In this workshop, you’ll explore the chemistry of blueprints and the power of the sun with artist Emily Jeffords. Emily shares the process of cyanotype with a step-by-step guide on how she creates beautiful pieces of art using foliage and found objects. Utilizing a mixture of chemicals, the action of light, and a mastery of techniques, you’ll get to create inspiring silhouettes. This workshop includes Emily’s technique in a video tutorial and an accompanying box of tools and materials including Emily’s preferred thick cotton paper and chemicals to process cyanotype art curated through a small business collaboration with a US-based photo studio.

Cyanotype is a photographic printing process that dates back to the mid-1800s that was frequently used by engineers as an effective process to produce copies of drawings (or blueprints). The process uses two chemicals: ammonium ferric citrate and potassium ferricyanide. In this workshop, we are using hot pressed watercolor paper that is sturdy enough to withstand a coating of these chemicals (frequently referred to as Chemical A + Chemical B) as well as a water bath before the finished print is produced.

This workshop includes:

-Tools and materials to create several cyanotype pieces
-A detailed, digital workshop on the techniques and execution of cyanotype art
-A live & recorded Maker Chat Q&A with our artist

The tools & materials in our cyanotype kit include:

-A selection of sturdy, thick, hot pressed 100% cotton paper to experiment with
-A kit of cyanotype chemical processing liquids: ammonium ferric citrate and potassium ferricyanide
-A paint brush for application
-A black bag to help aide in your portable darkroom
-A custom white frame to fit a finished 8×10″ cyanotype artwork piece