D
esigner and artist
Jason Logan’s
obsession with
making his own
naturalinksstarted
when he was cycling
to work in Toronto. Passing a
beautiful old walnut tree in the park,
he was reminded of an oddly shaped
bottle of ‘black walnut ink’ he’d
purchased seven years earlier – and
loved using for its qualities: pale
caramel brown when mixed with
water,analmostmahogany-black
when brushed on paper in layers. He
began to see the potential for making
his own ink everywhere in the city
- from berries to roots to common
weeds. Subsequently, Logan started
the Toronto Ink Company as a citizen
science experiment, making eco-
friendly, urban ink from street-
harvest pigments. In the process, he’s
scoured ink-making recipes spanning
centuries, from medieval recipes for
BibleinktoHandynasty-erarecipes
for pine-sap black.
Making your own ink is more
straightforward than you may think,
governed by the simple formula,
colour + binder + water or oil = ink.
Basically, according to Logan, you
can throw almost any pigment-rich
base ingredient into an old pot with
vinegar and salt, boil it up for an hour
or two, add a couple of drops of gum
arabic as a binder and “voilà– you
have an ink”. If that sounds a bit too
vague, there’s a more detailed basic
recipe, right, that can be adjusted for
use with different natural materials.
It doesn’t require huge amounts of
expensive equipment to get started- some old pans (that you’ll only use
for ink-making), a little space for
working, some old utensils for
stirring, a strainer and a funnel – but
it does demand patience.
“Natural ink is a whole landscape,
condensed into a little bottle,” says
Logan. “If the process seems slow
and moves only a drip at a time, you
are doing your job right.”
Then it’s time for a bit of
experimenting to find a colour and
consistency that feels right to you. If
your ink is too thin, keep cooking a
little longer; if your ink gets too thick,
add a bit more water. It’s pretty hard
to “ruin” an ink, according to Logan.
Even the faintest ink could become
a favourite so don’t worry too much if
the colour gets a little pale. Remain
open to everything, advises Logan,
and “follow your instincts”. You’ll
reap the benefits of not only having a
beautiful ink to work with, but also
getting to see the colours of the
natural world in a whole new way.
- some old pans (that you’ll only use
Natural ink
A BASIC RECIPE YOU
CAN ADAPT FOR YOUR
CHOICE OF PIGMENT
Makes around 8 x 60ml bottles
YOU WILL NEED
Water
A colourful base ingredient (such
as berries, rocks, charcoal, nuts,
roots or leaves)
Potato masher
Measuring cups and spoons
Pestle and mortar
A pot or pan that you don’t mind devoting
to ink-making
Spoon or stir stick
White vinegar (cleaning grade, if you
can find it)
Salt
Thick white paper, for testing
Gum arabic (find it at most art
supply stores)
PROUDLY
HOMEMADE