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6 16 14 Final v2 Disk 1 Catharine Elin
6 16 14 Final v2 Disk 1 Catharine Elin
Colors from Berries & Woods: Stabilizing Colors with Alum (15:46)
Michel uses locally collected buckthorn berries, brazilwood chips, and logwood chips to make
liquid plant decoction that will be stabilized with alum to make inks and silk paints.
Black liquid
600 ml gall nut decoction
Add 40 grams ferrous sulfate
Immediately the juice turns very dark
Dark Gold/Orange liquid
600 ml gall nut decoction
Add 20 grams titanium (potassium titanyl oxalate), a metal that can be used safely and
reacts very strongly with tannin)
The juice turns dark orange
When the liquids are tested on paper the ferrous mixture starts gray and turns very dark black as
it oxidizes. Titanium produces a brilliant stable orange.
The choice of the metallic salt is crucial: alum, ferrous, or titanium.
Thickening Silk Paints with Gums: Gum Arabic & Gum Tragacanth (45:26)
When using the liquids for silk paints they are thickened differently than the inks.
Guar gum (from a tropical bean) is used with the liquids made with alum or ferrous and gum
tragacanth (from the sap of a middle eastern legume) is used with the liquids made with titanium.
Alum or ferrous liquids
2 grams guar gum
200 ml liquid (1%)
Michel mixes with magnetic stirrer to dissolve the guar gum. You may mix guar gum thoroughly
with a small whisk and allow the solution to sit until dissolved and fluid.
Titanium liquids
3 grams gum tragacanth
200 ml liquid (1.5%)
Michel mixes with magnetic stirrer to dissolve the gum tragacanth. Gum tragacanth usually
needs more vigorous stirring, such as a blender.
Painting Silk with Brushes, Blocks, or Silkscreen (48:24)
If painting with brushes, stretch the silk first.
When applying the silk paint with blocks or silkscreen, allow each color to dry completely before
applying the next color.
to finish:
Allow the paints to dry completely.
Prepare a chalk solution:
15 grams chalk (calcium carbonate)
Dissolve in 1 liter warm water.
Soak the dry cloth in the chalk solution for a few minutes. This will remove any excess of acid
from the alum, the gum on the surface of the cloth, and any un-fixed color.
Rinse the cloth in clear water and dry.
Results:
Many colors and combinations are possible from just a few colors by overlapping and mixing
colors.
Can Any kind of plant be used? Each plant has different characteristics and some of the plants
are not successful. Michel always encourages experimentation.
When the inks were made everything was in solution. Now we are separating the concentrated
color from the water. It will take a couple of hours for the filtering to be completed.
Storing and Preserving Pigment Pastes (1:26:30)
Transfer the pigment pastes into small jars.
Add a few drops essential oil of thyme or oil of clove to preserve the pastes. These essential oils
are anti-fungal agents. Shake well to distribute the oil. The pigment pastes can be preserved for
years.