Fine art nude female cyanotype - CK

This is an auction of a signed, original cyanotype by the artist, Doug Wade.  I prefer to let my art speak for itself rather than talk about how beautiful the model is (hopefully you already know that!) but here's a few things you might want to know before bidding.

This is a cyanotype - for more detail see below but it's a historic photographic process. These are hand printed via a very time consuming technique on 100% cotton rag paper. This is about as archival as you can get in the printmaking world - original cyanotypes from the 1840s still look great. The paper is 11x14 and the image is roughly 8x10. Also note that I've left the borders unmasked so you can see the handcoating technique and the image can be matted to cover those marks or not as you wish. The date and signature is on the white area just below the image.

I have tried to photograph the print as best I could but the rich deep Prussian Blue probably won't quite come through on any given monitor. The prints are nicely detailed - much more than you can see in the relatively small image. The pictures here are cropped to show as much as the actual image area as possible - the white extends out a bit as noted above.

• All prints are shipped via USPS Priority Mail. As the artist I take great care in packaging and shipping the prints.
• I ship as quickly as possible after receiving payment. Once the payment clears I can usually get it in the mail the same day or next day.
• I've shipped to over twenty countries at last count and welcome international bidders but will not violate custom regulations; please don't ask.

Please feel free to take a look at some of my other work or subscribe to my newsletter.

What is a Cyanotype?

Cyanotypes were invented in 1842 by Sir John Herschel. As you can see it's a monochromatic process - but instead of being "black and white" it renders the image in shades of blue. If it looks like a blueprint, there's a reason for that, it's basically the same chemistry.

To make one, you have to get some 100% rag cotton paper and the sensitizing fluid (which I make up in a local college's chemistry lab) and a glass rod or brush. You use the rod or brush to evenly coat the paper, and let the paper dry for an hour or two. Then you take a negative the size of the final print and place it on the paper (usually in some kind of frame to hold it together tightly). Then you walk out into the sun (or use a UV system) and expose it. The image appears while you wait!

To develop the print, it's possible to just rinse them in water for 20 minutes, washing away the unexposed material. But for best results most professionals use some kind of acid bath first. I use a 30 second dip in dilute hydrochloric acid which really brings out the blues. Over the next day as the print dries it "matures" a bit and the colors are stronger. Some people rinse the final print with a little hydrogen peroxide to see the results right away but it makes no difference to the final print.

Obviously you need a bit of patience and I've glossed over lots of technique but the results are well worth it!