Sun Prints

After a review of the history of cyanotypes, and the Cyanotype artists Anna Atkins, students made their own sun prints with personal objects or items found in nature.

For my cyanotype I used a fake flower and a fake branch. Because of the sun not being out that day the plexiglass on top of my project made the process slower. After taking the glass off the results started to show quickly. When putting it in water it turned the shadow white. The image turned out blurry but when it dries the image might become more defined. I think that if I tried this again with thinner objects on a sunnier day I could have had a better chance at it being darker and faster through the plexiglass. ~ Regina W.

In general, I was impressed by my cyanotype print and the process we used to make them. I was surprised by how fast the whole process was and how quickly the sun took effect. The prominence of the use of negative space stood out to me as well. I liked the delicate shape the chain I used made on the cyanotype paper. The snowflake I used also came out well. However, I really wish the mesh I used showed up on the paper. It would have added a lot more to the print. If I did it again I would make sure that the mesh was thick and tight on the paper in order to make an imprint. Other than that, I am happy with my results. I am interested in seeing the final project after it dries. Overall, I would do this project again.  ~Mariel  S.

This project was very intriguing and fun to create. I used a fake fern and sunflower during this project and surprisingly it came out really good. I would consider this project to be a good project because it’s very different and stands out compared to other things I have done. Not only is the project different from others, it also creates very good looking artwork. All in all, my project turned out to look very good and I wouldn’t mind doing this project again in the future. ~ Corey S.

After completing the Cyanotype print, I am pleased with the outcome of my artwork and the process that takes place. Before I brought the artwork into the sunlight, I was skeptical about whether it would actually look like the professional pieces we were shown. I laid out my two objects onto the paper and tried to get subtle detail with positive space throughout, which I think I accomplished. At first I had Plexi-Glass on top of my cyanotype to hold down my objects, but because of the overcast the process was taking a little bit longer, so I had to remove the glass. Once the glass was removed, you could immediately see the paper changing from the sunlight at a fast rate. After bringing the paper inside and removing the objects, I could tell that my objects had successfully made a design on the cyanotype, but my burlap did not come out as I had wanted it too. I was hoping that the burlap had created a mesh look on the paper but it did not. Overall, I feel my cyanotype was successful and that I would enjoy doing it again. ~Mikenzie P.

This experience was definitely unique, the objects that I used did make it a little bit challenging but I managed to make the most of it work. Seeing the water soak the paper up and watching it turn white was definitely fascinating. The process of the sun drying out the paper was cool because it made the whole thing super quick and easy; it was cool to witness. Rearranging the objects to create the perfect image was a bit hard because you wanted it to look great. Overall it was a lot of fun and easier than what I thought it was going to be, my objects used were a shell, a crystal and a necklace. ~ Haley  M.

In this mini project, we used cyanotype paper and the sun to create really amazing still images. I pressed down fake ferns and flowers onto my paper because I thought how intricate the leaves and negative space would look cool. I like this project, and I hope that I can do it again with more detailed products because you can capture anything on paper in a matter of seconds. I like the simplicity and the feeling of accomplishment after the picture develops and you can see what you created. ~ Morgan L.

The process was more simple than I thought it would be and it was a good experience. ~ John B.

Overall I thought the cyanotype process was interesting and enjoyable. It is pretty cool how it works and how fast it happens. I was a little disappointed with how my picture came out. I liked how the metal pieces made cool shapes all over the paper, but my leaf plant did not show up very well. If I were to do it again I would probably try to flatten the leaves in the hope that maybe it would make the picture show up more. Other than that I am satisfied with how mine came out. This was a cool project and something I would do again if I had the chance.  ~ Layla A.