About 5 years ago I bought a Cyanotype kit. Between no time, losing it and the weather I had never actually managed to use it. Until now.
My first use, despite watching several YouTube videos, I still managed to do it all wrong. I mixed up the chemicals and painted the mixed media paper with it and then laid on the plant material whilst it was still wet.
Of course it went strange colours and steamed up under the perspex. I still went through the motions though.
I washed it off after several minutes. You can see where the perspex touched the wet liquid on the paper and made a nasty mark.
The keys were ok though as they didn't need weighing down.
After re reading up on what I was supposed to do properly I prepared some new paper which I'd cut down to the size I wanted to use. I am lucky in that one of my spare bedrooms has a blackout blind for the grandchildren and it's really dark when it's pulled. I sat in there with a small side light on and painted the paper, some very carefully leaving a border around the edge.
I left them overnight in the dark room to dry. I also put some plant material under the weight of books overnight too. They don't have to be dried but I thought if they were flat it would help especially as I was doing such small pieces.
Today I laid the plant material onto the papers on my art boards and laid the perspex sheet over the top.
I put them outside in the direct sun for a few minutes and watched as they changed colour to a greeny blue.
I had also used up the last of the chemical on a piece of white cotton and used that too.
When I thought they had finished developing I took them inside and washed them under the tap for several minutes to wash out the last of the yellow that was still under the plants before it too changed.
I was really quite pleased with the results.
Including the papers without the borders.
Now which do I prefer????
My first use, despite watching several YouTube videos, I still managed to do it all wrong. I mixed up the chemicals and painted the mixed media paper with it and then laid on the plant material whilst it was still wet.
Of course it went strange colours and steamed up under the perspex. I still went through the motions though.
The keys were ok though as they didn't need weighing down.
After re reading up on what I was supposed to do properly I prepared some new paper which I'd cut down to the size I wanted to use. I am lucky in that one of my spare bedrooms has a blackout blind for the grandchildren and it's really dark when it's pulled. I sat in there with a small side light on and painted the paper, some very carefully leaving a border around the edge.
I left them overnight in the dark room to dry. I also put some plant material under the weight of books overnight too. They don't have to be dried but I thought if they were flat it would help especially as I was doing such small pieces.
Today I laid the plant material onto the papers on my art boards and laid the perspex sheet over the top.
I put them outside in the direct sun for a few minutes and watched as they changed colour to a greeny blue.
I had also used up the last of the chemical on a piece of white cotton and used that too.
When I thought they had finished developing I took them inside and washed them under the tap for several minutes to wash out the last of the yellow that was still under the plants before it too changed.
I was really quite pleased with the results.
Including the papers without the borders.
Now which do I prefer????
