Sun Printing

Sun Printing

What if I ask you to capture an image without using ANY camera.

How would you do it?

Well, you could...

Sketch It...

Paint It...

Mosaic It...

Sculpt It...

Describe It...

... there are many ways.

Today we're going to try something different. We're going use the Sun as our camera!

We're going to make anANTHOTYPE

Anthotypes are photographs made using plant colours and sunlight. 'Anthos' in Greek means flower. And 'type' means image or print.

This type of photography was invented by Sir John Herschel in the 1840s. He was also the person who coined the terms 'photograph' and 'snapshot'. Apart from anthotypes, he also invented the process for 'blueprints' (also called cyanotype). He made many other contributions to not only photography, but also astronomy, chemistry and mathematics!

Here are a few different examples of Anthotypes...

Spinach + turmeric

Beetroot

Blueberries

20XX

Spinach

Iris

Red capsicum

You can see that there is just one colour (or maybe two) in each anthotype. But the photographs that we take with our phone cameras are much more colourful. You can also see that some parts of the anthotype are darker in shade, and other parts lighter. Why is that?

LET's MAKE AN ANTHOTYPE TO FIND OUT...

Turmeric Anthotype

Turmeric contains a natural pigment called curcumin, which gives it its yellow color. When exposed to sunlight (specifically, UV rays), curcumin slowly breaks down and the yellow colour fades away. In other words, it is photo-sensitive. This makes turmeric perfect for creating anthotypes.

Turmeric is a root that is dried, powdered and used as a spice in cooking.

Materials Required

1. Turmeric powder
2. Isopropyl alcohol
3. Paper cups
4. Stirrer
5. Filter paper
6. Watercolour paper

7. Foam brush8. Mounting board 9. Binder clips 10. Transparent plastic sheet 11. Baking soda 12. UV-resistant resin + hardener 13. Brush to apply resin

From your TinkerTime kit:

From home you will need to get: 1. Leaves or other flat objects whose image you want to capture 2. A spare table cloth / plastic sheet to use as a work surface 3. Water

Step 3: Arranging your Composition

Choose flat objects whose image you want to capture. They can be leaves, stencils, paper cutouts or any other flat items which have interesting outlines and shapes. Some of them can also be slightly translucent or transparent in some places. You can arrange them randomly or create a pattern, scene or collage. Try layering or overlapping them in some places, to see different effects.

Instead of leaves, you can also capture an actual photograph! Just print it with black ink on a transparent A4 OHP sheet.

Step 4: Mounting the Composition

1. Take out the stiff mounting board from your TinkerTime kit. Place the turmeric-coated watercolour paper on it. 2. Gently lift your composition (or photograph printed on OHP sheet) and place it on the tumeric coated paper. If any of the objects have moved slightly, rearrange them to your preference. 3. Now cover the top surface with the transparent A4 sheet provided in your kit. (Skip this step if you're using a photograph) 3. Clip all of them together with the binder clips. Take care that the image of the clips is out of the coated yellow area.

Step 5: Sun Exposure

2-3 hours

Place the mounted composition in direct sunlight where it will not be disturbed. For

or until the uncovered areas have faded to a very pale yellow.

Step 6: Developing the image

In a deep tray or large bowl that is big enough to fit the A4 sheet, pour 1-2 mugs of water. Add 2-3 tsp of baking soda and mix with a spoon. Remove the clips and the leaves from the cardstock. You would see that the parts covered by the leaves would still be yellow. Dip the sheet in the solution 2-3 times, until it soaks the liquid just a bit and becomes slightly heavier. Hang the sheet to dry. Do you see something changing as it dries?

What just happened??

You will observe that the yellows start turning to a light rust-red colour! This is because curcumin is a good pH indicator. That is, its colour indicates if it has come in contact with an acid or a base. Baking soda is a base, which turns curcumin reddish brown. In the places that were exposed to sunlight, UV rays would have broken down the curcumin. So they don't change colour much. But in the places covered by the leaves, curcumin is still intact. So those places turn reddish brown.

Where else have you seen this exact same effect?

Step 7: Dry and Protect

Let the sheet dry thoroughly. Then place it under heavy books to flatten it well. Next, take a paper cup. Add UV-resistant resin and hardener in 1:3 ratio (Say, 3 drops resin and 9 drops hardener). Mix slowly with a stirrer for 4-5 seconds.

Using a brush, apply a thin, even coat of the mixture on the entire sheet. Let it dry completely. You can repeat this 1-2 more times if you want a shinier finish.

Share your Anthotype...

We would love to display it in the TinkerTime virtual gallery!!

Upload a pic of your Anthotype

Materials Required

1. Turmeric powder
2. Isopropyl alcohol
3. Paper cups
4. Stirrer
5. Filter paper
6. Watercolour paper

From your TinkerTime kit:

This paragraph is ready to be filled with incredible creativity, experiences, and stories.

From home you will need to get: 1. Leaves or other flat objects whose image you want to capture 2. A spare table cloth / plastic sheet to use as a work surface 3. Water

Step 1: Extracting Curcumin

1. Take two paper cups. Let's call them A and B. Add 1 tsp turmeric powder into each cup.
2. Pour about 8 tsp water in cup A. And 7 tsp isopropyl alcohol and 1 tsp water in cup B. Stir each mixture with a spoon.
3. Observe... which mixture looks more even and intense?

The extract in cup B is smoother and intense because alcohol can dissolve curcumin more effectively than water. So, we will use extract B to get a smooth, even coating on our paper. Pour away extract A in your kitchen sink. Filter extract B into cup A, using the filter paper cone provided in your kit .

Step 2: Coating the Paper

Take out the watercolour paper from your kit. Place it on a spare table cloth or plastic sheet. This sheet might get stained, so use a spare/messy one that you don't mind staining. Dip the foam brush from your kit into the filtered turmeric extract. Gently coat the watercolour paper. You can leave out a border all around, if you want. Apply 1–2 even coats, without leaving thick patches or streaks. You will need to work fast since alcohol evaporates very quickly.

• Concentration of curcumin (when you add alcohol to extract it, try adding different amounts of turmeric everytime and observe the results)

• Different flat objects instead of leaves - maybe try feathers, coins, paper cutouts, pressed flowers, etc.

• Try doing this on fabric instead of on cardstock

Next time, experiment with...

• Sun exposure time (what happens when you leave it for just 20-30min? Or much longer, say a whole day?)

• Concentration of baking soda - does adding more make the final image lighter or darker?

• The curcumin-baking soda reaction can be reversed, by adding a few drops of an acid like lemon juice. Can this help create interesting effects in your Anthotype?

You can also check out other Anthotypes like these...

Since cholorophyll is light sensitive too, some artists make leaf-prints...

And some others have made blueprints, also called...

Cyanotypes

The process is similar to Anthotypes. But instead of plant-based pigments, it makes use of chemicals that are synthetically produced.

There are many many other beautiful ways to record an image

Share your feedback for this activity...

Exit

&

Mangala Aarati

Kumkum / Sindoor

The Mangala Aarati liquid prepared to welcome special guests... It is made by mixing turmeric powder with slaked lime (chuna) in water.

Kumkum / Sindoor, is a vibrant red powder used in Hindu rituals. It is made by mixing turmeric powder with slaked lime (chuna).