Cyanotype Ideas

We had some nice weather lately so we decided to do some cyanotype prints in the sun and show some ideas what you can create with our cyanotype papers and kits. We went for a short walk and looked around our garden. We gathered leaves, plants that we thought would look good as a cyanotype. We also found some old unused kitchen and household items to create some photograms with.

What you need to create cyanotype prints:

Either a cyanotype set, brush, plain paper that is thick enough to withstand the washing process and works well with cyanotypes
or
Our pre coated cyanotype paper
glass and backplate of old picture frames
objects that have interesting shapes or are semitransparent, leaves, plants etc.
Water in a tub to wash out the prints after they have been exposed
and sunshine (different times of the day will produce different shadows and different prints)

Before you start please make sure you follow safety advise that comes with the cyanotype products. Work under low light while you compose your designs otherwise you have to work very quickly as the paper starts to expose in sunlight. If you are using thin objects like leaves and most plants you will need to cover them with a piece of glass or perspex to ensure good contact with the paper. Plants with a lot of detail look nice, like on the pictures below. In bright sunlight you should be able to expose in 5 -10 minutes, look for the gray colour in the unexposed areas. You only need plain water to wash the print until the unexposed Cyanotype solution washes off and the water runs clear. Your prints will darken a lot while drying.

Some Ideas

You can create a variety of designs by choosing a mixture of opaque and semi-transparent objects. This is called a Photogram. You can even make shapes out of different object or leaves like the bird on the pictures below.

Have fun and get creative and you will definitely have some pictures to frame in the end of the day.

Safety advise:

Always wear appropriate safety clothing and equipment when working with chemicals. Children should always be supervised when using cyanotype chemicals or cyanotype chemical coated products.

Your floors, carpets, walls, work surfaces, clothes and skin can be stained by the chemicals. Cover all possible areas, use rubber gloves and an apron or an old shirt to work in.

Always wash your hands and items after they have been in contact with the cyanotype chemicals and prints.