Cyanotype Owl Pen

[Bob in SF]

Cyanotyping (deep blue sun printing) has been around since 1842.

An owl fancier asked if I could produce an owl pen in a leafy setting with an old fashioned look; steps:
Photographed a rescued Horned Owl (successfully released back into the wild on the next day).
Composited the owl picture with a picture of leaves (creating a leafy setting).
Grayscaled, then inverted the image and laser printed a negative film transparency.
Cyanotyped (sunprinted) the image onto photo-sensitized fabric (used a mixture of ferric ammonium citrate and potassium ferricyanide VERY CAREFULLY prepared outside with proper precautions); sandwich made of plate glass/negative transparency/fabric/black matte board; 15 minutes exposure at 3PM, bright sun.
Rinsed, and then developed the image by oxidation in a dilute bath of peroxide.
Air dried the fabric, then ModPodge glued it onto the brass tubes.
Hand tinted the image with pearlescent inks.
Tube-in casted the upper and lower pen barrels in PR flecked with fine metal gilding flakes, cured x 3 days.
Lathe-turned, finished, and assembled as usual:

Fun process - should open some new creative possibilities.

Have a fine weekend - Bob

 

[Sappheiros]

Bob, I'm becoming quite the fan! You've got an artistic eye and some great skill! Great pen!

 

[liljohn1368]

Great job. I don't see myself ever being able to do it. But great job.

 

[Cwalker935]

Did not understand much of what you did but like the results. Thanks for sharing your amazing talent and application of your obvious knowledge of an array of artist techniques to pen making.

 

[Bryguy]

Amazing!

 

[Bob in SF]

Heartfelt thanks, Avi, JP, Cody, and Bryan.

Versatile technique - more details to follow as I refine and diversify the working method.

Fun ahead - Bob

PS: Just got an email requesting more - having a pleasant AM hand tinting a batch of lower barrels with pearlescent inks:

 

[OZturner]

Absolutely Spectacular, Bob.
I don't imagine that you will have many trying to Replicate your Work.
Your Experience Base is Incredible,
You are Opening Doors of your Knowledge and Techniques, Faster than Most of Us, (Me in Particular) can Comprehend.
Please Keep it Going, Hopefully a little may stick in my Grey Matter.
Beautiful Results.
Congratulations,
Brian.

 

[Bob in SF]

Sincere thanks for kind words, Brian.

 

[ADKBUG]

Strikingly beautiful! Thanks for sharing.

 

[Bob in SF]

Heartfelt thanks, June!

 

[MDWine]

Lately, with my photography business, there is a focus on the price one charges for prints. If I apply the same logic here, it boggles my mind.

I hope you are getting paid well for your time and efforts... (not that it is any of my business)

The results (your product) is certainly worth a good price!

 

[Bob in SF]

Many thanks, Michael!

I learned B&W development and printing from my Dad half a century ago - sorely miss our time in the safe-lit darkroom amid Dektol, stop bath, hypo clearing agent...watching the magic of silver halides...dodging with our hands through the light of an Omega enlarger...(when UNIVAC computers filled a room)...

 

[Sataro]

Very artistic & great job!!!! Fantastic work you are doing with your pens. Looking forward to seeing more of them.

 

[Curly]

I almost looks like the owl is looking through fall leaves from deeper in the shadows of the tree. I like it.

Your description of learning to develop from your father takes me back, not as far though, when a room mate had a darkroom in the house we rented in the early 80's. We played with colour prints from negatives and slides, developed in a rotating drum. Enlarger was a Vivitar. Much harder than playing with digital images.

 

[TattooedTurner]

Amazing!

I may be somewhat new to pen making but I know amazing work when I see it. That is truly a work of art imo, I'm stunned by it! Thank you for sharing not only the pictures, but also your technique for creating it, even if it is far beyond my ability.

 

[Bob in SF]

Many thanks, Billy, Curly, and TattooedTurner!

Curly - I intentionally gave the owl some leafy cover in the pen since he'd been hurt in the wild.
Fine reminiscence about your color developing - I never got to the color drums, but do remember them. What an amazing evolution we have in the history of rendered and captured images. I wish I could go back and hang out with the cave painters...