Wet Cyanotype – injecting colours and double exposing

Tena Smith guides you through a colorful variation of the wet cyanotype process with emphasis on experimentation and creativity. Choosing plant materials, mixing colors, preparing paper, and arranging designs as well as applying colors, and adding soap bubbles and saran wrap are covered to create vibrant, unique cyanotype prints.

Writer and photography / Tena Smith

I would like to first state that I am not an expert in Cyanotype, but I approached this medium as I have all others over the years, with much enthusiasm and a healthy dose of curiosity. My two favourite words in art have always been “what if” followed closely by “why not” and it is those words that have been the catalyst for my newest work and without them, this series would never have been born.

I will not go into the history of Cyanotype or the traditional methods of making them. If you are new to the world of Cyanotype, I recommend taking a look at Cyanotype – The classic process and Wet Cyanotype, both very helpful articles.

When I first started researching Cyanotypes, I was immediately drawn to the wet method. Not only were the results beautiful but I also found the unpredictable and spontaneous nature of the process compelling. Unlike my previous work in other mediums, which was often meticulous and time-consuming, requiring well-thought-out and precise placement in order to achieve the effect I wanted.

Wet Cyanotype, in comparison, seems almost like play. There’s a carefree, lighthearted quality to it. A slight surrender of control that I find freeing.

I also noticed a common element in art and in the tutorials: The use of spices such as turmeric and nutmeg to achieve rust and yellow tones. Coffee grounds, tea and salt were also used to great effect, but I yearned for more color. Naturally, I asked myself… what if? If powdered spice works to stain the paper, then why not other powdered pigments? So, I turned to my art supplies in an effort to inject more color into my creations. The result has been a 3-month journey into a whole new world of artistic exploration. While I have had a few successes and a fair share of failures, each one has been a learning experience. As you begin your experiments, remember that while you can try to set yourself up for success from the beginning, strive to find joy in the unpredictability of this medium. After all, this is a collaboration between you and nature and she will always have her say. When a piece doesn’t come out quite right or the way you had envisioned, just reflect on what could have gone wrong, adapt and try again. So experiment, play and most of all… stay curious.

“I’m still learning that there are no mistakes, only discoveries.”

Materials for wet cyanotypes

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• Cyanotype Chemicals (I use Jacquard) or Chemically Treated Paper 
• Paper – Canson XL Watercolor 140lb 300gsm (Or paper of choice)
• Brush – A Hake brush or Foam Brush
• Distilled Vinegar
• Distilled Water
• Small Mister/Spray Bottle
• Brusho watercolor Powder Pigments
• Rit Dye (Liquid)
• Soap Bubbles (Optional)
• Saran Wrap / Plastic Wrap (Optional)
• Rigid Board (I use the backing board of old frames)
• Glass (Also repurposed from old frames)
• Clamps
• Gloves – These pigments stain!
• Foliage of Choice
• Large Leaves (Or other chosen mask)

A Note on Materials

• Powdered Pigments – Being a multi-media artist, I happened to have a decent selection of powdered pigments at my disposal. So, the experiments began in earnest. I soon realized that not all powders are created equal. While each has its uses, not all are suited to this application. A good rule when choosing pigments for this process is that they are water-soluble and have a staining quality. This is not a hard/fast rule, but it should help you narrow down your choices. I have found watercolor powders (key word water) to be the surest, most reliable choice. For this tutorial and for much of my work in this series, I have chosen Brusho watercolor powders – Numerous other brands and types of pigments work just as well.
  To test if a powder is suitable for this application, take a small cup of water and add a tiny pinch of your pigment. If it dissolves and colors the water, it is probably a good choice. However, if it simply floats, a different product may be required. Floating is an indicator that the pigments may not bond with the paper fibers and while some pigment will stay, the majority will simply wash away in the rinse.
• Sprays – Liquid Rit dye is simply what I had on hand and my color selection was plentiful. There are many ready-made dye and ink sprays on the market that work wonderfully. As my experiments continued, I began to test some of the available brands and have had much success. If you are looking for a more economical solution with a wide range of colors, making your own with Rit dye and distilled water is a good place to start.

