6 years & up

Create one of a kind shadow and botanical prints in minutes!

All you need is sunshine, water, and creativity to make unique and beautiful sun art prints. Using the sun sensitive paper, you can create cyanotype-style images in minutes!

This pack contains:

• 12 sheets of UV sensitive paper, 8” x 10”
• 1 acrylic sheet
• Easy to follow instructions

Note: The paper is VERY sensitive to light. Keep unused sheets in the protective envelope until you’re ready to use them.

The basics of how to create Sun Art:

1. Find a good spot in the shade or indoors to create your artwork.
2. Place the acrylic sheet on top of the SunArt paper.
3. Place objects like flowers, leaves, shells, paper cut-outs, or any small item with an intriguing shape on the paper on the acrylic sheet.
4. Carefully place your arrangement in direct sunlight for 1 - 5 minutes (will take longer on cloudy days).
5. When the paper turns white, rinse with water for 1-5 minutes to develop the image.
6. Allow the paper to fully dry. It will darken to a deep Prussian blue, with the outlines of your items in white.

Pro tip: If your Sun Art print is wavy from rinsing it with water, place the dry print under a heavy book to flatten it out.

Sun Art is also known as cyanotype. And it’s an art and a science!

How it works in a nutshell:
The paper is coated in a photosensitive solution of ferric ammonium citrate and potassium ferricyanide. When exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light, there are two chemical reactions that happen to create the Prussian blue color. Any ions that were not exposed to the UV light get rinsed away. This is what creates the white “print” of your objects!

The cyanotype process was invented by Sir John Herschel in the mid-1800s. It was an early type of photography. Herschel used this method to make copies of his notes and diagrams. This is the origin of the term “blueprint!”

PS: Check out this Google Arts & Culture presentation about Anna Atkins and her work in cyanotype photography. She is credited with creating the first book entirely illustrated with photography!

The Forgotten Story of Anna Atkins