Ian Phillips-McLaren — Leading Gum Printing Artist in the UK /
Gum bichromate, often simply called gum printing, is one of photography’s most expressive historic processes. Originating in the 19th century, it became central to the Pictorialist movement, where photographers sought to move beyond simple documentation and create images with the depth and mood of painting.
What is Gum Printing?
The process uses light-sensitive dichromates mixed with gum arabic and artist’s pigments, brushed by hand onto paper. Exposed under a negative, the image is then developed in water, leaving behind a softly textured, painterly impression. By repeating the process with different colours or multiple layers, an image can be transformed into something truly unique.
My Practice
I am one of the few artists in the UK still working seriously with gum printing. For me, the appeal lies in its unpredictability: no two prints are ever the same. Brush marks, pigment choices, exposure times, and even the fibres of the paper all play a role in shaping the outcome.
This balance of control and chance creates images that feel alive, and that blur the boundaries between photography and painting. Over the years I’ve developed a body of gum prints that reflect these qualities, often layered with themes of memory, transformation, and perception.
My gum printing work has been shown internationally and is part of my wider practice as an artist, photographer, and educator with more than 35 years of experience.
Teaching & Mentoring
In addition to creating my own work, I teach gum printing through workshops and one-to-one mentoring. The process is demanding, but it is also deeply rewarding, offering students the opportunity to experiment with colour, texture, and chance in ways few other photographic techniques allow.
There are very few opportunities to learn gum bichromate printing in the UK, which is why I make it a central part of my teaching practice. My workshops are designed not around producing perfect results, but around understanding and embracing the creative potential of the process.
If you’d like to learn more, you can find details on upcoming gum bichromate sessions and mentoring options here.
Why Gum Printing Still Matters
In the United States, gum printing has a larger community of artists and practitioners, with more workshops and resources available. In the UK, however, it remains rare. That rarity is precisely what makes it matter: gum printing offers a unique voice within the landscape of alternative photography, one that deserves to be seen, taught, and carried forward.
By continuing to work with gum bichromate — and by teaching it — I aim to keep this historic process alive in the UK, not as a museum piece but as a living, evolving practice.
