experimenting with anthotypes

March 9^th, 2011

Anthotype Experimentation

Hypothesis:

The addition of other elements (water, alcohol, paprika) to blackberry juice will alter the photosensitivity and resulting contrast of the Anthotypes. 

Procedure:

About 1 ½ cup of blackberries were mashed with a mortar and pestle, then strained through to remove the pulp.  The juice was then divided into four containers, one with only juice, one with water (1/4 cup), one with alcohol (1/4 cup) and one with 1/8 cup of a water-paprika mixture.  Another mixture was made without blackberries consisting only of approximately 2 tsp. paprika and a cup of water (an 1/8 of which was used in the blackberry juice mixture), resulting in five experiments. 

Using foam brushes, the mixtures were painted onto five individual pages that were taped to a table.  The tape provided a white edge to know the contrast of dye and paper.  After applying the mixtures, we discovered that the blackberry juice may have been better if strained through a coffee filter to further remove the fleshy bits of the berry. 

Each page will be exposed to light for a period of approximately seven weeks.  Every two weeks, the pages will be taken down and observations recorded. 

Observations:   

Experiment	In Applying	3/24/11	4/7/11	4/21/11
Paprika w/water	Is streaky in applying.  Drying leaves a orangey color.  (water droplets across page when splashed with water on accident	No changes visible
Blackberry	Streaky w/ bits left on page.  Also splashed with water accidently leaving pale droplet spots on a nice fairly dark purple.	No data reported at this time.
Blackberry w/Paprika	Very streaky when applied, containing bits of blackberry flesh and paprika bits.  Bubbled the papers a bit.  Drying rusty orangey brown, changing darker rusty brown when dried completely.	No data reported at this time.
Blackberry with water	Bubbly water droplet type look, inconsistent covering, streaky and not even.  Bubble the paper, purplish pink, lighter than just blackberry.	Very little change observed
Blackberry w/alcohol	Seemed to saturate paper better, but bubbled with how much moisture seeped into the page.  Did not apply in even coats, though not streaky, there are darker tones of purple and lighter pink spots, varying w/strokes.	Very little change observed

This experiment is still on going and will be updated periodically.