“Hey child, stay wilder than the wind” is a line from one of my favourite songs by Duran Duran. This painting from my Lost Pages sketchbook always makes me think of that. I don’t consider myself a wild child, but I do love to be outside travelling and walking everywhere with my camera. When I am at home, early mornings, I work in the garden quite regularly while listening to the trees talking to each other. I often also bring little treasures back inside. That’s how I got started with botanical ink making.
When I was sharing my Simple365 daily photos previously, you asked me about the process.
You can make inks using many of the things you can find in your garden or kitchen, rose petals and onion skins being a couple of common examples. Please remember that many plants range anywhere from mildly to extremely poisonous. So please be careful, specially if you are working with children or/and around pets.
Also, some of the inks might cause permanent staining. Please make sure to take adequate precaution.
Now on to the fun part – ink making. It is super easy. I highlighted the materials you will need below in the instructions.
Add your foraged items to a mixture of 1 cup of water and 1 tsp of vinegar in an old saucepan and add heat. Once it comes to boil, turn the stove down to barely a simmer. Too much heat will turn everything brown.
Check the colour every now and then by dipping a strip of scrap paper in the liquid. As you can see in the second photo, the color changes over time. Once you have the desired colour, use a strainer to collect only the liquid in a heat resistant bottle like an old jam bottle.
You can stop here. For a cleaner ink, you can further filter the ink using a coffee filter set in a funnel.
Lastly, you can put a clove or two in the bottle to preserve the ink. That’s it!
These inks are ephemeral. If you want to preserve the artwork you create, I suggest you either scan or take a photo of it as soon as possible.
It will be so exciting to see what colour you would extract from the things you find around your home! I think with proper supervision this would make a fabulous activity to do with children.
I will wrap up the post with a few more paintings from the Lost Pages sketchbook. These are all my favourites.
Please Click on the image thumbnails to see the photos.
I would love to know which one is your favourite from these four.
I also hope you would give botanical ink making a try.
Until next time,
-Soma
I am linking up with the linky parties on my Events And Links page. Please pay a visit to some of them.
45 thoughts on “Wild Child”
Nikki - Notes of Life June 28, 2021 at 13:19
I love your paintings! I hadn’t thought about botanical inks… I’ll have to look into it :)
Janine Green June 27, 2021 at 02:28
I love your Wild Child picture. Funnily enough, when I was about 14 or 15 I went to a Duran Duran concert in London at the Hammersmith Palais!
dee June 25, 2021 at 19:56
Such beautiful work, Soma. ❤️❤️
The wildchild one and the aurora borealis one stand out.
Nice to know about the botanical ink-making process. Very interesting.
Lady Fi June 23, 2021 at 10:19
That painting is stunning! So poignant.
jean marmo June 22, 2021 at 08:55
Love your wild child! And those inks! WHat fun!! I need to try this. Thank you for visiting my blog!
handmade by amalia June 22, 2021 at 00:55
OMG, this painting is stunning!
Amalia
xo
RachelSwirl June 19, 2021 at 12:17
Oh my goodness, I adore the top winter scene that you have created, You are so so incredibly talented! Thanks so much for sharing your snaps and for linking up with #MySundaySnapshot.
Charlotte Ryan June 19, 2021 at 11:19
This is really interesting and I’d love to have a go at this some day. Your work is beautiful too! #MMBC
Sarah MumofThree World June 18, 2021 at 23:23
I never would have guessed that you could make ink from so many things – and that it could be so easy to do!
Your paintings are so beautiful. I love that you have such a big range of subjects.
#mysundayphoto
Tanza Erlambang June 16, 2021 at 20:49
Duran duran is one of my favorites….love the song…
# your images are beautiful…. love them all
My Corner of the World June 16, 2021 at 19:32
These are some awesome tips on ink making! Your work is lovely to behold, Soma :)
Thanks for choosing to share your link this week at ‘My Corner of the World’ !
A ShutterBug Explores June 16, 2021 at 10:43
Beautiful artwork ~ love the Wild Child ~ Xo
Live in the moment,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
Connie Griffin June 15, 2021 at 06:59
Wow your creations are stunning and that you make your own ink wow that really does make it extra special, Awesome work!
sam June 15, 2021 at 06:11
Amazing art work x #mysundayphoto
NatureFootstep June 14, 2021 at 23:49
Hi Soma. This is quite fun actually. Yesterday I created my first painting done with wine! I make my own wind and used to save a bit of the settlings when the wine clears. THis week I took some in a bottle and added a spoon of vinegar to keep it from molting. And here I see the very same idea but with plants. Cool, I will save this post. It is simply an abstract adn I posted it on my Instagram if you want to see.
Love all the art you created today. Those colors are stunning.
Luisella June 14, 2021 at 23:17
How interesting!
By the way…I know and like that song! :-)
Veronica Lee June 14, 2021 at 22:06
Your paintings are beautiful, Soma.
