Plant Based Toning With Cyanotype Workshop
Adult Workshop | Available
Discover the various colors a cyanotype print can become when toned. Typically, it’s a deep blue color but it can be enhanced and altered with toning baths made from plants. In this workshop we will go beyond the typical toners of coffee and tea to explore various non-toxic natural botanical toners to produce a variety of experimental hues. Participants will hand coat paper and make prints from their choice of negatives (film, digital, paper, glass or hand drawn) or use botanicals and/or objects. Participants will be guided through these processes with examples and demonstrations. Some brief history and chemistry of the processes will be discussed.
Materials List
Supplies- Required:
-a way to bring home your prints (they may still be wet); such as a blotter book, a tray, a plastic bin or the like
-roll of paper towels
-a pencil
Supplies- Suggested and/or Optional:
For Printing Negatives on Cyanotype paper
-negatives (3-5) the size you wish to print, either on office copy paper (paper negative) or on OHP Transparency film (Pictorico/Fixxons) or Film negatives
(Negatives should be somewhat dense and fairly but not overly contrasty)
For Making Photograms on Cyanotype paper
-Objects to put on the paper – anything you can think of and can fit on the paper.
Flat 2-D items are best but 3-D work too
Some suggestions:
-natural material, flowers, leaves, grass, twigs, feathers, etc.
-stencils- plastic(non-transparent) or cardboard
-lace, doilies, string or twine, etc.
-kitchen items/utentils, toothpicks, etc.
-anything with varying opacity
-Previously made, dry Cyanotypes
Please feel free to contact me with any questions or clarifications, brucesdunbar@gmail.com
Bruce Dunbar
Bruce Dunbar is a photographic artist who works across processes, combining analog to digital to instant to alternative. He holds a BS from Boston University, a MA in Photography from New York University and a MFA in Visual Art (Photography) from Lesley University. Mr. Dunbar is an adjunct professor of Photography at Western Connecticut State University. He is a photography instructor at the Silvermine School of Art, at the Rye Arts Center and has taught at the Art Explorer Program at Weir Farm National Historic Trust. His photographs and mixed media photography have been exhibited in numerous group and solo shows in Connecticut and New York including the Lockwood Matthews Mansion Museum, Katonah Museum, Silvermine Galleries, Chroma Fine Art and CJG Projects.