• 

  Paper – Your paper choice can have a huge impact on your final result. For this project, I used Canson XL watercolor paper. I find I get consistent results with it. And while it is my go-to choice, I have learned to appreciate the unique characteristics and effects I can achieve using other papers as well. For instance, many fibrous handmade papers give a very rich, deep color result. While Mineral Paper on the other hand gives a very light, ethereal look. Tea Bag Paper is lightweight, translucent, and strong making it perfect for encaustic or collage work. So, experiment to find your favorite.

• Vinegar – I mainly use white distilled vinegar, but apple cider vinegar can be substituted. Conversely, you may choose to forego the use of vinegar and instead use plain, distilled water. In my research, I have often read that vinegar acts as a mordant helping the dyes and pigments to better bond with the paper fibers. While this may or may not be the case, the idea stuck with me and has become part of my process.
• Surface and glass – Any flat, rigid surface can be used as a backing board. Make sure any glass you choose does not have a UV-resistant coating. Both surface and glass should be slightly larger than the paper you are working on in order to have ample room around the edges to accommodate the clamps without interfering with your design.
• Soap Bubbles and Saran Wrap – Both are a personal, aesthetic choice. You can still achieve beautiful results without the use of either.

1Choose Plant Materials
Choosing a mask – I foraged these large magnolia leaves from my yard. I’m blessed to have a few larger-leafed plants that work well for this technique. These measure about 10″ for the largest and 7″ for the smaller but any object or shape you desire can be used as a mask as long as it effectively blocks the UV light. A paper cut-out in a leaf (or desired shape) would work just as well.
Design Elements – When choosing plants for the first exposure, I often keep my elements small. Even the tiniest of flowers can have a big impact. These small weeds from my yard are a go-to source of inspiration. What was once a nuisance is now an abundant and free art material much admired for their tiny shape and form. Coupled with some dyed baby’s breath from a previous project, this small bundle is more than enough to create a pleasing design.

2Choose Color Palette and Mix Sprays
I used 5 colors for this project, 3 in powder form and 2 sprays.
Brusho watercolor Powders: Alizarin Crimson, Orange and Sunburst Lemon.
Sprays: Liquid Rit Dye in the colors Fuchsia and Purple.
I mix my sprays into a small mister bottle with 70% Rit Dye and 30% distilled water. This is just an average. Play with ratios to see which concentration works best for you.
Mix vinegar in a separate bottle also to a ratio of about 70% vinegar to 30% distilled water. Again, this is just an average. I have diluted it as much as 50% and I’ve also used vinegar undiluted. So, as I said before; experiment.

A note on color choices:

Even a very limited color palette can produce a wide range of variations. This technique is very wet which will result in the blending and mixing of colors into one another. So, when choosing colors for your own project, think not only of how those colors compliment while sitting next to each other but also the merging shade created when those two colors combine. To start, you may prefer to choose hues which fall under the 3 primary colors of pigment: Cyan, Magenta and yellow. Or more commonly referred to as Blue, Red and Yellow. And keep in mind, Cyanotype chemicals create blue. So, by the addition of only a red and a yellow pigment you can create beautiful color variations and no two pieces will ever be the same. I have many pieces that I used no purple at all but the blending of the red/fuchsia interacting with the natural blue of the chemicals created lovely shades of lavenders and violets. The same can be said for green when yellow interacts with the blue. But what’s most important is to choose colors that speak to you.
As for the pigments I chose for this project:
Along with the more primary colors of crimson and yellow, there was the addition of 3 secondary colors. The orange powder and the fuchsia and purple sprays. The orange, while being a safe, harmonious color choice, is not strictly necessary. You can still achieve beautiful shades of orange by layering the crimson and yellow powders closely together and letting them blend. You can also achieve a more subtle orange by concentrating the fuchsia spray over the areas of yellow pigment. The purple spray, however, was a slightly less safe choice. While yellow and crimson create beautiful shades of orange, yellow and purple combine to create brown. And while brown certainly has its place in nature and I enjoy small areas of brown for the contrast, if too heavy-handed, I could have ended up with “mud”. To counteract this, I kept the purple spray towards the outer edges of the design and the majority of the yellow in the center. The other colors all blend together very well and luckily it all worked out in the end. This process is a lot of luck. You can be considerate with your color choices as well as their placement but how they decide to move and mingle together once outdoors and in nature’s hands, is part of the magic of this process. Have fun with it!

