Let’s have some fun by using light to create beautiful drawings, just like Henry Holmes Smith did! Instead of a spotlight, we’ll use the sun to make our artwork come to life.
Drawing with Light: Make Sun Prints
K-12 Resource: Activity
Let’s have some fun and use light to create beautiful drawings
Project Details
- Grade Level K–5
- Subject Science, Art
- Activity Type Art Making, Writing, Research
About
Learning Objectives
Materials Needed
- Light-sensitive paper (cyanotype paper or sun-print paper)
- Flat items with defined shapes (leaves, flowers, keys, etc.)
- Clothespin
- Timer
- Tape
- Tub of water
- Clear acrylic sheet (optional)
Assignment
Collect Objects To Print
Look around your classroom or outside for things you’d like to capture in your sun print. Choose flat items with clear shapes like leaves, flowers, or keys.
Create Your Sun Print
Arrange your chosen items on the light-sensitive paper, and secure them with tape. Place the paper in direct sunlight, either outside or by a window, for three to five minutes.
Optional: If you’re using things like leaves and flowers, you can use a clear acrylic sheet instead of tape to hold them in place.
Develop Your Print
Carefully remove your items from the paper, and immerse the paper in a tub of water for one minute. After soaking, let them dry on a towel or hang them up with a clothespin.
Write and Discuss
Grab your notebook and write about the following questions:
- What did your paper look like before and after leaving it out in the sun?
- What causes this change to happen?
- How else do you think sunlight can affect objects?
Share your thoughts with your classmates or a partner. It’s time to talk about the amazing drawings you’ve created using the power of the sun!
Vocabulary
Light-sensitive paper
A type of paper that reacts to light. When exposed to light, such as sunlight or artificial light, this special paper undergoes a chemical reaction that changes its color or produces an image. Light-sensitive paper is commonly used in photography and other art forms where capturing images using light is desired.
Plexiglass
A transparent sheet of plastic.
Related Materials
Shapes and Shadows
Join Jessie and Jordan as they research a scary shadow
The Art of Shadow Puppetry
Ready to experiment with light and make fun shadows on your wall? Join Jordan and learn how to create a shadow puppet show using light and paper
Meet Henry Holmes Smith: A Photographer Drawing with Light
Read about a creative photographer who experimented with light
Extensions
Can you explain why the sun prints turned out as they did? Use the power of research to support your claim.