Beginner’s Guide to Cyanotype

Crafters will learn how to apply a special light-sensitive solution to various surfaces and witness the transformative effect of sunlight or UV light, as their creations magically turn into vibrant blue works of art. What makes cyanotype particularly appealing is its versatility, as it provides a fun, accessible, and affordable means to transform ordinary objects into extraordinary blue-hued keepsakes.

Whether you are a budding artist in search of a new creative outlet or an individual seeking to infuse your gifts with a mesmerizing blue hue, Beginner’s Guide to Cyanotype will serve as your ultimate beginner-friendly guide. You are guided on how to use cyanotype printing on a variety of surfaces and unlock the potential of this enchanting artistic process. With Kim Tillyer’s expert instruction and inspiration, you will embark on a journey of artistic exploration, creating unique and captivating cyanotype masterpieces that reflect your individual style and vision.

Learn to use the cyanotype process on fabric, note cards, paper and so much more!

* Craft Focus, April/May 2024 *

This is a lovely well-presented book and is a great introduction to cyanotype for the beginner as well as those with some experience.

I discovered cyanotype through having a taster session during a local arts trail and was interested in finding out more about the process.

In this book Kim Tillyer gives a very interesting explanation of the history of cyanotype as well as a great introduction to the tools and materials required and how to use them.

There is a section of different projects that you can try from the straightforward to the more advanced. All are explained thoroughly with plenty of photographs. There is a useful troubleshooting section along with templates, suggestions for further reading and a list of suppliers for materials.

I have a few Search Press books and they all give a clear explanation of the subject and instructions in an easy to follow format with plenty of photographs and illustrations.

This book shows how you can create beautiful blue projects at home in an easy to follow format.

-- Amanda Percy * Customer Review *

What a breath of fresh air! A beautifully illustrated, informative, without a hint of being an old fashioned text book, guide to cyanotype. Everything you need to get started is easily accessible and affordable, you don’t need a workroom full of equipment and expensive machines. The projects are well explained and in no time you’ll be creating beautiful things. There are some templates at the back of the book, but you can use almost anything to create a design. The author has also included a troubleshooting page. I’m looking forward to this printing journey, there are so many ideas in my head!

-- Sara Dack * Customer Review *

There’s something almost achingly beautiful about the way [Kim] combines ethereal print making and story telling.[...]

This book does exactly what it promises and is the perfect beginner’s guide to the subject. 

-- Laura Dunkley * From Britain with Love *

As printmakers, we often find ourselves playing at the edge of ourknowledge and skills: ‘What happens if I expose my screen for a few more seconds?’; ‘What happens if I print my linocut in this colour instead?’ This kind of experimentation can either lead toa creative breakthrough or a frustrating dead-end, but by picking up a copy of Beginner’s Guide to Cyanotype you’ll be able to borrow some experience from seasoned cyanotyper Kim Tillyer and swing the success-to-failure ratio in your favour.

Cyanotype – a lo-fi photographic print process that makes use of a light sensitive solution to create images from shadows – first came about in the mid-1800s as an easy way to make copies of notes and diagrams (what we now term as blueprint, no less), thanks to polymath Sir John Herschel, however it was a little while after that illustrator and botanist Anna Atkins used the technique to make wonderful, timeless images of algae, ferns and seaweed, which are more akin the to images we see today. This new publication takes the sting out of the cyanotype process, by sharing clever hacks to quickly achieve satisfying results, and highlighting common pitfalls. “What’s great is that it doesn’t require any fancy equipment and that characterful works in this unique Prussian blue colour can be made right on your kitchen table,” says Kim. She starts by explaining how childhood experiences with a cyanotype kit sowed seeds of curiosity and how a pathway of creativity in other media led to a return to cyanotype and its many possibilities. She provides a simple recipe for a light sensitive solution that you can make yourself, before offering nine great projects to get stuck into. Some of our faves are a ring bound travel journal full of plant specimen prints that holds memories ofa trip away and a printed lampshade incorporating hand-drawn elements into the designs. It serves as a lovely companion to the beginnings of an adventure with this beguiling process, offering up a whole array of ideas to set you off on your own cyanotype journey.

-- Pressing Matters * Issue 27 *

Here's the ultimate beginner-friendly guide. Learn how to apply a special light-sensitive solution to various items and see how sunlight or UV light, turns them magically blue. We're shown how to use cyanotype printing on different surfaces and unlock the potential of this amazing process!

* Machine Knitting Monthly, July 20