- Sarah W.
- Friday, November 04, 2022
Recognizable by their monochromatic, intense blue backgrounds, cyanotype is an early photographic process that provides an accessible introduction to early photography.
We can easily scan or copy documents electronically and take photographs with cell phones today, but this was not always the case. Sir John Herschel developed the cyanotype process in 1842 as a way to photocopy his scientific notes, using a chemical mixture painted onto paper that rendered it sensitive to sunlight. After rinsing, the image remained visible in white on a brilliant blue background. Soon after, botanist Anna Atkins used cyanotypes to produce the first book of photography about algae.
Affordable sun print kits are an excellent introduction to the concepts of light, shadow, and photosensitivity, and encourage creative expression. Check out some books about early photography, then purchase sun print paper or try one of the everyday alternatives suggested below to experiment with one of the earliest forms of photography.
If using sun print paper, begin by gathering items that are thick enough to block sunlight from reaching the paper, such as leaves, flowers, card stock cutouts, or even small toys. In a dark location, place a sheet of sun print paper on a plate and arrange objects on top if it. If the objects are mostly flat, cover them with the acrylic sheet to weigh them down. Then carry your paper into sunlight. Watch for the blue color to fade to nearly white; this can take from one to five minutes depending on the strength of the sunlight.
When the color has faded, return to a darker location, remove your objects from the sun print paper, and rinse it in water for 1-2 minutes. You will notice that before rinsing, the background image is white and the area that was covered is blue. After rinsing, the colors reverse as the chemicals are removed from the paper.
Dry your image, and you will be left with a cyanotype print to display as is or use in other art projects.
If you don't want to purchase special paper, try using construction paper or tracing to explore the same concepts.
Because of its high acid content and dyes, construction paper fades quickly when exposed to the ultraviolet light from the sun. Cut out images from cardstock and use loops of tape to attach them to a sheet of construction paper, or tape a leaf or other flat object on top. Tape the paper to the inside of your sunniest window, or outside in direct sunlight. Within a few hours, the color of the exposed paper will begin to fade, while the covered areas retain their color.
To explore the shapes of shadows outdoors, make shadow tracings by placing a sheet of paper into an area where a plant or other object is casting a shadow. Trace the outline with a marker, then come inside and color the background of the paper blue like a cyanotype, or use other colors of your choice.
To explore the history of photography, check out the following titles!