What is better; paints made from foraged natural pigments or mass-produced store-bought paints?
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Everything is derived from nature; unfortunately, today we are living in a world that is driven by consumerism. Imagine walking through a forest or climbing a mountain, and foraging for pigments to make your own paints just like how it was done in the bygone era, instead of going to an art supply store and purchasing a mass-produced tube of paint. It is indeed very convenient getting paint supplies from an art store, but is it as salubrious as what nature has to offer us? The answer is simply no!
The labels on paint tubes never provide us with information about how something was made, the origin of raw materials, who produced it and under which conditions, what it contains, and what impact it had on our environment during the manufacturing process! Honestly speaking, no one even thinks about any of this because modern society today has become disconnected from nature!
After dabbling with store-bought colors for a little while, I came to a realization that art supplies are notorious for remaining tight-lipped about the content of their paints. You don&#;t know what chemicals are in your paint unless they carry extreme health risks warning on the label or if you are a nerdy scientist like me who will go down to the bottom of it! These kinds of warning labels indicate they are toxic to you and should, therefore, be handled with care. I am yet to come across a label that indicates the toxicity of the contents of a paint tube to our environment and other life forms. This means, in art studios all across the world, artists often have no inkling of what they are using to produce art or the impact of those materials on the environment. Hence, I embarked on a creative journey of making my own watercolor paints from foraged pigments and practicing sustainability in creating art as well!
Making a connection with pigments in their wild habitat!
Working with natural pigments is a transformative journey that fosters a harmonious bond between oneself and the Earth. Becoming acquainted with pigments within their natural settings and learning to ethically gather them possesses the power to significantly alter one&#;s artistic approach.
The splendor of nature sparks a rekindling of our inner essence. It prompts an awakening of the senses, enabling us to delve into the sanctity of all that exists within nature and to acknowledge our interconnectedness with everything we encounter.
Given these realities, as a committed practitioner of sustainable art, I am on a journey to discover better ways to practice my craft &#; methods that do not involve consumption, pollution, or strain on our fragile ecosystems.
In this post, I will share with you my passion for making watercolor paints from foraged pigments. What is remarkable about this process is that each landscape is unique: your own land&#;s color palette will depend on its geological features.
As you forage for pigments and transform them into paints, you know exactly what goes into making a paint, where it came from, and lastly, they can all return back to the earth without having any destructive effect!
The ancient craft of Pigment Making
Natural pigments abound everywhere, and by immersing yourself in nature through travel and exploration, you can discover a diverse array of colors. Many of these hues originate from the earth itself: the rich tones of soil, clay, sand, or stone. Over the past couple of years, I&#;ve gathered a considerable collection of pigments from my travels. There&#;s a unique joy in crafting art using nothing but dust &#; art that fosters a deep connection with the materials themselves.
Foraging for natural pigments in the wild?
Any area with a significant amount of exposed rocks presents a potential opportunity to collect pigment stones. Since you&#;ll need pigments that are easy to process, especially when you&#;re just starting out, look for stones that are relatively soft. A simple test involves rubbing the stone against a hard surface. If it leaves behind a residue resembling paint or clay, it&#;s likely a suitable candidate for making paints.
For example, I&#;ve collected oxidized volcanic stones from Boca Cangrejo, Tenerife in , and paints made from various rocks gathered in Portugal and Austria.
While rocks such as sandstone, shale, and muscovite can also be processed, the effort involved is typically more labor-intensive. Harder stones may still be worth processing, especially if they offer unique colors. Clays have the potential to serve as good pigments, although not always. To prepare them, dig out the clay, allow it to dry, remove any large or hard rocks or organic matter, and grind it after levigation. Keep in mind that each geological formation and ecosystem presents its own nuances and challenges.
Rocks such as sandstone, shale, muscovite, etc. can also be processed, but the processing is a lot more tedious. Harder stones may be worth processing, especially if they have unique colors. Clays can make good pigments, but not always; you can dig them out, let them dry, remove any large or hard rocks or organic matter and grind them after levigation. Each geology and ecosystem has something different to offer you, and it requires a lot of experimentation.
