There’s something wonderfully grounding about a process of cyanotype. I would call it a multi-media art, eventhough the sun is hardly a medium. Cyanotype — one of the oldest photographic techniques out there, besides van Dycke, which is the same process, but the result creates van Dycke Brown. It is back to real craft for me, after making designs in photoshop and illustrator for too long.
At its heart, cyanotype is beautifully simple. You coat a surface — paper, fabric, whatever calls to you — with a photosensitive solution. Then you start collecting: leaves from a walk, tools from your latest project, a handful of objects that feel like your life in this moment. You place them on top, carry your little arrangement out into the sunshine, and let nature handle the exposure. Minutes later, when you rinse everything away, the silhouettes remain: crisp shapes, soft edges, and that signature Prussian blue blossoming to life.
But for all its charm, cyanotype can be surprisingly challenging — in the best, most humbling way. The sun doesn’t always cooperate. Clouds drift in and out. That beautifully arranged composition can shift a millimeter in the breeze and suddenly look entirely different. And the exposure time? It’s never an exact science. Too short and the print feels ghostly; too long and everything goes dark and moody. It’s a process that reminds you very quickly that you’re not really in control — you’re collaborating with the elements.
What makes cyanotype so special isn’t just the color (though that blue is truly something). It’s the way it turns the ordinary into the unforgettable. For me it let's me arrange graphical compostions, but without the ability to use multiple colors, without the use of images from the internet. It brings out my style and mine only. It’s a craft that rewards curiosity and welcomes imperfections.
In a world that moves fast, cyanotype is a reminder that sometimes the best things come from taking a breath, stepping into the sun, and letting the process unfold — one deep blue print at a time.
Order your own set here and support the woman who taught me how to use cyanotype and got me all excited!