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Bridget Arnold. Artist - explore her work further. 

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Bridget Arnold. Artist - explore her work further. 

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Bridget Arnold | Cyanotype Artist Sun Printing & Textiles

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Sun Printing or Cyanotype is the alternative Photography technique of capturing natural objects and transferring them onto paper and textiles.

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Nature has been the inspiration for many forms of art and literature throughout history.

In fact, it inspired the very first photographically illustrated book.

Cyanotype photography is a camera-less technique that involves laying an object on paper coated with a solution of iron salts before exposing it to UV light and washing with water to create stunning white and Prussian blue images.

Here we delve into the history of cyanotypes and how to create your very own at home.

Sir John Herschel: The inventor of cyanotypes

Sir John Herschel began by experimenting with sun prints (or photograms). These were one of the earliest forms of photography and involved laying an object on chemically-treated paper before exposing it to a light source.

Later, in 1842, he used paper coated with a solution of iron salts, sun exposure and a water wash to create the very first cyanotype - a white image on a deep blue background.

This method proved to be easier, cheaper, and more durable than the previous silver-based method.

It may not look like the type of photography that we are used to, but Herschel was able to use cyanotype printing to make copies of his notes and diagrams.

Did you know? The term 'blueprint' comes from the use of cyanotypes.

Anna Atkins: The first photo book

Anna Atkins produced what is known as the first photographic illustrated book, Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions, in 1843.

Atkins was a talented illustrator but wanted to find a more accurate way to depict the structure of a plant.

Her passion for botany along with the discovery of cyanotypes meant that over the span of 10 years she was able to create 3 volumes of work, representing a key step in the history of scientific illustration.

How do cyanotypes work?

When ferric ammonium citrate or ferric ammonium oxalate is mixed with potassium ferricyanide, it becomes sensitive to UV light.

These chemicals can be painted onto paper or fabric and left to dry in a dark room. Once dry, objects can be arranged onto the paper and placed in the sun.

The UV rays from the sun react with the chemicals on the paper to create the recognisable cyan-blue background. Where the paper has been covered with an object it will remain white.

Once the chemicals are rinsed off with water, fixing the print so it is no longer sensitive to the sun, you are left with a beautiful print.

How to create your own cyanotype

1) Pick your specimens. Collect leaves or natural material from your garden or local green space, or find objects around your home.

2) Prepare your material. Some kits come with pre-treated paper, otherwise follow the instructions in your cyanotype printing kit.

3) Arrange your specimens. A piece of glass can be placed over your specimens for a sharper image.

4) Place in the sun. It can be a clear hot summer's day or a cloudy winter's day, there will still be UV rays that will help the chemical reaction. The amount of time it needs to be left in the sun, however, may vary depending on the time of the year. 30 minutes on a clear winter's day did the trick here.

5) Once developed enough, take your print inside and keep it out of the sunlight. You will notice that the print looks reversed.

6) It is now time to rinse your print with water. This will wash off any solution and fix the image so that it will no longer be affected by the sun.

7) Leave your print to dry. Once dry you will be left with your own beautiful cyanotype print.

Next Previous

Have fun creating beautiful blue prints - why not share your creations with us on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook, we'd love to see them!

Early photography: Anna Atkins and algae

In pictures: Best spots to photograph at Kew Gardens

Night-time photography top tips

Katie Avis-Riordan, Ines Stuart-Davidson

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Discover one of the oldest photographic printing processes in the history of photography.

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The 24th September marks this year's World Cyanotype Day - an international initiative honouring one of the very first photographic processes. 'Cyanotype' is a process which combines two chemicals (ammonium iron(III) citrate + potassium ferricyanide) with UV light to achieve a high contrast, blue image.

Invented by Sir John Herschel in 1841, the cyanotype process has been consistently revived, a marker of artistic heritage which remains at the forefront of innovation. This World Cyanotype Day, we're shining a Prussian blue spotlight on five women in photography who utilise this distinctive hue.

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5 Artists who Celebrate the Cyanotype - Hundred Heroines

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24th September marks this year's World Cyanotype Day - an international initiative honouring one of the very first photographic processes.

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Exploring cyanotype creatively on paper and fabric

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Learn how to create simple cyanotypes (blue prints) on paper and fabrics throughout the seasons.

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Start of exposure time.

Fabric - silk with lace overlay.

Crystal jam pot.

Leaf.

