Turmeric sun prints are a great way to capture an image of what is growing in your garden using just a few simple materials and the sun. They are a type of anthotype, a printing process that uses light sensitive natural pigments to capture an image. Turmeric contains a compound called curcumin that is sensitive to light, breaking down when exposed.
Follow these steps to create your own turmeric sun prints!
Materials
- 1 tablespoon powdered turmeric
- 4 tablespoons rubbing alcohol (or vodka)
- Paper (preferably watercolour or other heavy paper)
- Paintbrush
- 1 small bowl
- 1 jar
- Shallow dish
- Baking soda (or borax)
- A glass sheet, such as the glass from a picture frame
- Materials to capture an image of, such as flowers and leaves
Optional
- Coffee filter (or paper towel)
- Masking tape
- Rubber gloves
Method
- Start by mixing the turmeric and rubbing alcohol together in a small bowl. Then transfer the mixture into the jar, filtering it through the coffee filter. If you don’t have coffee filters, a paper towel will do the trick. It is possible to skip the filtering step, but the filtered mixture will be smoother and easier to apply.
- Next, paint the mixture evenly onto the paper. Optionally, you can use masking tape to create a neat border. Leave the paper to dry in a dark spot. This is important because the mixture is light sensitive, so exposure to light at this stage can affect the quality of the image. Once dry, apply a second layer of the turmeric mixture, and again leave to dry in a dark spot.
- Once the sheet is dry, you can arrange the materials you wish to capture on the paper. When choosing your materials, think about the silhouette of the shapes. Flatter objects will be easier to secure under the glass. Pre-dried and pressed leaves and flowers will give the clearest image as they sit flat and won't shrivel up in the sun.
- Once you have your layout, find a sunny spot that will get four or more hours of direct sun. Lay the paper down, arrange the objects on top, and then place your glass sheet on top to hold it down. As it sits in the sun, the exposed parts will fade in the sunlight, while the covered parts will retain their colour.
- Prepare your wash solution in a shallow dish, by mixing baking soda or borax with water (at a ratio of 1 teaspoon borax/baking soda to ¼ cup of water). After four hours in the sun, collect your paper and dunk it into the mixture for 30 seconds. Take it out and leave it to dry. You will then have your own turmeric sun print!
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Note: Turmeric can stain your hands, so use rubber gloves to protect them if desired.
Many of the factors in this process are variable and will create different results, so feel free to experiment with the number of layers of turmeric mixture, turmeric concentration, the amount of time you leave it in the sun, using fresh vs. dried flowers, baking soda vs. borax, etc.
Article, Video & Photographs by Nell Butterworth
