John Marshall: pigments

JOHN MARSHALL:
works in fabric

NATURAL PIGMENT DYES

Pigments, as used in this book, refer to dyes that are applied with the help of a bonding agent (adhesive).

ADHESIVES: There are many natural sources for bonding agents to be used with colors. Some of these are oil, egg white, gelatin, latex, warabi, zenmai, konyaku, rice, wheat flour, and other albumen containing products (products high in protein content). However, for textiles, cow's milk and soy beans are the most readily available and most widely used; when dry become opaque and flexible, and have the added characteristic of not later dissolving in water once cured. I prefer soy milk made from soy beans.

As the soy milk dries, it absorbs carbon dioxide from the air, aided by the natural oils found in the soy, helping the protein to form a very strong bonding agent which will absorb water but not be dissolved by it. As the most readily available, inexpensive, and easiest binder to use, soy milk has come to be the most widely tapped source as an adhesive for use in traditional Japanese dyeing. Make the soy milk just as you would to size the fabric.

PIGMENTS: Pigments may be minerals, such as various rusts and dirts, or they may be vegetable, such as flower pollen.

Minerals are ground to a fine powder in a mortar and pestle, mixed with the soy and applied much like a paint. Vegetable pigments may be finely ground plant parts, as in the case of pollen, or they may be color that has been leached from the plant in a more pure form.

Fill a large glass beaker or jar with finely ground plant matter and pour enough ethyl alcohol in to cover it completely. Allow to soak until the vegetable matter has released all its color. This may be a couple of hours or a few days. Decant the mixture into a large shallow dish, a glass cake pan works well. The alcohol is volatile, so care should be taken not to expose it to excess heat or an open flame. Place in a safe, dry, shady, out of the way corner and allow the alcohol to evaporate off. Scrape the scum off with a single edge razor and store in a baby food jar. This is your pigment and may be applied after mixing with soy milk.

A second method is to simply pour whatever dye you have left over from a given project into a glass pan and allow the contents to dry. The dish should be shallow enough to allow the dye to dry before it begins to deteriorate. You may allow several layers to dry, one on top of the other, until a sufficiently thick layer has formed to warrant taking time to scrape it. This, too, should be mixed with the soy milk before application. Do not save dyes that have been mixed with soy milk. If they don't sour first, the protein will harden the pigment and keep it from dissolving well the second time around.

If you are not particularly interested in using natural dyes, consider using high quality watercolors as a pigment, thinning with soy milk instead of water.