Handmade Archives - Lost in Colours

Handmade Natural Dye Garden Natural pigments, watercolor paints, plant dyes & inks

Easy Natural Dye Plants to Grow on Your Balcony

23rd May 2023

For years, my balcony has served as a sanctuary for my gardening adventures. I’ve nurtured an array of plants, from blooming flowers to aromatic herbs, vegetables and salads, creating a miniature oasis amidst the urban landscape. But it wasn’t until last year that my gardening journey took an exciting turn. I was granted a small piece of land, a patch of earth to call my own. With this newfound space, I couldn’t resist the urge to experiment with something new…

0 Comments

Handmade Natural Dye Garden Natural pigments, watercolor paints, plant dyes & inks

A Beginner’s Guide to Eco-Printing: Learn How to Create Art with Natural Materials!

25th January 2023

In 2019, I discovered the art of eco-printing while on a week-long camping trip to the coast of Algarve in Portugal. Despite writing an article about my experience at the time, I never got around to publishing it until now, four years later! During our trip, we came across a small village called Alté. It was so charming that we decided to make a stop and explore the village. As we were strolling through the narrow lanes of this charming…

0 Comments

Handmade Natural pigments, watercolor paints, plant dyes & inks Painting & Sketching

Which paper is best for writing with (Natural) inks?

17th January 2023

Paper is a versatile medium produced by mechanically or chemically processing cellulose fibers extracted from wood, fabric rags, grasses, or other plant sources in water. The water is then drained through a fine mesh to leave the fiber evenly distributed on the surface, followed by couching, pressing, and drying. There are many different types of papers available today. The range of papers that work well with water- and alcohol-based natural inks is too vast for this article to explore. In…

0 Comments

Handmade Natural pigments, watercolor paints, plant dyes & inks

How to Make Watercolor Binder

17th May 2022

A step-by-step guide to making gum Arabic based watercolor binder for handmade watercolors The use of Gum Arabic as a binder dates back to ancient times. The presence of Gum Arabic increases watercolor brilliancy, gloss, and transparency, giving greater depth to each color. It slows down the drying time of paint, and can also be used for controlling spread when painting wet-on-wet. Watercolor paint is made by dispersing pigments of any colour in different proportions with acacia gum binder. The…

0 Comments

Handmade

Farewell to 2020: My year in review!

8th January 2021

The year 2020 was unlike any other in our lifetime! It was a year filled with trials and tribulations for everyone. In hindsight, it has been a year that I will remember the most for it gave us once in a lifetime opportunity to look at life in a very profound and unique way! I reflect on 2020 by not fixating on the tribulations and personal loss but instead acknowledging their existence, honoring the thoughts and feelings that were a…

0 Comments

Older Posts

Hello,
I’m Jyotsna, a scientist and a watercolor artist dedicated to sustainability, currently living in the charming city of Graz, Austria. I want to extend a heartfelt welcome to Lost in Colours, where my creative pursuits are deeply rooted in an ongoing exploration to learn, gain understanding, and form a bond with the natural world that surrounds us.

If you’re looking for a way to infuse your artistic pursuits with inspiration and joy, you’ve come to the right place. Get lost in the world of colours with me and discover new ways to make a positive impact through your art!

Outstanding Course

I took Jyotsna's course on making Botanical pigments, and she is the best!

Erin Parsons

Artist

Eco-Pigment Passion

I've always loved earth pigments. ... for anyone who wants to be as green and careful as possible ... that is something that Jyotsna is passionate about

Jane Blundell

Artist

Pigment Adventures

I have done ALL of Jyotsna's courses and they are brilliant. The presentation is really nice and the content has set me off on a kind of obsessive exploration of hunting for colours in nature, making pigments and the excitment of seeing what colours will come (often unexpectedly) from a plant. If you are interested in pigment making then do those courses and then the paint making one as you will then have your own 'materials' ready. Go for it!

Alfi Spencer

Artist

Colorful Inspiration

My first introduction to the world of making my own watercolours was when I stumbled upon Jyotsna's website . And therein I was sucked into her beautiful , natural , organic and colourful world . Needless to say , I spend a lot of time going through her site and gaining from her knowledge . So when she announced an online resource I immediately signed on. It is now very helpful to have lifelong access to her online lessons in basic watercolour making from pigments . Her scientific background adds to making this resource very organised . I find her energy and happiness in doing what she does both contagious and inspiring , and this comes through in her videos. I am sure I will keep returning to her online platforms and also her course material on a very regular basis , as I continue to find and make my own way towards creating my own sustainable watercolours

Mansi Shouche

Sustainable, Comprehensive & Affordable

The courses are absolutely amazing, and I plan to sign up for all of them! The content is very comprehensive and easy to understand. Jyotsna has a PhD in chemistry and not many other people in the world would have her intimate knowledge of the dye and ink-making processes. Her passion for sustainable art making and organic farming is second to none. The price of the courses are also very affordable, and I would highly recommend this course to anyone who is interested in sustainable art practice.

Damian Talbot

Landscape Artist & Medical doctor

Transformative Journey

I just completed Jyotsna’s “Making Lake Botanicals” course and could not be happier with the content. Jyotsna’s instruction is understandable and easy to follow. I feel more confident in moving forward to making my own watercolor paints than ever before. I had a small concern about working through procedures that required using chemicals that could potentially go wrong. Her recipes are well thought out, and she goes step by step, making it easy to take notes and completely grasp the procedure, and that helped to eliminate my concern.

I was not surprised at how much I would like this course, as all of the courses and videos have been so appreciated. Of all the instruction, and instructors, I have followed, Jyotsna is, hands down, my favorite!

Sandra Wicinski