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 PIGMENTMakes 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