Cyanotype: Wet and Traditional

Cyanotype: Wet and Traditional

Instructor: Jill Enfield

Dates: April 25-26

Time: 10AM – 6 PM

Location: Five Points Arts Center Photo Lab

Ages: 18+

Cost: $375

Class Cap: 8

Workshop Description:

One of the early photographic processes, invented in 1842 by Sir John Hirschel, was the cyanotype. It is based on sunlight causing a change in a light sensitive emulsion brushed onto paper or fabric. Many of the early photographic images were called “sun prints” because they had to be exposed using UV lights, or sunlight. This is a contact print process and you will need negatives the size you would like your final image to be.

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We will start with learning how to make digital negatives and move on to making cyanotypes on water color paper or fabric. We will also explore working with photogram materials to use with wet cyanotypes and then toning. Discussions will be on best images, paper, fabrics, and differences in chemical dilutions as well as toners.

Required Materials

The Art Center will provide all cyanotype chemistry. Materials participants should bring:

• Gloves and an apron

• Mask

• Brushes

• Watercolor papers. Recommended papers to try: Hahnemuhle Platinum Rag, Arches Platine, Fabriano Acquarelle, Clear Print Drafting Vellum or Strathmore Artist Plate Finish Drawing paper, Cranes Kid Finish #32, Parchment Wove #44, Cot 320

Instructor Bio

Jill Enfield is a fine art photographer, educator, curator and author and has been teaching photography for many years with a concentration on historical techniques and alternative processes. Her three books: Photo Imaging: A Complete Guide To Alternative Processes published by Amphoto, and, Jill Enfield’s Guide to Alternative Processes: Popular Historical and Contemporary Techniques (First and Second Editions), published by Focal Press, are award winning books, and used in schools all over the world.  The books include step-by-step instructions on a variety of techniques including: wet plate collodion, dry plate modern tintypes, platinum and palladium printing, cyanotypes, liquid emulsion, albumen printing, hand painting and more.

Jill’s work has also been chosen to be on book covers about these techniques and in magazines. Jill has podcasts and videos that can be seen on youtube and other areas of the web. She has shown her work throughout the USA and Europe and had a one-woman show in 6 galleries on Ellis Island called THE NEW AMERICANS. A 3-minute video about the installation and the glass house made of old windows and portraits of recent immigrants can be seen by clicking on this link. The show then traveled with the Glasshouse of Immigrants featured at Photoville in DUMBO, NYC and the Annenberg Center in LA, and is still traveling to many cities throughout the USA. Enfield is looking for a permanent home for the glasshouse.

Enfield has been teaching at Parsons The New School of Design since the late 1980’s and at many workshops throughout the world. Her fine art images can be seen in many museums around the world as well as in private collections.