I did it - cyanotype on wood

Falkenberg · Aug 29, 2008

I finally succeded in making a cyanotype on wood. Only two differences from the failed attempts. More gelatine in the gelatine sizing and new cyanotype chems.

One interesting aspect is that the picture developes through a couple of days. Now it is very clear and nice. The blue is striking. This test was done on a piece of wood that had done nothing to. This weekend I will try on the polished wood.

gandolfi · Aug 29, 2008

pictures, Mikkel. pictures!!

Jeff Kubach · Aug 29, 2008

I wouldn't mind seeing some pictures either. Seems like an interesting process.

Jeff

Falkenberg · Aug 29, 2008

I will have to shoot some digital pictures since I dont have a scanner. Wil post them during the weekend.

bnstein · Aug 30, 2008

details of the process please!!!! (as another blue lover)

BrianShaw · Aug 30, 2008

Good for you! I'm interested in your process also.

As a bizarre aside, I once did a cyanotype on a concrete sidewalk. It worked well but didn't last.

keithwms · Aug 30, 2008

Has anybody tried a cyanotype directly on an interior wall? That is something I've had in mind.

I too eagerly await shots of the print on wood!

Falkenberg · Aug 31, 2008

Pictures

Here are two pictures. One shows a closeup and the other shows the same picture printed on wood and two different types of paper. I dont have a scanner. The cynotype on wood looks much better in real life. I am sure that it would be even better on a polished piece of wood.

In this test I coated the wood with a gelatine/water solution (10g gelatine from the supermarket in 1 liter of water). After letting it dry, I coated with the cyanotype, let that dry in a dark place. Placed the neg on the wood and covered with a plexiglass plate, exposed in the sun. Washed in running water. Let it stand in the sun and rain for about two weeks and now it looks like on the picture.

The picture shows my favorite coffee (beans) - Finca Vista Hermosa

Falkenberg · Aug 31, 2008

keithwms said:
Has anybody tried a cyanotype directly on an interior wall? That is something I've had in mind.

How would You wash it ?

Shmoo · Aug 31, 2008

That's an creative image! I really like the softness of the image on wood.

keithwms · Aug 31, 2008

Falkenberg said:
keithwms said:

Has anybody tried a cyanotype directly on an interior wall? That is something I've had in mind.

How would You wash it ?

Click to expand...

I was thinking to hang a hose with a lot of holes in it over the print and just let it wash down, and collect the washoff into a long basin.

Marco B · Aug 31, 2008

keithwms said:
Has anybody tried a cyanotype directly on an interior wall? That is something I've had in mind.

Most walls are quite basic, so you would at least need a good pre-coat of something to protect the cyanotype. It is also one the reasons why for example Prussian blue, as the pigment formed in the cyanotype process, is not used in something like acrylic and fresco-paint, as the alkali therein would ultimately destroy it.

keithwms · Aug 31, 2008

Hoi Marco, well actually my thought is that it would be a deliberately short-lived print, maybe visible for a few weeks. And then they'd pay me to put up a different one

I suppose I could precoat with something like krylon.

TracyStorer · Sep 1, 2008

Hey Mikkel,
I remember you were asking about that months ago.....congratulations, well done.

Toffle · Sep 1, 2008

(hm... that's odd, I thought I had responded to this the other day :confused
I tried this last year, using untreated wood. I got quite a nice image... at first. For some reason, though it would not rinse very well, and continued to darken for days after my experiment. What is left is a blue piece of wood with the vaguest hints of an image on it. I suppose I could have tried a bleach, but by that point I figured I had invested as much time in it as it was worth.

Anyway, good work. I see your persistence has paid off.

Cheers,

Nicholas Lindan · Sep 1, 2008

Marcy Merrill does work on wood, I thought she did cyanotypes but it seems she uses liquid emulsion:

Dead Link Removed

Marcy being famous for Dead Link Removed

Falkenberg · Sep 2, 2008

An alternative to making it directly on the wall is making the cyanotype on a really thin piece of ceramic. It is cheap to make/have made and then You just need to make some kind of timer that will smash the ceramic at a given time ;-)

But why not make it interesting enough so that they will keep ordering and collecting You work.

Soeren · Sep 2, 2008

Why not make the cyanotype on the wallpaper before putting it up
Hmm some contact printing frame eh

isaac · Sep 8, 2015

Falkenberg said:
I finally succeded in making a cyanotype on wood. Only two differences from the failed attempts. More gelatine in the gelatine sizing and new cyanotype chems.

One interesting aspect is that the picture developes through a couple of days. Now it is very clear and nice. The blue is striking. This test was done on a piece of wood that had done nothing to. This weekend I will try on the polished wood.

Hello,

I am new to this forum. I am very familiar with cyanotype on paper, however I've never tried to print on wood. Could you tell me more about the process of prepping the wood ? I am struggling with the coating process. I am using artist wood panel made out of pine wood I believe.

I think you mentioned the use of Gelatin. How did you use it ?

Best,

Isaac

GregW · Sep 8, 2015

You might try something less porous, maybe beech or rock maple?

I did it - cyanotype on wood

Falkenberg

gandolfi

Jeff Kubach

Falkenberg

bnstein

BrianShaw

keithwms

Falkenberg

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I did it - cyanotype on wood

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