Blister pack.

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Process - end of exposure time. 30mins. Grey weather. 

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Process - end of exposure time. 30mins. Grey weather. 

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Attempt to print onto OHP plastic then going to expose this but not turn into a negative as want to see the negative sun print.

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Tree and scribbles on off cuts of plastic.

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Process - washed and dried Dartmoor Tree. 

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Process - washed and dried Dartmoor Tree. 

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Process - foliage print. Watercolour paper. 

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Process - foliage print. Watercolour paper. 

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Process - washed and dried. Watercolour paper. Good light on this one. Medium UV day. 

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Process - washed and dried. Watercolour paper. Good light on this one. Medium UV day. 

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I think more light sensitive liquid is required. You can see the printing but very feint.

Both fabrics had been washed to remove any finish that may hinder the process.

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Mark making with natural pigment paints and Inktense sticks.

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Thoughts - mindmap of cyanotype process. 

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Thoughts - mindmap of cyanotype process. 

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Drawing - machine embroidery over natural pigments in browns. 

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Drawing - machine embroidery over natural pigments in browns. 

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You can bleach out the blues to create brown tones with washing soda.

You can then further enhance the brown with tannins from tea, coffee, oak gall etc.

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Contrast. The reverse of the machine embroidery. Nicer tactile feel.

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Explore - shining light through the paper. 

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Explore - shining light through the paper. 

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Khadi paper.

Is it underexposed or was there not enough light sensitive liquid used? Much thicker paper. Took ages to dry even with a hair dryer!

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Process - dull day. Low UV. 40mins exposure time. Foraged plants from farm. 

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Process - dull day. Low UV. 40mins exposure time. Foraged plants from farm. 

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Mid exposure time. not ‘grey’ enough.

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Removal from under the Perspex and leaves removed. Now to wash.

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Just washed. Will develop more whilst drying.

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Drying. Much darker.

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Close up.

What can now be done?

Stitch?

Cut?

Fold?

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Foliage exposed under homemade UV light set up. Light diffused. 40mins exposure.

Needed longer but ran out of time.

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Leaves removed.

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The start of washing.

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Washed. Wet.

Quite pale. A brighter blue.

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Process. OHP plastic scribbles and bleaching. 

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Process. OHP plastic scribbles and bleaching. 

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Writing and scribbles using pigment liner.

Outside exposure. 30mins.

Washed.

Then at base - left to right Bleach poured, diluted bleach and tea bag sat on print for 2 mins. Bicarb of soda - sprinkled on top damp print.

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How to expand.

Can you let the light in?

Layering

Stitch - hand, machine.

Drawing - what covers or highlights?

Collage

Paint

Printing

Shaping/folding

Addition of the foraged leaves or found objects.

Printing over coloured papers, materials.

Printing over pre printed papers and materials

Not painting the whole page in light sensitive liquid - leaving space.

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I have stencilled the shape of a fern in the light sensitive liquid instead of the whole page.

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Printing over faded cyanotype. When dampening the paper it became more washed out and browned.

Printing mono botanical inksafe in sepia.

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Week 4 - cyanotype through a stencil with placed botanicals.  

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Week 4 - cyanotype through a stencil with placed botanicals.  

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Week 4 - stencil cyanotype. More liquid. Lots of rinsing. Still some bleeding. 

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Week 4 - stencil cyanotype. More liquid. Lots of rinsing. Still some bleeding. 

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Botanical mono. Inksafe.

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Printing over cyanotype with addition of gold edible gold leaf (leftover from cake business)

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Gold leaf detail. The Sun. But cyanotype so dark it could be a blood moon.

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Sycamore seeds.

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Sycamore seeds on teabag paper.

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Drying.

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Multi printing. Botanicals and gold leaf ‘sun’. Also some slight embossing.

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To overlay gold leaf to the circle of cyanotype and add stitch?

Different layouts.

More printing

Collage?

Folding/ paper manipulation?

Additional stitched layers?

Moved away from lampshade but may rtn to it at later date.

Loving and frustrated but the cyanotype process. Can see why you can spend years and years doing it.

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overlay gold onto cyanotype. Then botanical monoprint. Cannot dampen the paper so left under pressure in press for slightly longer.

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Closeup.

Am loving the small spiky detail from the QA Lace and grasses in the gold.

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Botanical with gold flakes. Stitched onto Cynotype.

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Print onto a local map.