3Prep Your Paper and Design Layout
I am using Canson XL Cold Pressed watercolor paper that I have pre-treated with Jacquard brand Cyanotype chemicals. Please refer to Cyanotype – the Classic Process if unsure how to do this step. For a wet technique such as this, you can apply your chemicals and work right away (also known as wet on wet) or you can apply your chemicals, let dry and “reactivate” with water, or my preference, vinegar. I often prepare a few papers ahead of time and store them in a light-proof cabinet so that I can work on multiple pieces throughout the day. I try to only prepare as many papers as I think I will use within a day or two but if properly stored your pre-treated papers should last quite a while. Whenever working on your papers, whether designing or adding pigments, always do so in a dimly lit room and limit exposure to UV light until ready for exposure. I like to arrange my foliage on top of the object I’ve chosen as my mask beforehand. I find it helps me to visualize my composition and I can design in well-lit conditions. When composing, I often try to leave space between my foliage to give each element room to breathe. Being a “more is more” kind of girl, I found this concept difficult at first. But over time I began to realize that often, my favorite “moments” in a piece were happening in the spaces between the main elements. The webbing of cells created by the bubbles, a small strand of root receding into the background, a wrinkle from the saran wrap or the exact spot where 2 colors merge to create a third. These small spontaneous occurrences create visual interest and can give your design an added sense of depth and texture.

Once you’re happy with your composition and working in a dimly lit room, transfer your design over to your pre-treated paper. I suggest working with your paper already in position on your chosen backing board. Once your foliage and wet elements are in place, it can be difficult (and messy) to transfer it over later.

4Adding Color
Working on your chosen substrate and with foliage arranged to your liking, it’s time to begin introducing color. With foliage positioned, mist the entire page with your vinegar solution. This is especially important when working with already dried chemicals. Just a light, even mist is all that is needed. Once your page is sufficiently damp, you can begin adding your powders. With gloved hands (these pigments stain!) sprinkle your pigments, concentrating on the areas over and around your main foliage. Because my foliage is small, I mainly concentrated on the “heads” of each flower. Sometimes filling in with a small bit of color between when needed. Don’t overdo it. This is a very wet technique and once your liquids are applied, your powders will naturally start to disperse and spread. So, there is no need to cover every area with color at this stage.

Once you’re happy with your dried pigments it is time to move on to your sprays. I tend to work intuitively and just spritz the colors around where it feels right. Sometimes spraying the fuchsia over the corresponding crimson powder to punch up the color a bit and other times spritzing a little over the yellow powder in order to create a hint of orange. It can be harder to control spray placement when working within a small space with tiny elements so don’t worry if you have overspray. The sprays carry a lighter pigment load than the powders, making them perfect for softer color transitions and subtle variations in the spaces between foliage. Often, if I have a design with a large, open background I’ll spray a light yellow over the cyanotype chemicals which gives me a lovely soft sage green backdrop in place of the deep blue that the chemicals create on their own. The color stories you can achieve with this process are endless and the more you work with the colors and experiment with different combinations, the more confident you will become.

For this piece, in an effort to preserve some of the yellow highlights in the center, I chose to keep my sprays focused towards the outer areas of the design. With the lighter of the two, the fuchsia closest to the center and the deeper purple on the outmost edges. Once the soap and glass are added, the colors will start to mingle and do as they please, anyways. Which is why choosing a harmonious color story from the beginning is the easiest way to set yourself up for success. Once your powders and sprays are down, if you feel like your pigments aren’t moving enough, you may want to give another light misting of your vinegar solution. This is especially important for pieces where larger foliage is chosen. As you’re looking for fluid movement both around and under your design.

