Browsing Category

Natural pigments, watercolor paints, plant dyes & inks

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

How to grow a natural dye garden?

15th February 2023

Are you an artist who dreams of creating your own natural pigments and paints? What if you could cultivate a garden filled with vibrant hues, ready to be used in your artwork, while also embracing a sustainable and fulfilling experience? I’m delighted to announce my latest course, “From Petals to Palette,” which is tailor-made for artists. Being an artist myself, I’ve long been captivated by the charm of natural pigments and the eco-friendly practice of gathering them. However, I eventually…

Continue Reading

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…

Continue Reading

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…

Continue Reading

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

What’s happening in my Dye Garden?-Part VII

10th November 2022

This is the final post in my natural dye garden series, as the gardening season has come to an end with the arrival of autumn. My natural dye garden served as both a teaching space and a very tranquil and reinvigorating environment for me. It is time to reflect on the previous season’s accomplishments, put the garden to bed, and prepare it for the next season. I learned several things while tending to my first natural dye garden, including how…

Continue Reading

Natural pigments, watercolor paints, plant dyes & inks

Making Natural Inks

12th October 2022

In June 2019, I released my first post about creating natural inks. Since then, I’ve explored, experimented, and optimized my ink-making formulas using various natural substances. I have learned much about this ancient means of communication. Ink is far more sophisticated than we realize! What is Ink? There are certainly as many definitions of ink as there are varieties. The most basic definition is that ink is a colored liquid or semi-liquid material used for writing, printing, or drawing. Chemists…

Continue Reading