Make Ink: A Forager’s Guide to Natural Inkmaking

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If beets are a common vegetable you cook with then you are definitely aware of how quickly your hands get stained. This journey has had it’s evident challenges but mostly, it’s been so fulfilling to learn how to create color with nature itself.

It’s humorous, full of beautiful images, and left me feeling super inspired and excited to chase my curiosity. Although I was hoping for a more of a reference book than a guide book I found this book inspiring - I have done natural dying and foraging but this is an exciting idea - especially with my current love of fountain pens. Logan is an artist but also a poet, with words and imagery that help your eyes glide easily through his prose, like the juicy wash of a brush saturated with beautiful ink. The recipes are interesting and for the most part usable, though I can't imagine that too many people would want to devote an entire teaspoon of saffron threads to making ink.The color of the ink turned out to be a soft light brown, so I added soda ash to see if I can get any more color/vibrancy from it. e. not art) I actually used tissue paper in tweezers, as this meant no washing/cleaning, and gave consistent flow between tests. When using his inks in his own art, Logan has experimented with applying them to ceramic, leather, and textiles. To keep a pen writing smoothly, you will need to filter out little grains of plant matter very carefully, and use less binder, which can also gum up the nib.

When you draw or paint with it, you will see how this ink darkens as it dries and is fairly permanent. The trees also use the leaves to discard waste (“because trees can’t wee” says my biologist partner). Heat to just below boiling and cook for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until you have an intense ink colour. The binder you choose depends on the final use; I’ve heard of people using honey for thick inks designed for print making.I would have given it 4 stars for being a slimmed down book on the subject— not something I am usually a fan of. You won’t need every single one for every recipe, but the more tools you have available, the more techniques you can try.