5(Optional step) Soap Bubbles and Saran Wrap
Which leads us to the soap bubbles and saran wrap. While both of these elements are optional, I very much enjoy the interesting effects that are created by each. But if I were to choose only one to use, it would have to be the soap bubbles. Not only for the beautiful cell-like patterns it creates but also for the additional wet element it introduces to the process. If your pigments weren’t moving before, this will really get things flowing. It adds a sense of movement to your piece, both literally and figuratively in your final outcome. The additional wet element on top helps to push your pigments under the foliage, thus helping to add color to the flowers and leaves in your final print, instead of merely coloring the spaces around them. This is less important when choosing small flowers such as the ones we are using here but if you do decide to work with larger plant material, it’s a good tip to know. As a rule, the larger my paper and foliage, the wetter I tend to work. You can create nice big bubbles by adding dish washing liquid to a shallow pan of water and whisking briskly with a fork. Gently scoop the bubbles up with a gloved hand or spatula and transfer to your design, concentrating them around your main focal points. Once the glass is added, they will spread and disperse around your page. How much or how little you add is up to you.

Once your bubbles are in place, you may choose to add the saran wrap. I use a piece slightly larger than my substrate and glass, place it on top then gently push down in certain areas to create a few wrinkles, being careful not to disturb foliage. And while I enjoy the additional lines and texture that saran wrap creates, I also realize that it is a single use plastic. If you would like to use it while also minimizing waste, I have found that the saran wrap stays adhered to the glass after exposure. By simply leaving it in place, you can reuse the same piece of saran wrap numerous times. Simply wipe down with a damp cloth to clean when needed. If still looking for a more natural alternative, I have found many beautiful options in my own backyard. Plant roots, for instance, create beautiful lines and complex shapes when added as a background element. Spanish moss creates wonderful little swirls and tendrils. Reusable stencils, lace, cheesecloth…the possibilities are endless. So, look around your garden and home with fresh eyes and see what alternatives you can come up with.

6First Exposure
Once my bubbles and saran wrap are down, I like to move fairly quickly. Gently place your glass on top, again being careful not to disturb your foliage and clamp in place. I use chip clips, clothespins, whatever is on hand, making sure to have good contact on all sides. Take outside and expose.

Exposure times can vary greatly depending on your climate, time of year, time of day and your own personal preference. Some artists leave their wet Cyanotypes out for days or even weeks. Others only an hour or two. A wet Cyanotype will continue to react and change to the elements over time. Sometimes in subtle ways and sometimes drastic. When to halt the exposure is entirely up to you. And as the seasons change, so must your process. In the Winter months I would often leave a piece out for a full day and sometimes overnight but as Summer approaches, I find I am exposing for shorter and shorter periods. This particular piece was exposed for about 3 hours in moderate/high UV.

If you’re familiar with the more traditional wet Cyanotype method, you may find yourself looking for the tell-tale signs of exposure that you would normally see. With this process of introducing more colorful pigments and dyes to the chemicals, you may find it more challenging to spot the different stages of exposure. The more color added to the page, the more subtle each transition will seem. Overexposure, in this case, is preferable to underexposure. For this piece, the colors were mainly focused on the center of the page, making it easier to see the silvery grey around the edges, which is the hallmark of a fully developed print. A good rule of thumb for me is to expose at least until the majority of moisture and wet elements have evaporated/dried out and that will vary depending on time, heat and other climate conditions of the day. So, experiment with what works for you and know that the more you work with this more colorful method, the more you will train your eye to recognize when a print has reached that “sweet spot”.

