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Ever wanted to create your own paints or inks from natural dyes and pigments?
Ever wanted to create your own paints or inks from natural dyes and pigments?
Up until the First Industrial Revolution ( 1700s), Individuals had to be very creative in finding, harvesting and processing local and imported natural resources such as insects, animals, animal bi-products, clay, mineral deposits, rocks, plants etc. to make pigments for paint, dye and ink. Below are some examples!
Up until the First Industrial Revolution ( 1700s), Individuals had to be very creative in finding, harvesting and processing local and imported natural resources such as insects, animals, animal bi-products, clay, mineral deposits, rocks, plants etc. to make pigments for paint, dye and ink. Below are some examples!
Turmeric (Dried ground spice)can be used as a dye on paper (in background) and fabric .
Turmeric (Dried ground spice)can be used as a dye on paper (in background) and fabric .
Can you guess what natural materials were used by Medieval Illuminators to make pigment for dyes, paints and inks to illustrate manuscripts?? Take a look at the boxes in the picture below and try to guess what material is in each box!
Can you guess what natural materials were used by Medieval Illuminators to make pigment for dyes, paints and inks to illustrate manuscripts?? Take a look at the boxes in the picture below and try to guess what material is in each box!
Each open box contains a sample of the type of natural materials to Medieval Illuminators found and used! How many did you guess correctly??
Each open box contains a sample of the type of natural materials to Medieval Illuminators found and used! How many did you guess correctly??
Here is a link to the Lindisfarne Gospels at British Library. The Lindisfarne Gospels are one of the most beautiful and detailed illuminated manuscripts from the Medieval time period. The individuals who drew, decorated and illuminated the pages used only local plants, seaweed, etc. that they could find outside their front door! Click it & Read ALL NINE pages!
Here is a link to the Lindisfarne Gospels at British Library. The Lindisfarne Gospels are one of the most beautiful and detailed illuminated manuscripts from the Medieval time period. The individuals who drew, decorated and illuminated the pages used only local plants, seaweed, etc. that they could find outside their front door! Click it & Read ALL NINE pages!
Below are pictures of SMS art students making their own oak gall ink using the same methods and recipe as the Medieval Illuminators!
Below are pictures of SMS art students making their own oak gall ink using the same methods and recipe as the Medieval Illuminators!
These are Oak Galls.
These are Oak Galls.
Grinding oak galls with a mortar & pestle
Grinding oak galls with a mortar & pestle
Adding boiling water to ground Oak gall in order to draw out the tanins.
Adding boiling water to ground Oak gall in order to draw out the tanins.
Next day: adding ferrous sulfide to oak gall "tea" to create a chemical reaction which creates black ink!
Next day: adding ferrous sulfide to oak gall "tea" to create a chemical reaction which creates black ink!
Then, Oak gall ink is transferred into ink wells so students can start drawing!
Then, Oak gall ink is transferred into ink wells so students can start drawing!
Students used hand carved reed pens and feather quill pens JUST like the ones used by Medieval illuminators!
Students used hand carved reed pens and feather quill pens JUST like the ones used by Medieval illuminators!
Some finished Illuminations using oak gall ink
Some finished Illuminations using oak gall ink
Want to learn more About Oak Gall ink? WHO used it? WHY??? ON WHAT famous documents??? Check out the site Below!
Want to learn more About Oak Gall ink? WHO used it? WHY??? ON WHAT famous documents??? Check out the site Below!
What is Pigment?
What is Pigment?
Pigment is the dry material which gives paints, inks or dyes their color! ALL KINDS of things found in nature can be dried, cleaned and crushed and ground down into powder pigment. The pigment is then added to a binder which makes the pigment stick to a surface such as paper, canvas, or ceramic sculpture!
Check out the video below in which 2 scientists from Denmark explain and show you examples of pigments that people in ancient times used to put color on sculptures, frescoes, paintings, etc... ( and it is cool to listen to Danish! :)
Walnut shells, berries, bark and wood from various plants and trees can be also made into inks and dyes!
Walnut shells, berries, bark and wood from various plants and trees can be also made into inks and dyes!
In the picture below are Oak gall ink (black), Buckthorn ink (green), Brazilwood ink (red), Walnut ink (brown), and some examples of using brazilwood and oak gall as a dye.
In the picture below are Oak gall ink (black), Buckthorn ink (green), Brazilwood ink (red), Walnut ink (brown), and some examples of using brazilwood and oak gall as a dye.
A very special BEETLE called a Cochineal Beetle can be dried and used to make the MOST BEAUTIFUL dyes, inks and oil paint!! Guess where ELSE you'll find these bugs??? your food!! check out the video below!! Nom-nom!
