“Slice-Acado” by Ralph Rinke
Country: North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Parts used: Skins: cleaned off all the flesh and chopped finely
Amount: 30 grams
Extracted by: Soaking in 100 mL distilled water with 10 mL of ammonia added, over
a period of one to two weeks. The ammonia will bring out the reds: shake/stir to
aerate the emulsion every day to intensify the colour
Thinner: Distilled water for smoother, easier coating
Application: Brushing with synthetic brush
Layers: 6
Substrate: Watercolour paper, Stonehenge, white 250 gsm cotton rag
Created with: Positive on Fixxon transparency material printed with Epson P600
Exposure: Approx. 130 hours/17 days over 4 weeks; about 7.5 hours per day, June 06-July 03, summer, 2023
Contrast: ✿✿ (Medium)
Challenges: Subsequent prints had a lower contrast and were solarized in the shadow areas. This was the case with emulsions from both the avocado skins and the avocado pits. This could be due to a variation in the avocados used.
Additional information or observations: Prints produced from the avocado skins are a dark reddish brown colour and had a coarser texture (the emulsion was not filtered), whereas prints using the emulsion from the avocado pits are a lighter pinkish brown colour and had a very fine smooth texture. When collecting your avocado skins and pits for printing, save them in the freezer.
See gallery: AlternativePhotography.com/ralph-rinke/
Instagram: @ralphrinke
Website: ralphrinke.ca
This anthotype is part of World Anthotype Day
World Anthotype Day - celebrated annually since 2022 was started by AlternativePhotography.com. Our global community of artists celebrates the anthotype process by submitting prints. These works are added to our database here and compiled into reference books. The purpose is to build a large resource where artist can learn which pigments and plants work and draw inspiration from others. The reference books can be found here:
Volume 1 is the first book in the series:
Volume 1 contains 60 unique anthotype emulsions from 103 artists taking part from 31 countries.
Volume 3 pushes the boundaries with emulsions not only from plants and pigments, but also from beans, moss and mushrooms. 135 artists shared their research.
In Volume 4 we will combine entries from both 2025 and 2026 into one beautiful double edition to include even more inspiring work, insights, and pigments to explore. The release for the combined World Anthotype Day book is planned for November 2026 – a richer, more comprehensive collection worth the wait.
Anthotype Emulsions, Volume 4 – The collective research from photographers on World Anthotype Day 2025 and 2026
If you want to learn more about making anthotypes there is also the first "how-to" book:
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A fusion of moments and visions from artists working in alternative photographic processes – featuring 90+ inspirational alternative photographic processes images.
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Step into a world where light, chemistry, and creativity collide. 137 artists push the boundaries of alternative photography, with processes like cyanotype, gum, and platinum printing to create unique, handcrafted images. They showcase their work, insights, and inspiration.
2 thoughts on “Avocado, probably “Hass” from California / Mexico (Persea americana) anthotype by Ralph Rinke”
Hello Dani,
I did not use a mordant or fixative with paper, I can not speak to fabric.
Yes, I coated the print 6 times with my emulsion, drying between coatings
If your emulsion is weak or thin, you may want to allow some evaporation or keep coating with your emulsion until you get the desired density.
Do you need a mordant or fixative when using avocado? And when you say 6 layers – that’s 6 coatings of dye letting them dry in between?
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Layers: 6
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World Anthotype Day
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Hello Dani,
I did not use a mordant or fixative with paper, I can not speak to fabric.
Yes, I coated the print 6 times with my emulsion, drying between coatings
If your emulsion is weak or thin, you may want to allow some evaporation or keep coating with your emulsion until you get the desired density.
Do you need a mordant or fixative when using avocado? And when you say 6 layers – that’s 6 coatings of dye letting them dry in between?