7Rinse
When you’ve decided your print has “cooked” long enough, it’s time to rinse. Rinse in cold water for a minimum of 10-20 minutes, changing water often. It is very important to rinse this first exposure well. You’re not only trying to rinse away all traces of Cyanotype chemicals but also any excess pigments that didn’t bond with the paper. In the beginning, you may see your colors deepen and appear muddy but as you continue to rinse, they become brighter and more defined. I’ve often thought I was finished rinsing but decided to continue and was surprised to see it continue to brighten. It is always better to rinse too long than not enough. Once thoroughly rinsed hang or lay flat to dry. I leave my prints to dry overnight.

8Second Exposure
Once your first exposure is thoroughly dried, you are ready for the second exposure. Working in a dimly lit room, prepare your chemicals (see Cyanotype – The Classic Process if unsure how to do this step) and recoat your entire print. I’m using a hake brush, but foam brushes also work well. You want nice, even coverage with no pooling of chemicals. I do several passes, working up and down and side to side smoothing away any brush strokes. Set aside in a cool, dark place away from any UV light. I typically leave it to dry for about an hour. Working in low light, place your print onto your backing board and arrange leaves or chosen mask over any areas of the print you would like to preserve. Any areas left uncovered and exposed to light will lose the original color/pattern and turn a deep blue. Remember those “moments” in a piece I mentioned earlier? This is the stage where you get to choose. It’s all up to you which moments to preserve and which to let go of. Whether it’s a particularly beautiful section that you would like to be a focal point or a less desirable spot that you wish to erase, the choice is yours. Embrace the unpredictable nature of this process and don’t be afraid to pivot when needed. I’ve often switched gears and deviated from the original plan in order to save what could have otherwise been a failed print. Choosing a different shape/layout in order to take advantage of the best and most beautiful areas of your initial print is the surest path to a successful outcome.

If, like myself, you have chosen an organic mask such as a leaf, it is important to note that some leaves are more suitable than others. Some have more transparency, therefore allowing more light to pass through. And while this is often desirable in Cyanotype for the beautiful veining and details that can be achieved, it is detrimental to this project. Any light that penetrates your chosen mask will dull your colors and erase the hard work you’ve done thus far. If you’re unsure of the transparency of your chosen mask, I recommend testing the exposure on a blank piece of treated paper before risking your print.

So, with moments chosen and mask in place, clamp your glass down firmly assuring good contact between mask and print. Then take outside for a second exposure. I exposed my print for a little over an hour in moderate/high UV conditions. A Cyanotype will go through color changes as it develops. You may see it turn from yellow to greenish/blue then to rusty brown tones and finally to a silvery grey. Once it has reached the grey stage it is usually fully developed. However, the longer you leave it to develop, the deeper the blue that can be achieved.

Once your print is fully exposed, rinse in cold water for a minimum of 10 minutes, changing the water often. At the beginning of the second rinse your image will be reversed. Your colorful leaves will appear mostly blue, and your background will be a light, silvery grey but as you continue to rinse your colors will slowly “flip”. That light grey background will deepen and the colors within your leaves will slowly emerge. Rinse until the water runs clear and no trace of the chemicals is left behind. When no chemicals remain, your colors should once again be as vibrant as they were after your initial exposure and your background will be a deep blue.

9(Optional step) Final Result and Optional Peroxide RinseThe blue should continue to deepen over the coming days but if, like me, you are impatient a quick dip in a hydrogen peroxide bath will speed up oxidation. Just a small cap full in a few inches of water and a quick 30 second dip is all that is needed. Rinse again with cold water to get rid of any peroxide residue and hang or lay flat to dry. And that’s it! All that is left is to sit back and admire your colorful Cyanotype creation.

Tena Smith is a multidisciplinary artist whose work in a variety of mediums has been showcased and sold in multiple galleries and boutiques across the state of Florida since 2007. Her love of experimental techniques can be seen in much of her work no matter the medium. Finding endless joy in the creative process and problem solving, it is the journey that drives her more so than the end result. She believes that sharing that journey with others in the hope of inspiring them to find their own unique voice is where true success lies.