And so the first ink making has started.
It seemed sensible to start creating a stock of black as this is used readily across a variety of print media. Black, as I have been finding out, can be made from numerous sources: bone, vine, root, charcoal, mineral, to name a few. Having collected samples in bone, mineral and charcoal, I have decided to make my stock black from charcoal. Practically, charcoal is the most readily available raw material I can obtain from the woodland, as well as the fact it is also a bi-product from fires, which in my mind makes it far more sustainable.
Charcoal I have found is a very powdery pigment to grind, but does make a lovely velvety soft black, and in the quantities I need.
Making and grinding the ink was a simple affair since the raw material broke down very readily and did not require much processing. Which is brilliant. It is just a case of producing the quantity I need to print the pieces I have in mind for this particular ink.
Charcoal is also a hugely powerful remedy across the world for stomach upsets and its healing properties make the ink a perfect choice for a series of large wall hangings to form the walls of an installation based upon UK deforestation. The charcoal from Hollybank will offer a symbolic pointer towards a healing process for the forests and land we have already destroyed in this country. It will be interesting to see how it prints on such a large scale.
Speaking of which, I have a tin of ink to make….
