Shown above are some of the items I have on hand for making ink: A large mixing bowl, rubber gloves, a potato masher, a glass flask, small glass spice jars with tight lids, and paper towels. I would include coffee filters for filtering out organic matter from your ink and a trusty apron. You’ll want gum arabic as a binding agent and a wintergreen essential oil to use as a preservative.
Shown above are recently harvested buckthorn berries from my backyard. It was an unusually warm October day. The redwing blackbirds and grackles declared their displeasure with my berry-picking presence during the hold time. It took about two hours to gather
about 2 cups of berries — I’m eyeballing the amount.
How I Went About Making Natural Ink.
A little video short I put together to show how even a novice can make ink. The whole process from harvesting to making the ink took about two days. I harvested one day, made the ink on the second day, and let the ink filter from the second batch of mashed berries overnight.
Before I ventured into making ink, I decided to collect everyday objects needed and dedicate them to making ink exclusively. (This is where a thrift store comes in handy. This also removes any barrier for when I want to make ink. Sadly, I was too late to harvest black walnuts this year. Black walnut ink is the ink of scribes and Shakespeare.
I would love to have the buckthorn removed so I could see the beautiful marsh that lies just beyond the wall of barbed nuisance. And yet, the buckthorn gave me a gift. Life, as in nature, is a paradox.
The ink turned out better than expected — a rich, earthy plum that takes its time resting and drying on paper. When the ink finally dries, it has a luminance that I am not used to seeing with other mediums.
There’s plenty of room for experimentation. I mentioned I added about 10 drops of wintergreen essential oil to preserve the ink, but you can add vinegar or salt. Each additive will have a different effect on the ink and how it performs when it hits paper. For now, I love the waft of wintergreen when I open a bottle of home-made ink.
If you are at all interested in making ink yourself, I highly recommend the book MAKE INK: A Forager’s Guide to Natural Inkmaking by Jason Logan. I know I have mentioned his book several times, but it really is a beautiful entryway into making ink that feels accessible and adventurous. Jason also has several videos showing the process more elegantly than I can. I’m just beginning.
Your turn.
Have you ever made ink from natural sources before? How did it turn out? Have a natural substance that’s unusually good for making colorful ink? Please share your ink-making adventures. I respond to all.
Till next time, be kind to everything that lives and especially be kind to yourself.
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