Cyanotypes

Process to creating a cyanotype –

The cyanotype is made up of mixing the two chemicals Potassium ferricyanide and Ferric ammonium citrate (green)  and are mixed with water separately. The two solutions are then mixed together equally.

For the canvas, you can use many types of materials, (such as paper, card fabric) as long as it can absorb the solution that will be coated onto the canvas, then it has to dry in the dark ( I suggest doing the twice).

To make a print an object or negatives is placed on top of the canvas and exposed to UV light (this could be sunlight, a light box or a UV lamp)

To process the cyanotype it should be placed into water and rinsed by continually dragging the canvas through the water gently (the water should be changed when it starts to become yellow) when doing this a white image should appear on a blue background. Once the image is clear all that needs to be done is let the print dry.

Equipment needed –

• 25 grams of Ferric ammonium citrate (green)
• 10 grams of Potassium ferricyanide
• Water
• Scale or measuring spoons
• Measuring jug
• 3 glass containers for mixing ingredients
• Plastic spoons
• Face mask
• Goggles
• Rubber gloves
• Apron or old shirt
• Newspaper to cover work surface
• Cleaning cloth
• Brushes
• Clothes pegs
• Washing line or rope
• Art paper or fabric for coating
• Glass or a contact print frame
• Sunshine or a UV light source

My first print originally came out really well before and after I rinsed the print but as it was drying it started to fade, I realised this was because I only painted one layer of the solution onto the fabric, I then realised for future prints I would have to paint two layers instead onto the canvas.  

This is my second attempt at doing a cyanotype, for this I used to layers of the solution as well as a photo with a High Dynamic Range, as it looks really good with this technique. I used the same material as my first attempt (fabric).

 For my third attempt I decided to map paper as my canvas, I think it came out really well and I would defiantly think about using it again if it was related to the subject.

Over all I would defiantly use this technique again as it is an interesting and different way to show images and is easy to transfer both object and photos (either from a digital shoot or film shoot). Creating a cyanotype is also a very hands on process which is a really nice thing to do when I tent to be working through a screen for a lot of my work.