Making my First Cyanotypes
I’ve been on a mission for years to learn how to make cyanotype prints. It took a while to accumulate all the supplies I needed and to build a UV exposure box. However, I’ve finally procured everything I needed, and started to experiment with cyanotypes. It was difficult at first. My first 10 or so prints looked like garbage. I was ready to give up. I tried one last thing- a new paper. And it made all the difference!
Here are a few things that I’ve learned:
Slow down. I have a habit of if trying to rush things. I think it’s a side effect of working in corporate America for most of my career, where everything has to be done right now. Making cyanotype prints has been a nice departure from that, almost a meditative experience. You have to make the chemistry, coat the paper evenly, let it dry for a few hours, expose, develop, and dry for a few more hours. Making each print is a process, often taking an entire day to make a finished product.
Paper makes a huge difference. Because I was just learning, I figured I would use a less expensive watercolor paper. Big mistake. My prints were very inconsistent. I would treat two exactly that same, and one would come out OK, and another would look terrible. I was having issues with spots, streaks, and pictures fading. I suspected it might be a paper issue, maybe alkalinity in the paper. I tried a more expensive watercolor paper with 25% cotton, and it was night and day better, and cut my UV exposure times in half. At some point, I plan to try some of the more expensive watercolor papers that are 100% cotton, such as Hahnemuhle- it’s just hard to justify paying $85 for a pack of paper when I’m just learning.
Making a good negative is really important. Learning to make a digital negative was one of the most time consuming processes to learn. However, in my learning journey, I found some tools that created really good results. I’m sure there are opportunities to continue improving, but one step at a time! I’ll share more of what I learned in a separate post.
In the meantime, enjoy a YouTube video that I put together that details my experience:
