The Hand-Coated Image: Van Dyke Brown Printing Process

This introductory workshop explores the Van Dyke Brown printing process, a classic

19th-century photographic technique known for its warm, earthy brown tones. Participants will learn the fundamentals of hand-coating paper with light-sensitive chemistry, preparing and using digital or analog negatives, and exposing prints under UV light.

The session will also address contrast control, achieving even coatings, and troubleshooting common issues. By the end of the workshop, participants will have produced their own Van Dyke Brown prints and gained a clear understanding of the workflow needed to continue exploring this expressive and accessible alternative photographic process on their own.

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The Hand-Coated Image

This three-part workshop series offers an in-depth exploration of hand-coated photographic printing processes, tracing the enduring relevance of 19th-century techniques within contemporary image-making. Through focused, hands-on sessions led by three artists working deeply with historical processes, participants will engage with palladium, cyanotype, and Van Dyke Brown printing as both technical practices and expressive visual languages.

Across the series, participants will work directly with light-sensitive chemistry, paper, and negatives, gaining insight into how material choices, exposure, and process shape tone, depth, and surface. Each workshop emphasizes a distinct approach to hand-made photographic printing, from the luminous tonal range of palladium, to the rich blues of cyanotype, to the warm, earthy hues of Van Dyke Brown, inviting participants to consider how historical methods continue to offer expansive creative possibilities today.

Together, the workshops encourage sustained experimentation, material understanding, and a slower, more intentional relationship to photographic printing, supporting participants in building both technical confidence and a deeper connection to process-driven image-making.

Course fee: $500 (Members) / $575 (Non Members)

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Instructor Bio
Enzo Earl Chen (b. 2000, Taiwan) is a multidisciplinary artist based in Toronto. Working across photography and printmaking, Enzo holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from OCAD University, with a major in Photography and a minor in Printmaking. Their practice extends into woodworking and sculpture, reflecting a broad material curiosity. Specializing in film photography and traditional darkroom processes, Enzo works primarily with medium and large format film to investigate the subtleties of lived experience. Their printmaking practice spans screen printing, relief, intaglio, and lithography, forming a complementary foundation for their image-based work. Guided by an ongoing exploration of a “third perspective,” Enzo’s work engages with themes of self-identity, cultural heritage, and personal narrative.Integrating traditional craft with contemporary approaches, they create visual spaces that invite introspection, layered meaning, and a reconsideration of how personal histories are perceived.

Image Credit: Enzo Chen, Frays, Van Dyke Print on Pork Skin, 2024.