https://vimeo.com/522249399
In this video I’m sharing my experiments in to ink making.
This may seem a little random but it’s part of a bigger project that I’m hoping to be able to pull of. I thought you may find some interest in following my steps along the way.
One of the most fantastic things you notice when seeking to support your needs from nature is how there are always many avenues to take.
I found some acorns and was eager to learn what I could do with them.
I was keen to make some ink so I considered if acorns would be useful here. They are.
But I could just as easily have found a handful of other uses for the acorns. And many other alternative materials for making the ink.
This constant cross over gives potential for incredible resilience.
The video demonstrates how I went about making ink using the acorns.
It’s a method that makes use of the high tannin content within the nuts, and reacts it with iron. This creates a colour shift which provides a lovely dark hue.
Unlike colours obtained from many berries and flowers which will fade and discolour quickly, I’m expecting this ink to be very permanent and light-fast (I’ll run some tests and update you if that’s the case).
I used a drop of wintergreen essential oil to help preserve the ink, and keeping it cool will also help it to stay mould free for longer.
I’ll be continuing to play with ink making and figuring how to put it in to use so I’ll keep you posted on how that goes.