Materials like soot and charcoal are excellent sources of pigments. Soot typically produces a warm black, while charcoal yields a cool black. Charcoal black, obtained through the carbonization or charring of wood, is highly stable, like all carbon blacks, and exhibits excellent lightfastness. It&#;s also compatible with other pigments. For instance, I collected some wood charcoal from a bonfire during a trail run in Upper Austria and transformed it into beautiful granular black paint. However, it&#;s important to remember that incomplete combustion of wood can result in the formation of toxic hydrocarbons. For more information on this topic, refer to [source link].
Among the best candidates for paint are ochres. Ochre is a term specifically used for pigments derived from iron oxides and iron-based minerals, clays, and soils. Essentially, ochres are common minerals found worldwide that contain varying amounts of iron and oxygen.
A short tutorial: Foraging for natural pigments.
How to make natural pigments
To prepare your pigments, you will need to ground the pigment candidates finely while not breathing in any dust. Before proceeding you must adhere to safety regulations. Connect with the energies of the earth during this process and embrace the time it takes to do this. I use the following approach:
1. Breaking rocks into smaller pieces
First, break the rocks into pieces that can be finely ground using a mortar and pestle. I use a hammer and a thick plastic sheet on which I break the rocks. Break the rocks as fine as you can using this method. This process must be carried outside and by wearing a respirator/NIOSH mask.
2. Grinding
Grind the pieces using a pestle and mortar until you have achieved a very fine powder. This process may be a bit difficult if you are not used to it. Therefore, before commencing make this process easy by breaking the pieces into smaller sizes with a hammer.
3. Sifting
Sifting is the most critical part of the pigment-making process. The goal is to attain the finest particles possible. You can sift multiple times to get a fine grind by using a sieve with very fine mesh. I use old pantyhose to get finer particles.
The process of grinding and sifting is really an art form in itself, some are easy to do, and some are quite difficult&#;depending on the material. It requires patience and is a very meditative process.
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An alternative method of refining pigments is through the process of levigation. Read here for more information.
4. Make paints
Finally, paints are created by mixing pigments with different additives. Depending on the additives pigments can be transformed into oil paints, pastels, acrylic paints, watercolor paints, and/or tempera.
Handmade watercolor paints are made using a binder that is made from gum arabic, honey, glycerine (optional) distilled water, and clove oil (natural preservative). Read here about the safe working practice during the paint-making process. It is all about experimenting and figuring out what works best for you.
5. Make sustainable art
Once your paints are ready you can start creating art that expresses how you feel, something that you can connect with, art that makes you happy and is sustainable!
I am every bit enthralled by the process of making my own watercolor paints from the found treasures of the beautiful Earth. I hope this post has inspired you to pursue the same creative voyage!
If you want to learn more, check out my new online course, a comprehensive guide to foraging and making natural pigments.
Online Course: The Pigmentum
In this course, you will learn how to safely and ethically forage for natural pigments, how to identify, process, and transform an assortment of colored rocks and soils into beautiful and unique artist-grade pigments.
Disclaimer: Not every natural material is harmless. This includes mineral pigments and earth colors, which may contain hazardous components. When working with fine mineral dust, it is recommended to use a respirator or dust mask. It is advised that one must consult with the local authorities about the geological features of an area. The author may change the contents of this document at any time, either in whole or in part.
Reference links:
I&#;d planned to write this blog for a long time but hadn&#;t gotten around to it until now. In this post, I&#;ll show you how I make lake pigments from frugal resources. I began experimenting with creating lake pigments five years ago and the unpredictability of this process really excites me!
Lake pigments are an excellent way to get the most out of every drop of natural color by converting it into a pulverised state with a long shelf life. These pigments can then be used for making natural watercolor paints, oil paints, pastels, or crayons.
