People seem so mystified by the Cyanotype/Sunprint/BluPrint process. I hope this helps clear up what it is exactly I do on a day when the sun is out to make everything that lovely blue.
1. the paper is painted ahead of time with a mix of 2 salt iron compounds (dont ask me the names, I didn;t do so hot in 10th grade chemistry..). It has to be done inside away from any UV light. It is sort of a highlighter green color when it goes down.
2. Then I place the drawing (on vellum or something like acitate over it, take it outside (my garage is the dark staging area) and quickly place it under glass on a table facing the sun.
3. The paper starts to turn bluish then grey. It takes anywhere from 10min in the summer to 30 now in the winter. Every place the I drew or painted on the drawing blocks the light from hitting the paper and keeps it from turning. So they act as negatives. Its ready to wash when the background is grey.
4. I pull it out from under the glass and away from the drawing and move it to the shade where I hose it off. This fancy beach chair of Claire’s does the job nicely…works as a screen. I have to get all of the green hosed away to stop the turning process. It starts to go back to blue as its drying. My favorite part is the washing…its like magic.
then it just dries and is ready to go!
All in a days work! (Although it has taken me 5 or 6 months to feel like I’m doing it right.) I get rather wet and the dog likes to take part in all of this too.
