I’m not going to claim that the Camera Obscura was a Tudor invention, there has been mention of the technology as long ago as 500 years by the Greeks, but nobody has used it to the extent that the late Tudors did. From about 1545 the Camera Obscura became a real tool for the painting of near photographic standard pictures. I think the painting of Sir Thomas More must have been by Obscura because of the detail. Anyhow I am going to show you all how to make one for yourself. See the picture above and you can now expect your picture to be upside down and back to front. Hey! That’s how your eye works, you brain must turn them the right way round inside your head! Must tell my court about that one.

This man did not invent the Camera Obscura, he wrote about it and described how to make one with a lens. The printing industry soon spread the word.

Pin hole or Lens Fixed box Sliding box for focussing Picture holder Light obscuring cover This model is based upon an A4 sheet system, it can be increased in scale by photocopying up.

Stick cellotape to the reverse of this panel, then make a pin hole in the centre of the red mark. Spin the pin to get a perfect round hole. Cut but don’t stick, fold over to act as springs. Cut Fold outwards

Cut and fold to act as springs Fold inwards Cut

Paper size template The recommended paper type for the picture is tracing paper. The large blue tabs will reduce the light into the obscura. The light obscuring cover should ideally be black dense cloth, stick it to the fixed box and cover your head as you view the picture. Drawing paper