What is a cyanotype?
A cyanotype is also known as a blueprint it was used before cameras were invented. People used cyanotypes because they were more reliable then paintings.Cyanotypes are called cyanotypes because the ink in the printers is called cyan. Who is Anna Atkins? Anna Atkins was a english photographer, she was the first person to publish a book with photos in it, some people also say she was the first person to create a photograph. Anna Atkins was born in 1799 and died in 1871 she published her book in 1843. |
How to make a cyanotype:
To make a cyanotype you must soak your paper in iron salts. If you don't nothing will happen to your paper. You need to do this in a dark room otherwise light will get to it and it won't work.
After you have soaked your paper in iron salts you need to let you paper dry.When your paper is fully dry you need to keep it in a dark box until you are ready to use it other wise light will get to it.
To make your cyanotype you should make sure that it is quite sunny and if it isn't you should leave it out for quite a long time other wise it won't work as well.
Before you put your cyanotype in the sun you should pick what your picture is going to be because you need to put the objects on as soon as possible other wise the paper will react to the light and your picture won't turn out how you wanted it to.If its windy put something heavy on top of your cyanotype so your objects don't fly away.
Once your objects are on leave your cyanotype out for about a minute. if you want the uncovered bits to be really blue then leave it out for longer if you want the uncovered bits to be less blue leave it out for less then a minuet.If it isn't very sunny you should leave you cyanotype out for more then a minuet to allow more light to get to it.
When you have finished go to a sink and wash the chemicals of the paper and you should see the outline of the objects on the paper then leave the paper to dry. When the paper is fully dry you have a cyanotype.
To make a cyanotype you must soak your paper in iron salts. If you don't nothing will happen to your paper. You need to do this in a dark room otherwise light will get to it and it won't work.
After you have soaked your paper in iron salts you need to let you paper dry.When your paper is fully dry you need to keep it in a dark box until you are ready to use it other wise light will get to it.
To make your cyanotype you should make sure that it is quite sunny and if it isn't you should leave it out for quite a long time other wise it won't work as well.
Before you put your cyanotype in the sun you should pick what your picture is going to be because you need to put the objects on as soon as possible other wise the paper will react to the light and your picture won't turn out how you wanted it to.If its windy put something heavy on top of your cyanotype so your objects don't fly away.
Once your objects are on leave your cyanotype out for about a minute. if you want the uncovered bits to be really blue then leave it out for longer if you want the uncovered bits to be less blue leave it out for less then a minuet.If it isn't very sunny you should leave you cyanotype out for more then a minuet to allow more light to get to it.
When you have finished go to a sink and wash the chemicals of the paper and you should see the outline of the objects on the paper then leave the paper to dry. When the paper is fully dry you have a cyanotype.
My first cyanotype was the one with the leafs on. I don't think this cyanotype went very well because i only left it in the sun for about 45 seconds and didn't allow much light to get to it and the blue in the picture is really light and the outline of the leafs kind of blend in to the blue.I do like outline of the leafs and i think the picture would have worked really well if i left in the sun for longer.
I really like my second cyanotype but i think i could have layer the objects out in a better way and filled more empty space.I do like how dark the blue is and i think i leftist in the sun for the right amount of time i left this cyanotic in the sun for about three minuets.
I really like my second cyanotype but i think i could have layer the objects out in a better way and filled more empty space.I do like how dark the blue is and i think i leftist in the sun for the right amount of time i left this cyanotic in the sun for about three minuets.