Cyanotype on glass

To be considered for the Masters you are expected employ experimental elements to compliment a thoroughly researched contextialised theme.

For my cyanotypes I had proposed to investigate alternative supports and began by making plaster tiles.  The alkaline plaster with it's porous surface however made the final image unstable and it was time to consider other solutions. It was only when I purchased my single plate camera that I decided to start experimenting with glass.  It would also a great opportunity to perfect my preparation and pouring techniques before I invested in the expensive dry plate chemistry.

Before I could begin to work with the glass I prepared it by

• Etching the glass on one side
• Thoroughly cleaning the glass
• Adding a subbing layer of gelatine

After the subbing layer of gelatine I let it dry overnight.  The next layer of cyanotype meant leaving it another night. On the third day I did a test exposure of 12 minutes under my homemade UV lightbox.  The resulting image although not the perfect exposure is stable. I think I slightly overheated my gelatine and caused some crystallisation but this will be remedied by the use of a thermometer next time.