Assignment # 7 - Cyanotype Paper

 This one was a bit of a headache. Cyanotype paper is a paper that has a development chemcial on it that allows you to create images by placing objects (or negatives) on top of the paper and leaving it out in the sun for a certain period of time. To stop the development you are supposed to rinse the paper with water. 

The first attempts of this was a huge fail. 

I first attempted two different methods to create paper that was somewhat see-through. The White Rabbit on the left was oiled, the Dodo was covered in beeswax. I left them on the windowsill as it was too windy to place them outside.

My second attempt I placed several pieces of jewelry on a sheet..

When I rinsed the sheets, this is what I got:

A blank piece of paper... FAIL!!!

I partially blame the fact that it was not sunny enough, needed more direct sunlight, and I tried a different method of rinsing them.

This time I got much better results.

I started with the Test Strips this time. I placed thin strips of tape on each strip, each one indicating 5 minutes of direct sunlight. This was my result:

Yay! Much better!

So I continued with the topics that we were supposed to include in our 4 images...

First one was Structure as Pattern:

This one was created with Gummy Bears with their shadows.

The second was Cliche-verre (basically meaning creating an image using a transparent surface). I didn't really have much in the way of see through things available for me, so I used a simple zip-lock bag:

The next one was Negative to Positive. Once again, I didn't have much in the way of materials to use, nor did I have enough time for the sun as it seems to move much faster across the sky in the winter. ACH!!! So, I created my own negative using plastic wrap and a sharpie. This one I had to attempt 2x because the first one moved and didn't create enough image:

Failed attempt

Success!

And finally, the last one I created was Body as a Metaphor. I didn't really know what to do for this one, thinking that the hand I did above was the same as Body as a Metaphor, but then I thought, it doens't have to necessarily be MY body... So, I used what I had available again! A Peacock's feather!:

Don't ask me what the metaphor is... Perhaps it's a metaphor about pride? Peacocks are a symbol of pride after all. So far, this one is my favorite result out of all of them.

I had a couple more images I created, with the limited supply of Cyanotype paper I had, but none really fit the criteria or got screwed up.

Hope you enjoyed my final assignment. I know once I understood it better, I did enjoy the results. I look forward to trying more with Cyanotype paper!