Cornflower, wild (Centaurea cyanus) anthotype by Abel Schaminée

“10068” by Abel Schaminée, Arnhem, The Netherlands
Parts used: Petals, the blue-coloured segments of the corolla of the flower
Amount: 2 handfuls
Extracted by: Mortar
Thinner: Tap water and alcohol (70%) by feeling
Application: Brushing

Layers: 2 layers
Substrate: Watercolour paper
Created with: Positive on OHP paper of the 100,68 km wide plato crater of the moon. I took the photo with a wooden pinhole camera, I built myself. For constructing this camera, I manufactured pigments to make it lightproof. These pigments were based on iron and charcoal. The iron was extracted from iron nodules, collected in the field at the Veluwe. I heated these to 1,200° Celsius in a self-built clay oven and the charcoal was made of oak in the same oven. The photo was taken through the Meade 12-inch F10 telescope of the observatory Corona Borealis in Zevenaar.
Exposure: 2 weeks in July, summer 2024
Contrast: ✿✿ (Medium)
Challenges or observations: The petals of the flowers provided too little moisture. Therefore, I added more water and alcohol than usual to make an emulsion. As the petals provide the bright blue colour, I didn’t use other parts of the plants. Using a hake brush gave the best result for not seeing the strokes; bamboo paper did not work that well.
Website: www.abelschaminee.com