, Alternative Photography: Art and Artists, Edition 2 and AlternativePhotography.com. My work has also been selected for exhibitions curated by artists including Diana H. Bloomfield.
One-to-one tuition: £480 per day
Two-day workshop: £960
Three-day workshop: £1,440
Deposit: £100 to secure your booking
All workshops are arranged individually, allowing us to agree on suitable dates and tailor the tuition to your interests and experience.
Can I really learn gum printing in a day?
You’ll learn the essential foundations in one day, but gum printing rewards patience and repetition. Most prints develop over multiple days, and even longer workshops are the beginning rather than the end of the process.
Do I need a darkroom?
No. Gum printing can be carried out in normal light conditions using UV exposure. Everything is covered during the workshop.
Can I print in colour?
Yes. Gum bichromate allows layered colour printing using different pigments, producing richly painterly results.
“Seriously amazing – both conceptually and in the printing.”
— Diana H. Bloomfield, Photographer & Curator
“A masterclass in how artists are turning to a slow way of working.”
— Studies in Photography
“Incredible print… to do it all in gum is mind-blowing.”
— Ya Ya Teahouse
Why is the minimum workshop two days?
Gum bichromate involves several stages of preparation, coating, exposure, development and drying. Each layer takes time, and the process cannot be rushed. Two days provide a much better foundation for understanding the technique and beginning to explore layered printing.
Do I need previous experience?
Not at all. The workshops are suitable for beginners as well as experienced photographers and artists. As tuition is one-to-one, the content can be adapted to your existing knowledge and creative interests.
Do I need a darkroom?
No traditional darkroom is required. Gum printing uses UV exposure and water development, although appropriate working conditions and safe handling of the chemistry are essential. All of this is covered during the workshop.
Can I print in colour?
Yes. Gum bichromate allows colour to be built through successive layers of different pigments, creating images with a unique painterly quality. More complex colour work is particularly suited to the three-day workshop.
Will I leave with finished prints?
You’ll produce prints during the workshop, although the number and level of completion will depend on the techniques being explored. Gum printing is an experimental process, and the main aim is to develop the knowledge and confidence to continue working independently.
One-to-One Tuition (minimum 2 days)
£480 per day
2-day workshop: £960
3-day workshop: £1,440
Small Group Workshops (2–4 participants, minimum 2 days)
£290 per participant per day
2-day workshop: £580 per participant
3-day workshop: £870 per participant
Deposit
A £100 deposit per participant secures your booking. The remaining balance is due 5 days before the workshop.
Cancellations
14 days or more before: Full refund or rescheduling
7–13 days before: Deposit transferable to another date but non-refundable
Less than 7 days before: Non-refundable unless a replacement participant is found
Materials
All necessary materials, papers and chemistry are provided.
Copyright
All images and artwork you create during the workshop remain entirely your own.
Spaces are limited to keep the workshop focused and hands-on.
Email: ian@ianphillipsmclaren.com
This gum bichromate workshop also appears under gum printing classes, courses, and one-to-one tuition — ideal for artists and photographers exploring alternative processes.