| Cyanotype Books, At Home! (Online)

Guided by Rachel Church, learn how to make beautiful cyanotype photographs and photograms at home and turn them into an artist’s book of your own design.

Note: This workshop will be held in a live, online format utilizing the Zoom platform.
Class meets on 4 Tuesdays,  May 30-Jun 20, 2023 from 6-8:30pm ET.

Cyanotype in books has a long history… in fact, the very first book with photographic images was created with cyanotype! Today, cyanotype is a great choice for making images for artist’s books at home because of its affordable materials, ease of use, control over paper options, and low toxicity. No special equipment or facilities are required; all you need is a semi-dark space to prep your paper, sunshine, and water. Guided by Rachel Church, in this workshop, you will learn how to make cyanotype photographs and photograms at home, some basic artist’s book structures, and how to combine your new, blue images into a finished artist’s book of your own design. Techniques for combining other media with cyanotypes will also be discussed.

This course will include a two-and-a-half-hour zoom class for four weeks for demonstrations, discussion, and sharing of work. In between each session, students will be asked to create their own cyanotypes at home using the process presented, then begin to incorporate them into book models and ideas to discuss in class, culminating in a final, finished book project. No bookmaking or photography experience is required.

Supplies needed:

• Cyanotype kit (Rachel recommends this Cyanotype Printing Kit.
• One pad of Canson mixed media paper, 4-5 sheets of Stonehenge printmaking paper, or other medium-weight printmaking or watercolor paper that can handle being soaked in water – note: It’s ok if your sheets are bigger than your sink or tub, we can cut them down! And in fact, larger paper will give you more options for book structures!
• Sink or plastic tub big enough to hold and rinse the paper.
• Access to a semi-dark space to prep and dry paper (such as an interior bathroom, closet with space to work, or room with light-blocking window coverings) – note: You may want some extra cardboard, trash bags, or plastic tablecloth/tarp to protect your surface when working with the wet cyanotype solution.
• A place to dry prints (for example clothesline with clothespins or an old cookie sheet or paper drying rack and something to protect your floors from the drips).
• Items or negatives for making cyanotype prints (we will discuss this further in our first session).
• X-acto knife and blades.
• 18” cutting mat.
• 18” metal ruler.
• Scissors.
• Pencil.
• Bookbinding of embroidery needle (large enough to thread embroidery floss).
• Bookbinding thread, embroidery floss, or size 10 cotton crochet thread.
• Small Elmer’s glue (or PVA if you have it) and glue brush.

Optional: 

• Old picture frame with glass and easy-to-remove backing OR piece of plexiglass, equally sized piece of firm cardboard, and binder clips or clothespins (will discuss in class).
• Bookbinding awl.
• Colored cardstock or cover weight paper for making covers.
• Glue Stick.
• Inexpensive paper for making models and glue sheets.
• Parchment paper.
• Dull kitchen knife for cutting paper (will demo in class).
• Bonefolder.

For your final book, you may want to incorporate other media, such as pens, markers, paint, printmaking, collage materials, or inkjet printing, depending on your project. These additional materials can be discussed in class when presenting your final book ideas.

Images are subject to copyright.