Introduction to Cyanotype Workshop

Cyanotype is one of the oldest photographic printing processes, invented in 1842.The process works by coating paper with a light-sensitive iron solution, then exposing it to UV light. Wherever light reaches the paper, a rich blue develops. Wherever it's blocked, the paper stays white. It's a simple chemical reaction that produces bold, graphic images.In this workshop, you'll learn the whole process from start to finish. We'll coat paper with cyanotype solution, then use our UV exposure unit to develop your prints. Along the way, you'll learn how exposure time affects contrast and detail, and how to compose an image that will translate well into this high-contrast blue-and-white medium. You'll also get hands-on practice designing and cutting your own stencils, working out how shapes and negative space come together once exposed.Over the session, you'll experiment with a range of approaches to see how differently each one prints:

• Hand-made stencils — cut your own shapes and patterns to block the light directly
• Natural objects — leaves, feathers, and other found materials placed straight onto the paper for delicate, detailed silhouettes
• Hand-drawn sketches — transferred onto tracing to create linear, illustrative prints
• Photographic images — turned into high-contrast negatives for portrait or landscape-style cyanotypes

By the end of the session, you'll go home with a set of your own cyanotype prints, along with a solid understanding of how to keep experimenting with the process at home.Beginner-friendly — no photography or printmaking experience needed. A series of prints Read more details