I wanted to experiment in making my own dyes, utilising natural ingredients for means of accessibility as well as sustainability. For the primary colours (in order to be able to blend and mix them into a wider range of hues) I used beetroot (red), red cabbage (blue/purple), and turmeric (yellow). After boiling them in water and allowing the colour to seep out I strained the leftover food from the liquid and collected each in a jar. There wasn't an incredibly large quantity of dye but still enough for me to paint with and sample on both hessian fabric and paper. The colour applied relatively well and after creating some swatches I learned that it would also blend and mix with other dyes nicely. I ended up painting a long strip of dyed fabric to print onto at a later date, the colours warping into almost a tie-dye effect, adding water to the mixtures making them clearer and allowing for gradations of tones. The durability of the dye is yet to be seen but once dried it withstands both water and PVA glue without warping - though whether the food-based nature of the inks with lead to mould later on will be seen. If not, the creation of natural dyes is incredibly viable for future projects.
Comments