5 | CREATIVE
Make a sun print
Wendy Evans invokes solar power to help create a vintage print on chemical-infused paper
Sunography paper
You can buy packs of six double-sided sun power paper prints for about £15/$20. They measure 18 x 13cm in size, which is fairly small, but they are double-sided. Top tip: take care when washing each side, otherwise it runs off the other side as well. A cheaper option is to make your own paper. www.londongraphics.co.uk on’t worry, we’re not rubbing amulets and chanting a
Dbenediction to higher powers – this month’s creative project uses sunlight and chemicals to work its magic, with a little digital help. We are, of course, talking about cyanotypes, which consist of photo-reactive salts embedded into paper that react to sunlight. You create your print by putting things on top of the paper, to reduce or block the sunlight. Where the sun hits the paper it turns blue, where it’s blocked it stays white – once you’ve washed the reactive chemicals off. The trick is to get the exposure time right. This can be anything from 15-30 minutes, depending on how bright the sunlight is and the suitability of the image. It’s not advisable to try this when it’s cloudy or overcast.