I wouldn’t consider myself one to be too artistically inclined. I am unable to draw, I am not crafty, and I certainly cannot make music. It’s not that I don’t enjoy doing crafts; I do. I just was not blessed with this natural talent. That’s why, when I came across cyanotype, I was intrigued.
Discovered in , cyanotype is a method of photographic printing that employs a slow-reacting chemical mixture that changes color when exposed to sunlight. Interestingly, Herschel did not originally intend for cyanotype to be used as a photographic tool, but happened upon it in search of a way to copy his notes more efficiently.
A Snapshot of History
Before we delve into cyanotype, it is important to discuss the context that bred its conception. The , named after its inventor Louis Jacques Mande Daguerre, was actually the first photographic printing method to hit the market. In Daguerre’s method, one takes a sheet of copper thinly coated with silver and exposes it to iodine and bromine vapors. This results in the production of silver iodide, which is light-sensitive. Once this process is complete, the plate is then placed inside the camera for photographic exposure. Once the image is “received’, the plate can be placed face down onto mercury fumes, which, in turn, develops the image. While the image has been printed, it is still not safe from the sunlight. To protect it, the image is then fixed in a solution of table salt or sodium chloride. Then, for the final touch, it is washed in water and dried. This whole process took about 10-15 minutes. Not bad!
Coincidentally, at the same time as Daguerre, Englishman, was developing a nearly identical process – but this time using paper (not copper). While on his honeymoon in 1833 in Lake Como, Talbot was frustrated that his drawings were unable to capture the beauty of his surroundings. (This story sounds all too familiar to me…)
In Talbot’s process, he first figured to coat paper with table salt and silver nitrate. When combined, these solutions create a light-sensitive silver chloride. Once the paper had dried, Talbot placed a photographic negative on top of the paper and exposed it to sunlight. This direct exposure to the light is how the image was produced. Once the paper has been exposed, he placed into a salt bath to remove the excess chemicals and to stop development. Like daguerreotype, the image must also be “fixed” in a bath of sodium thiosulphate (a.k.a. hypo – for any photography experts).
Enter: Prussian Blue
So, where does Herschel fall into all of this?
Interestingly enough, he was approached by Talbot when he was trying to figure out how to fix his images permanently. Prior to this, Talbot’s finished prints had to be kept in dark rooms or low-light settings to avoid the images disappearing.
Intrigued by this image development process, Herschel decided he wanted to get his hands dirty. Both Daguerre and Talbot, along with many of the other methods developed during this time, utilized silver-based printing methods. Herschel took a different approach and developed a mixture that uses : ferric ammonium citrate and potassium ferricyanide. When exposed to sunlight, these salts produce a gorgeous blue-colored (Prussian blue) print. However, it was not Herschel, but artist and amateur botanist who popularized the art medium. Wanting to depict plant structures more accurately, Atkins used cyanotype to model British algae, which would then become the .
The beauty of cyanotype lies in its versatility. The chemicals can be brushed onto cloth, paper, wood, and other materials. As someone who did cyanotype myself this past week, I can assure you that it is extremely user-friendly. In fact, it could just make for the perfect birthday gift! Here is a step-by-step guide:
- Purchase a pre-mixed cyanotype kit – available at many art stores - and follow the necessary preparation instructions.
- Choose your material that you would like to print on (such as fabric or paper). Take a sponge and coat it evenly with the cyanotype solution. Allow it to dry completely in a cool and dark place. A dark bathroom will do!
- Go on a walk and collect items such as flowers and leaves or gather photo negatives. You will use these to create your print.
- Once your coated material has fully dried, arrange your object(s) on top of the material. This is your piece of art – use creative freedom!
- Carefully place a sheet of glass on top of your arrangement and use clips such as black paper clamps to help the glass in place.
- Move your work into direct sunlight and leave it there for 5-10 minutes. Your material should be a dark blue-grey color when it is ready.
- Bring your piece inside and give it a good rinse under cold water to make sure you get all the chemicals out.
- Finally, you can hang your art in a dark space to allow it to fully dry.
This activity is a great way to engage with the environment around us, while also prompting creativity. It allows us to appreciate the small things that we otherwise may ignore, like an interesting flower, or a caterpillar-chewed leaf. Try it out!
