WILD & CULTIVATED PLANTS

During this workshop, you will be introduced to various methods of drawing out colours from flowers, the first is a historical method to create colour rich concentrates. This method doesn’t require any heat, just some flowers of choice and some simple equipment.

The second method you will learn uses heat to draw out colours from plants. This forms the basis of how to make most botanical inks and some of the plants that’ll be involved on the day include coreopsis, weld, marigold and madder.

Once you have become more familiar with how to draw out colours in these ways we will then turn our attention to the Indigo containing plants. This will include how to use the indigo pigment to make different materials and how to extend colour ranges by adding it to other plant inks.

This will be further demonstrated and experimented with by painting onto swatches then over layering to ever extend the variety of potential colours.

The day will also feature learning about thickeners and binders for inks and how to make them and use them. 

At the conclusion of each day participants will have a section of materials to take home with accompanying notes for further studying and reference.

Materials and refreshments provided.