Anthotypes

Discover the incredible anthotype process with the Sustainable Darkroom’s Hannah Fletcher.

2 Hour Live Session
with Hannah Fletcher

Offering participants the opportunity to learn the anthotype history, process and future opportunities afforded to developing this skill. During the workshop you will be guided through the process of creating a selection of emulsions for anthotypes using red cabbage, turmeric and spinach leaves, these will then be used to coat paper.

£40

All sessions are recorded and made available for a week following the course.

This also includes times for any feedback questions.

An Anthotype is a cameraless photographic printing process that uses photosensitive pigments made from plants. Each plant will produce a different coloured pigment and will have a different exposure time. Light sensitive plant materials, such as certain petals and leaves, are collected, ground down and mixed with distilled water or denatured alcohol to make a pigment.

The pigment is applied to paper or another dye absorbing material and left to dry in a darkened area. Once dry, the material is layered with objects or large format negatives and exposed to the sun.

Depending on the strength of UV coming from the sun, the image will take a few days or sometime weeks to expose, so results are not able to be achieved during the workshop, but will reveal themselves after the workshop.

IN A 2 HOUR LIVE SESSION:

  • Learn

    Offering participants the opportunity to learn the anthotype history, process and future opportunities afforded to developing this skill. During the workshop you will be guided through the process of creating a selection of emulsions for anthotypes using red cabbage, turmeric and spinach leaves, these will then be used to coat paper.

    We will also cover the preparation of positives on both paper and acetate as well as using discard or found materials in place of a positive print. You'll find out how anthotypes were discovered and used through the centuries, and other plants that you can experiment with in the future.

  • Materials

    Spinach (can be foraged wild spinach/ goose foot/ chickweed)

    a couple of outer leaves from a red cabbage (fine if they are old/ not fresh)

    a Jar of turmeric powder

    Ethanol or basic white vodka

    Hahnemühle photo rag paper, Hahnemühle bamboo mixed media paper, Bockingford Cold press paper, Canson drawing paper, Canson Montval cold press paper and Fabriano cold press watercolour paper

  • Tools

    Cold pressed watercolour Paper. A few we recommend:

    Hand blender / Pestle and Mortar

    Brushes - We recommend a large foam or soft bristled brush, or hake brush

    Trays/bowl for making emulsion

    Muslin/cheese cloth

    Newspaper

    Scissors.

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Workshop
Host

Hannah Fletcher

Hannah Fletcher is an artist, working with cameraless photographic processes, founder of The Sustainable Darkroom, Co-director of London Alternative Photography Collective and a facilitator of sustainability within the arts.

Hannah Fletcher works with and researches the many intricate relationships between photographic and not-so photographic materials. Intertwining organic matter such as soils, algae, mushrooms and roots into photographic mediums and surfaces. Fletcher questions the life cycle and value of materials by incorporating waste from her studio and workshops back into the system of making. Working in an investigative, ritualistic and environmentally conscious manner, she combines scientific techniques with photographic processes, creating dialogue and fusions between the poetic and political.