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Something different to try during lockdown.
Have had a go at Lumen Prints and will try some more. Pulled out some old cyanotype paper to find it was already dark blue
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Looked around online and found some references to Anthotypes. Using plant juices to create images by the bleaching effect of being exposed to UV. One in particular piqued my interest as it used a reaction that I recall using in the laboratory to fix the image which most other anthotype methods cannot do.
It uses the chemical curcumin, which is the yellow stuff in turmeric, which I have on my spice rack. You extract the curcumin from the turmeric using methylated spirits and coat paper with the liquid and allow to dry in the dark or dim light. Expose with objects or a positive image to light, full sun best as need blue to UV end of spectrum . Where light hits the yellow goes paler and where shaded remains unchanged. To get a better contrast after exposure and to prevent the colour fading you need to treat it with a borax solution , this creates an orange complex that is not light sensitive. This colour change is the one I used to use to measure boron compound concentrations. Borax used to be easy to get hold of for use in laundry but concerns over possible effects on reproduction (studies still ongoing) have resulted in it it vanishing from EU market as alternatives for laundry purposes are in fact cheaper for the manufacturer. I will source some borax to test the full method but in the short term a solution of washing soda or even bicarbonate of soda will produce a darker colour but will not be as permanent.
This was today's results
For a reference to method see https://www.researchgate.net/public...ric_and_borax_An_introduction_to_photophysics
Have had a go at Lumen Prints and will try some more. Pulled out some old cyanotype paper to find it was already dark blue
.Looked around online and found some references to Anthotypes. Using plant juices to create images by the bleaching effect of being exposed to UV. One in particular piqued my interest as it used a reaction that I recall using in the laboratory to fix the image which most other anthotype methods cannot do.
It uses the chemical curcumin, which is the yellow stuff in turmeric, which I have on my spice rack. You extract the curcumin from the turmeric using methylated spirits and coat paper with the liquid and allow to dry in the dark or dim light. Expose with objects or a positive image to light, full sun best as need blue to UV end of spectrum . Where light hits the yellow goes paler and where shaded remains unchanged. To get a better contrast after exposure and to prevent the colour fading you need to treat it with a borax solution , this creates an orange complex that is not light sensitive. This colour change is the one I used to use to measure boron compound concentrations. Borax used to be easy to get hold of for use in laundry but concerns over possible effects on reproduction (studies still ongoing) have resulted in it it vanishing from EU market as alternatives for laundry purposes are in fact cheaper for the manufacturer. I will source some borax to test the full method but in the short term a solution of washing soda or even bicarbonate of soda will produce a darker colour but will not be as permanent.
This was today's results
For a reference to method see https://www.researchgate.net/public...ric_and_borax_An_introduction_to_photophysics
