Stinging nettles (Urtica dioica) anthotype by Cassie Stukofski

“Ginkgo Vertotype Diptych” by Cassie Stukofski, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Parts used: Leaves
Amount: One-third to half a paper grocery bag, rinsed and de-stemmed
Extracted by: Simmer and reduce in a 4-quart pot for about 5 hours, then strain and filter. This made approximately 5 cups of nettle extract
Solvent: Distilled water
Application: Hake brush

Layers: 2 layers (for double exposure)
Substrate: Heavyweight white Stonehenge paper
Created with: Photogram of ginkgo leaves collected in Broad Ripple
Exposure: First exposure was 3 hours and second exposure 1 hour in June 2026 in a DIY exposure unit. The unit has Barrina T5 10W LED grow lights, 5000 kw with full spectrum. They were placed about 6 inches away.
Contrast: ✿✿ (Medium)
Challenges or observations: Make sure the surface is evenly coated; multiple coatings work best. The vertotype print (a cross between a cyanotype and an anthotype) needs extra rinsing during development, similar to a cyanotype. Pretreated paper can be stored in the dark and still prints well.
Additional information: I prepared my ‘hot’ extraction following Pedro Mendes Leal’s process in the “Vertotypes” article. I mixed the cooled nettle extract (1:1 ratio) with dissolved potassium ferricyanide to create the emulsion. I kept the mixture refrigerated for about 3 weeks, with degrading results.
Note from editor: This is not strictly an anthoytpe. By mixing the nettle extract with potassium ferricyanide, the artist is using a process called vertotype. Vertotypes are a cross between cyanotype and anthotype, using one of the chemicals from cyanotype and a plant emulsion.
Website: https://bunnywoodcreations.wordpress.com/