{"id":1513190,"date":"2023-04-03T01:12:02","date_gmt":"2023-04-03T00:12:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/?p=1513190"},"modified":"2026-03-31T15:58:53","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T14:58:53","slug":"making-natural-ink-process-recipe-yellow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/2023\/04\/03\/making-natural-ink-process-recipe-yellow\/","title":{"rendered":"Making Natural Ink: The Process and Recipe for Yellow Ink"},"content":{"rendered":"

We are delighted to be stocking the book Make Ink: A Forager’s Guide to Natural Inkmaking<\/a><\/em> by Jason Logan, foreword by Michael Ondaatje (Abrams). Jason is the founder of The Toronto Ink Company, makers of fine quality artist’s inks harvested from the streets and trees of Toronto, using all natural pigments combined with food grade Indian shellac and Canadian Shield wintergreen. Read on for two excerpts from the book, including the basic process for making natural ink and Jason’s recipe for Turmeric Alcohol Ink. <\/p>\n

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Make Ink: A Forager’s Guide to Natural Inkmaking<\/a><\/em> by Jason Logan, foreword by Michael Ondaatje
Cover \u00a9 2018 Abrams<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Making Natural Ink: a Basic Recipe<\/h2>\n

Text by Jason Logan<\/small>
\nPhotographs by Lauren Kolyn<\/small> <\/p>\n

Here is my secret: Natural ink isn\u2019t that complicated. You can throw almost any pigment-rich base ingredient into an old pot with vinegar and salt, boil it up for an hour or two, add a couple drops of gum arabic, and voila, you have an ink. Think of ink as any coloured water tha is permanent on paper. All the recipes in this book will make two cups (480 ml) of ink, or about eight standard 2-ounce (60 ml) bottles. I\u2019ve tried to be as exact as possible with quantities, but keep in mind that the final amount of ink you make will depend on how long you cook your ink and how much liquid your foraged material might contain.<\/p>\n

Your goal should not be a set amount of ink but rather a colour and consistency that feels right to you. If your ink is too thin, keep cooking; if your ink gets too thick, add a bit more water. Unlike a fine French sauce, it\u2019s pretty hard to ‘ruin’ an ink. And sometimes a very faint ink, if collected from a very special plant, can become a favourite.<\/p>\n

Materials<\/h2>\n

Note: These are the materials I recommend every inkmaker have handy. You won\u2019t need every single one for every recipe, but the more tools you have available, the more techniques you can try.<\/p>\n