A very special BEETLE called a Cochineal Beetle can be dried and used to make the MOST BEAUTIFUL dyes, inks and oil paint!! Guess where ELSE you'll find these bugs??? your food!! check out the video below!! Nom-nom!
See the dried Cochineal beetles pouring out of the bottle above? Snails were also used to make color! Check out the website:
See the dried Cochineal beetles pouring out of the bottle above? Snails were also used to make color! Check out the website:
" Causes of Color: Pigments from Animals and Plants" page at this this link: ( copy and paste it into your browser)
" Causes of Color: Pigments from Animals and Plants" page at this this link: ( copy and paste it into your browser)
http://www.webexhibits.org/causesofcolor/7.html
http://www.webexhibits.org/causesofcolor/7.html
And below is a link to an old photo of Cochineal Beetles being picked!
And below is a link to an old photo of Cochineal Beetles being picked!
The red ink in this sketch (above) is made from Cochineal Beetles.
The red ink in this sketch (above) is made from Cochineal Beetles.
When trade between Asia and Europe was established, Artists were able to buy and grind down exotic stones such as Lapis Lazuli (from Afghanistan) and Malachite (from Madagascar, etc.) into powder and use it mixed with oil, egg yolk, etc. as paint!
When trade between Asia and Europe was established, Artists were able to buy and grind down exotic stones such as Lapis Lazuli (from Afghanistan) and Malachite (from Madagascar, etc.) into powder and use it mixed with oil, egg yolk, etc. as paint!
Which famous Artists used Lapis Lazuli as a pigment in their paintings? Vermeer was one! Read the article above to see how and an example of one of his paintings in which he used Lapis Lazuli! He was "The King of Colors!"
Which famous Artists used Lapis Lazuli as a pigment in their paintings? Vermeer was one! Read the article above to see how and an example of one of his paintings in which he used Lapis Lazuli! He was "The King of Colors!"
Various Minerals and deposits dug right out of the earth can be make into the most RICH colors!!!
Various Minerals and deposits dug right out of the earth can be make into the most RICH colors!!!
Below is a sample of some of the most famous earth pigments ( in the jars), and pictures of how they look in the earth before they have been harvested. Some of the pigments are named after the town or area they naturally occur.
Below is a sample of some of the most famous earth pigments ( in the jars), and pictures of how they look in the earth before they have been harvested. Some of the pigments are named after the town or area they naturally occur.
Watch this cool tutorial by an Australian artist who explains HOW and WHERE she gets her pigments!!!
Watch this cool tutorial by an Australian artist who explains HOW and WHERE she gets her pigments!!!
Below are some books which are Awesome resources to learn more about how to make and use natural materials to make YOUR ART!
Below are some books which are Awesome resources to learn more about how to make and use natural materials to make YOUR ART!
The Links below are to excellent tutorials which show you how to use dry natural pigments to make egg tempra paint, oil paint, how to clean your brushes, etc. Very Cool!!!
The Links below are to excellent tutorials which show you how to use dry natural pigments to make egg tempra paint, oil paint, how to clean your brushes, etc. Very Cool!!!
If you ever want to see a REAL garden of Plants known to have grown in medieval Europe, they thrive in the nineteen raised beds in the Bonnefont Cloister in the CLOISTERS MUSEUM in NYC!!!These plants are labeled and grouped to demonstrate their medieval uses such as medicine, food, and material for artists. They architecture and artwork in the Cloisters Museum is also mostly from the Medieval period.It is a GREAT place to visit!!! SOO COOL! check out the website:
If you ever want to see a REAL garden of Plants known to have grown in medieval Europe, they thrive in the nineteen raised beds in the Bonnefont Cloister in the CLOISTERS MUSEUM in NYC!!!These plants are labeled and grouped to demonstrate their medieval uses such as medicine, food, and material for artists. They architecture and artwork in the Cloisters Museum is also mostly from the Medieval period.It is a GREAT place to visit!!! SOO COOL! check out the website:
The best time of year to visit is in late spring or early summer when the garden is in bloom!
The best time of year to visit is in late spring or early summer when the garden is in bloom!
The materials collection, at the Harvard Art Museums in Cambridge, MA, houses thousands of pigments, including some of the world’s rarest. Dragon's blood, mummy, Indian yellow: these are but a few flashy highlights from the museum's collection.
The materials collection, at the Harvard Art Museums in Cambridge, MA, houses thousands of pigments, including some of the world’s rarest. Dragon's blood, mummy, Indian yellow: these are but a few flashy highlights from the museum's collection.
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