Toned cyanotype

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The most successful Cyanotype toning mixes used by artists

Cyanotype, tea toned. The original picture was shot with a homemade 4x5 pinhole camera.

This is a great illustration of how blue #cyanotype prints can be toned to different colors using common household items. The top row shows samples that were first bleached with washing soda before toning and the bottom row was not bleached. From left to right they are: no toner, black tea, green tea, instant coffee, Borax, and red wine. Green tea was the "winner" creating a lovely shade of taupe. Jacquard offers all the cyanotype supplies and we have a ton of information posted on our…

Did you know that Cyanotype prints don't always have to be blue? They can be toned and even bleached to alter their colour. The key is to use anything with a high tannin content. Tannins are commonly found in the bark of trees, leaves, buds, stems, fruits, seeds, roots, an. . .

Cyanotype, watercolor paper, 30x42 cm., toning tea Digital negative, 1/20 exemplar August, 2016 Pavel Anushchenko /padlik/ Artist's signature on the reverse side

(click on image to make it larger) 1. Overexposed. No Bleach. Very long tannic acid bath. 2. Brief bleach. Long tannic acid bath. 3. Medium bleach (half of cyan color left, half gone). Long tannic acid bath. 4. Bleach all cyan color out. Tannic acid bath. 5. Long bleach (almost all cyan color gone except in darkest shadows). Tannic acid and coffee mix for toning bath. 6. Medium bleach (half of cyan color left, half gone). Tannic acid and coffee mix for toning bath. 7. No bleach. Coffee bath…

I’m loving this toner. It’s cheap, it’s mildly fragrant, and it’s a wonderful deep black with cool tones and nice highlights. Not that I would drink it – I hate coff…

Angela Chalmers is a contemporary British artist using cyanotype and mixed media processes on paper and textiles. Her work explores women’s history and popular culture. She is the author of Creative Cyanotype: Techniques and Inspiration.