Pictures Made by Sunlight
1Most pictures begin with a pencil, a brush, or a camera. A sun print, however, begins with special paper, a few flat objects, and plenty of sunlight. Another name for this kind of print is a cyanotype. Artists have used the process for more than a hundred years. Long ago, a similar process was used to copy building plans, and those copies were called blueprints.
2The secret is in the paper. Sun-print paper is coated with chemicals that are light-sensitive, which means they change when light hits them. As a result, the paper is kept in a dark envelope until an artist is ready to use it. Only one side of each sheet has the coating, while the other side is plain.
3Making a print begins with a plan. First, the artist chooses a composition, the way the parts of a picture are arranged. Flat objects make the clearest shapes. For instance, leaves, keys, feathers, and paper cutouts all work well. Next, the artist lays the objects on the coated side of the paper. Many artists also place a sheet of clear plastic on top so that a breeze cannot move anything.
4Then comes the exposure, the time the paper spends in the light. On a bright, sunny day, a few minutes may be enough. On a cloudy day, in contrast, the paper needs much more time. Meanwhile, the artist waits nearby and makes sure the paper does not move.
5After the exposure, the artist removes the objects and rinses the paper in a tray of water. The water washes away the chemicals that light never reached. Consequently, the covered parts of the paper turn white. The parts that sunlight reached, on the other hand, become a deep blue. Each object leaves behind a white silhouette, a shape filled in with one solid color.
6Sun prints can teach artists a lot about light and shadow. Thin objects, such as lace or a feather, let some light pass through. They leave pale blue shapes instead of solid white ones. Similarly, an object that does not lie flat lets light slip under its edges, so its outline looks blurry. In addition, no two prints turn out exactly alike. For this reason, many students make several prints and compare the results before choosing one to display.