A lake pigment is one that is precipitated from an inert binder, or &#;mordant,&#; generally a metallic salt (potassium aluminium sulfate). Following that, the precipitate is filtered, washed, and pulverised. While dyes are water-soluble, lake pigments are insoluble and tint via dispersion.
You can experiment with making lake pigments from plants from where the dye can be extracted. Begin with materials you can easily find in your kitchen, such as food waste (avocado peels and stones, pomegranate skin, teas, etc.).
Depending on the time of the year, you can find a variety of plants that can be used not just for natural dyeing but also for making lake pigments. Finally, you have the option to use the traditional plant dye sources: madder roots, weld, buckthorn, logwood, brazilwood, to name a few.
A basic lake pigment is relatively easy to make. Certain lake pigments, on the other hand, are more complicated. The process for creating a lake pigment is identical for each ingredient, however, certain colors need boiling, while others, such as madder, may be ruined by boiling. This can only be discovered by trial and error. Additionally, the proportions of alum and alkali also vary depending on the dye, so some trial and error is required to acquire the proper quantities for a particular dye source.
When identifying plants, exercise caution and ensure that they are not toxic. When working with powders, always wear a mask and safety glasses/goggles. Protect your skin and clothing from dyes, and pigments by wearing an apron and gloves. Avoid inhaling fumes arising from the dye pot. Please follow the safety instructions when working with chemicals (mordants). Maintain a dedicated set of equipment for dyeing, never use it again in the kitchen. Work in a well-ventilated area away from children and animals.
Collect your plant material, place it in a big pot and add hot water over it. Allow to steep overnight. We don&#;t need as much water to generate a rich and concentrated solution. On the following day, simmer the steeped dye extract for approximately 30-40 minutes at low heat with constant stirring. Do not allow the dye to boil. Let it cool before proceeding to the next step.
Once your dye is extracted strain the dye liquid using a coffee filter or a muslin cloth. Squeeze as much as you can to get all the precious dye liquor.
Now that you&#;ve got some extracted and filtered dye, the magic can begin. Make a 10% solution of alum in hot water then pour the warm alum solution into the dye jar. You will observe an immediate shift in the color of the dye extract. In another jar make a 2.5% solution of washing soda in hot water. Add this warm alkaline solution slowly with constant stirring. The dye should start fizzing as the base reacts with the acid. Stir, the solution allowing the pigment to bind and precipitate.
How much of each, alum and alkali, should be used? Well, it&#;ll be different for each dye and each recipe. As a general thing, it&#;s better to add little than to add too much, as more can always be added later. The best way to ascertain the completion of the reaction is to check the pH of the solution, it should be neutral (pH 7).
Once the foam has completely vanished (which may take some time), let the solution sit for a while longer (usually overnight) to allow the sediment to fall to the bottom. It&#;s handy to do this in a glass container so you can see the layer of sediment. When the solution has built pigment sediment at the bottom you can carefully spoon off the liquid on top.
Now prepare a container with a funnel lined with a coffee filter. Strain the sedimented liquid through the filter. It will take a while to drip through. Once the liquid has passed through, wash the pigment that is left behind on the filter paper with clear water till you get a clear filtrate in the jar. Alternatively, scoop all the pigment on the coffee filter into a clean jar with fresh water and give it a good mix allowing all the unwanted mineral salts to dissolve in water before repeating the filtration process.
After washing the pigment remove the filter paper and lay it flat on a surface for the wet pigment to dry. Place it in a warm and dry place without much direct light. Allow it to dry fully. It will probably shrink in volume quite a bit as it loses moisture.
Once the lake is completely dry, you can grind it up, thoroughly, using a mortar and pestle. Store the pulverised pigment in an airtight jar.
Now that you have your pigment, mix it into gum arabic or linseed oil to make watercolor or oil paints, and try it out! There&#;s nothing quite like making a painting with your own pigments and paints to give you a sense of accomplishment. Don&#;t forget to take detailed notes during the procedure.
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