It’s hard to choose! However, I especially love the snowdrops.
Darren Coleshill June 14, 2021 at 13:04
Your art work is stunning
Thank you for linking up to #MySundayPhoto
Susan June 14, 2021 at 12:16
The snowdrops painting is my favoite. Thank you for the information on making ink. I will be giving it a try. It is too bad that there is no other way to preserve the artwork than the two options given. I guess it is like painting with water on the sidewalk :-)
Lavender Dreams June 14, 2021 at 11:36
Oh my! It’s hard to choose a favorite! I love the white flowers but the wild child is still my fav! Your art is magical. I would like to see the one with the blues and pinks up close!
Angie June 13, 2021 at 21:49
P.S. And thanks for linking to Mosaic Monday!
Kim Carberry June 13, 2021 at 05:23
The pictures from your sketchbook is beautiful.
How interesting to read about you making the ink.
Anne Sweet June 13, 2021 at 02:15
My girls would be fascinated by ink making I’m sure. We may give it a try. Your pictures are all lovely and it’s really hard to choose a favourite. I was instantly drawn to the snowdrops, but the Northern lights are pretty amazing too.
Carol June 13, 2021 at 01:48
I love all the illustrations but the snowdrops are my favorite. #MySundayPhoto
John Adams June 12, 2021 at 23:45
Wow, I didn’t my realise you made these inks. I may try this with my eldest daughter. She’s love it I’m sure.
Alison Hall June 12, 2021 at 05:19
Your paintings are beautiful Soma, I love that Duran Duran quote.
Thank you for sharing your ink making process too, very interesting.
Have a great weekend,
Alison x
Angie June 11, 2021 at 21:56
Soma – hmmm … hard to choose!!! I think the flowers is my favorite – are they snowdrops?
Nicole/DVArtist June 11, 2021 at 19:42
OMG! This is an excellent post. I make inks and dyes from plants so I really enjoyed this post. Your art is simply magnificent. Have a nice weekend.
Wendy K June 11, 2021 at 14:12
Fabulous paintings, love them. Have a great weekend.
Mary June 11, 2021 at 13:52
You have got me wanting to go scour the yard for making inks. Oh….the fun I could have! Would you add the clove to every color? It’s fascinating to think that preserves the color. Your paintings are wonderful. Of course, I love the little snowdrop flowers.
Linda Calverley June 11, 2021 at 12:12
Thanks for your ink making instructions. I like the snowdrops.
Sherrie June 11, 2021 at 11:52
Hi,
Beautiful art work…I like the white flowers…they are on a
green background. Have a great day!
The Joyful Quilter June 11, 2021 at 11:35
That looks like quite the science experiment! Thanks for sharing your process, Soma.
Linda K June 11, 2021 at 11:02
What really beautiful paintings Soma. I really couldn’t choose a favorite. And good for you on making your own inks! I don’t have that kind of patience:) Happy PPF!
Christine June 11, 2021 at 08:15
Lovely paintings!
Elke June 11, 2021 at 07:57
Wonderful this paintings! Great and intresting post!
Happy PPF, hug Elke
Anesha June 11, 2021 at 06:18
Wow,beautiful paintings. Just wonderful scenes you painted.
riitta k June 11, 2021 at 05:52
I love the winter painting of a kid with her cat <3 So cute. I had no idea that you could make ink out of plants. But in fact, those who color wools use them. Very interesting indeed. Wishing you creative summer days.
Valerie-Jael June 11, 2021 at 04:45
Love your inks, Soma, such Beautiful colours. I have only made inks from walnuts, coffee and iron, and from onions. Must try some more, your colours are wonderful. The Northern Lights painting is my absolute favourite today! Hugs, Valerie
Sue June 11, 2021 at 01:49
Lovely post Soma, I like all your paintings, you are very clever.
Tracey June 11, 2021 at 01:27
Soma how amazing to show your process, my homemade ink never last long enough. What a pleasure it must be to flick through your lost pages sketchbook and even more so to continue to fill it with the beauty around us. I am in awe..
I smiled at the words Duran Duran.. now that takes me way back to my youth.
Happy Creative days & PPF Tracey x
Kim June 10, 2021 at 14:00
Soma, it is fascinating to read the process of making your own botanical ink, and it seems, easy too. Favourite photo?? It is difficult to choose but I rather love the Northern Lights one, but then the wintry scene is fabulous, too.
Kathleen Kingsbury June 10, 2021 at 10:59
So hard to choose! However, I do really like the snowdrops. And I also enjoyed the captions on all four.
Carol S. June 10, 2021 at 08:10
Interesting ink making process…thank you for showing the details. All of your paintings are beautiful but those flowers catch my eye because of the colors.
Dixie June 10, 2021 at 07:02
I can’t seem to choose just one painting so…
I love the purple castle and its ramparts. And, of course, the girl and her sweet cat on the wind swept moors.
And I also love northern lights painting.
A very interesting and fun post, Soma!
Thank you.