Guest workshop at Tuft Tuft

Slow Kick · Cyanotype

Print with light

with Valeryia Pankova

Learn cyanotype, the 180-year-old way of making pictures with light, and leave with a stack of your own deep-blue prints.

Duration
2 hours
Price
55 €
Group
Max 10
Ages
10+
Check dates Gift it

Beginner friendly · All materials included · In English & Russian

55 €2 hours · max 10
Check dates
Cyanotype prints, brushes and dried flowers from a cyanotype workshop in Berlin
Botanical cyanotype print of pressed flowers and leaves
Guests exposing cyanotype prints under UV lamps at Tuft Tuft Berlin
Laying out dried flowers on cyanotype paper during the workshop
A spread of finished cyanotype prints made by workshop guests
Cyanotype prints on display at the Tuft Tuft studio in Prenzlauer Berg
A wall of blue cyanotype prints
Framed cyanotype print of a flower
Cyanotype prints hung among plants
Cyanotype print of grasses and trees
Cyanotype print in deep Prussian blue
Abstract cyanotype print in blue

The details

Light, water, magic blue.

Valeryia starts with a short, inspiring tour of cyanotype: where it came from, what artists make with it today, and everything it can print on.

Then it's your turn. Coat watercolour paper, build a design from her printed negatives or from feathers, dried flowers and lace, expose it under UV lamps and wash it to reveal deep Prussian blue. Every print is one of a kind.

Every now and then

Themed film nights

Now and then, Valeryia hosts a one-off themed evening. A much-loved film plays in the background while you print from negatives she makes for the theme: characters, famous scenes, places and quotes. About 3 hours. Watch the dates for the next one.

Duration
2 hours
Price
55 € per person
Group
Small group, max 10
Ages
10+, younger with an adult
Language
English & Russian
Level
Beginner friendly, no camera needed
Take home
About 5 postcard-size prints, plus bookmarks and a keychain. Want more? There's extra paper on the table.
Included
Watercolour paper, negatives and objects to print with, all tools
Light
UV lamps indoors, so it runs rain or shine
Where
Tuft Tuft studio, Berlin

Add-ons · choose when you book

Your own photos
Send 2–3 photos before the workshop and Valeryia prints them as negatives for you
12 €
Extra keychain
Turn another favourite print into a keychain
3 €
Check dates

How it develops

From Light to blue

  1. 1

    Get inspired

    A short tour of cyanotype: who invented it, what artists make with it today, and what you can print on.

  2. 2

    Coat

    Brush the light-sensitive solution onto watercolour paper. It dries a soft yellow-green in minutes.

  3. 3

    Compose

    Lay out Valeryia's printed negatives of flowers, skies and more, or feathers and dried flowers.

  4. 4

    Expose

    A few minutes under the UV lamps. The paper turns a deep bronze-grey.

  5. 5

    Wash

    Rinse it in water and watch the blue appear.

  6. 6

    Dry & display

    Clip your prints on the line next to everyone else's: a little gallery of the day.

Your host

Valeryia Pankova

Photographer & cyanotype artist · Slow Kick

Valeryia is a Berlin photographer who fell in love with cyanotype at university six years ago and hasn't stopped experimenting since: botanicals, portraits, posters, even clothing and shoes. Her surreal tarot deck, 22 Ways of Becoming, is printed entirely in cyanotype, and you'll find her prints at markets around Berlin.

@slow_kick on Instagram →

  • What you'll learn

    How to coat, compose, expose and wash a cyanotype, so you can keep going at home.

  • No limit on making

    Valeryia prepares about 5 postcards each, and there's a stack of extra paper on the table.

  • A one-of-a-kind gift

    No two prints come out the same. Give a voucher, or come together and swap prints.

  • No. Valeryia starts with a short intro and shows you every step. You print from her negatives or from objects, so no camera is needed.

  • No. Prints are exposed under UV lamps indoors, so the workshop runs rain or shine.

  • Valeryia prepares about 5 postcard-size prints for each person, plus bookmarks and a keychain. There’s extra paper on the table, so if you want to make more, go for it.

  • Yes, with the “Your own photos” add-on when you book. Upload 2–3 photos before the workshop and Valeryia prints them as negatives for you.

  • Yes. They’re not dangerous (just don’t drink them) and they’re fine to rinse down the sink. They can tint your hands for a day or so, so wear clothes you don’t mind getting marked.

  • The workshop is for ages 10+. Younger children can join too, with an adult who stays and makes alongside them; book a ticket for each of you.

  • English and Russian. Valeryia doesn’t teach in German, but if you have a question, ask us before booking.

  • One-off evenings around a much-loved film, with negatives Valeryia makes for the theme. They run about 3 hours and are listed with their own dates.