Cyanotypes - My Take on a “19th-Century Photocopy”

What is a cyanotype?

The cyanotype, a photographic printing process that produces a cyan-blue print was invented in 1842 by English scientist and astronomer Sir John Herschel, as an inexpensive way of reproducing notes and diagrams, as in blueprints. 

The process involves coating paper with a mix of ferric ammonium citrate and potassium ferricyanide. This light-sensitive solution is then applied to a receptive surface (such as paper or cloth) and allowed to dry in the dark.

An image can be produced by exposing the sensitized paper to a source of UV light.

The result is an insoluble blue pigment (ferric ferrocyanide) known as Prussian blue. Exposure time varies from a few seconds in direct sun, to 10–20 minutes on a cloudy day. Areas where the light is blocked by way of an object (such as a plant), will remain white. 

After exposure, the paper is developed by washing in cold water: the water-soluble iron salts are washed away and the parts that were exposed to light turn blue as the Prussian blue pigment remains in the paper. This is what gives the print its typical color. 

ANNA ATKINS

My first prints were influenced by Anna Atkins, a nineteenth century English photographer and botany specialist. She published the first book with photographic illustrations which were artistic cyanotypes of her collection of plant specimens. 

She placed plants directly onto coated paper and let the light create a silhouette (photogram). This is the type of art we often associate with cyanotypes these days.

MY APPROACH

I take a loose approach to the medium, mixing found objects, stencils, negatives, and printing papers to produce collaged imagery. Sometimes I expose outside where the light is unpredictable; at other times I work in a darkroom under a stable set of conditions.

Adventures with the medium include:
– Changing exposure times and double printing (repeating the process over a dried print)
results in a range of colors from gray-blue to Prussian.

– Printing over a watercolor painting or an existing monotype which contains ink that acts as a resist.

– Adding colored pencil, pastel or screenprinting on top of the dried print. 

No matter the approach, the best results happen on high-quality cotton watercolor paper or cotton fabric. Each piece is one of a kind.  

I find delight in this experimental approach and plan to keep pushing the boundaries of this medium. 

Please visit my website to see examples of how I’ve adapted this process to the way I see things.