Session 5. Botanical Ink & Paint Making
Tasks for July and August:
Have a go at making some Botanical Inks & Paints. I recommend that you have a go at all the techniques.
Take a look at the Crayon Making Resources.
Harvesting - If you are growing dye plants, you will be reaching a time of abundance.
Notes:
Alkalis used in plant colour processes and their applications:
Chalk (calcium carbonate) - A weak alkali
Add to your madder dye if you have acidic water.
Add to your lake pigments in-stead of sodium carbonate (soda ash) for an opaque paint (goache).
Add to your inks for an opaque ink.
If you add chalk to an ink or paint, you will need to add extra binder.
Bicarbonate of soda (also known as baking soda) - a food- safe alkali
Add to inks and drawings to shift the colour to red/pink/purple
Soda Ash (Sodium Carbonate)
Used in the lake pigment process
Used to extract inks from tender plant material
Used in printmaking and dyeing as a modifier to red/pink/purple
Sometimes used in indigo vat dyeing
Lime (calcium hydroxide, also known as calx hydrated lime, caustic lime, builders' lime, slaked lime, cal, and pickling lime)
Used in indigo vat dyeing
Acids used in plant colour processes:
Citric Acid, Lemon Juice, Vinegar
A modifier for dyes, inks, and printmaking
Used while washing indigo during the extraction process, and when disposing a vat.
Aluminium Sulphate
Mordant/fixative/brightener
How to identify plants that are high in tannins:
Dry sensation in mouth when tasting. Only taste if you know the plant is not poisonous.
eg: camellia (tea), herb robert, rose, oak extract
Woody
oak bark, eucalyptus, sage, camellia
Plants in the Rose family
eg: bramble, herb robert, roses, hawthorn.
Aromatic
eg: tansy, yarrow, herb robert, roses, rosemary, eucalyptus.
Working With Fresh plants that give indigo? I recommend joining this facebook community.