‘Natural ink is a whole landscape condensed into a little bottle’

Colours made from plant material have been used since the earliest times. Maya blue, found on buildings and ceramics of Mesoamerica since AD300, was produced by melting together the local anil plant (indigo) with clay. Historic figures like Jane Austen and Sir Isaac Newton made their own plant-based inks to write with. You will be collecting wild and cultivated plant material, seeking to produce subtle and beautiful colours.

The course will consist of short walks in West Dean Gardens to gather plant materials and time in the studio for making natural inks. The inks made will be used to create drawings. You will be instructed how to work safely and understand the characteristics of different plants. You will only be foraging plant materials from plants found in large quantity on site. Due to the exploratory nature of the course and the materials used, some of the inks you make will be transient. You will be taught to keep a record of your experiments and proceed with an imaginative and organised mind.

This course will concentrate on the colours you can make from plant material easily available on site. You will be foraging in the garden and you will create a series of colour palettes for drawings. A variety of ink-making methods will be demonstrated by your tutor. You will make inks with berries, flowers, leaves, bark and roots; some minerals, such as chalk and clay, will be used too. Some inks will be prepared in advance, such as oak gall ink and copper oxide ink, and will be supplied by your tutor; recipes will be shared. You will learn to shift the colour of your inks by playing with alkaline and acidic additions. You will find out about the importance of the pH of the paper and the water, and how the pH can change the colour. You will be encouraged to try things out and be inquisitive.

Drawing with the coloured inks you have made will give you the chance to find out how the inks mix with each other and what kind of fluid and watery marks you can generate. There is something utterly special in making your own art materials!

Included

On this course the tutor will supply some of the materials, including oak gall ink and copper oxide ink. On this course the College will supply some of the materials, including ink binders, ph modifiers and cartridge paper.

What students need to bring

• A sketchbook, a variety of paper for drawing with inks (khadi paper and watercolour paper)
• Chinese ink brushes, nibs, a few small jars, such as mini jam jars or small used emplty ink bottles
• Small metal sieve and a small funnel
• Pestle and mortar

Available to buy

Available from shop:

• A good variety of art materials, including paper and brushes

Additional information

Please wear appropriate clothing/aprons for the workshop or studio, this includes stout covered footwear (no sandals or open toes).

Arrival day
Residential students can arrive from 4pm, non-residential students to arrive by 6.45pm for registration
6.45pm: Welcome, followed by dinner (included)
8 - 9pm: First teaching session, attendance is essential

Daily timetable
Course teaching 9.15am - 5pm (lunch included)
Dinner: from 6.30pm (included for residential students)
Evening working: students may have access to workshops until 9pm, but only with permission from the tutor and provided any health and safety guidelines are observed

Departure day
Course teaching: 9.15am - 3pm (lunch included)
Residential students will need to check out of rooms by 10am

Please note, the tutor may make slight variations to the daily timetable as required

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