Using Homemade Ink

Several years ago, I made ink from the hulls of black walnuts I gathered locally.  You can read about that process here:

https://betsyblissart.blogspot.com/2023/12/making-black-walnut-ink.html

I've been playing with homemade ink, using a dip calligraphy pen, and I'm getting the hang of using this old-fashioned, low-tech writing and drawing method.

Like gathering wild herbs for tea, slowing down to write & occasionally dipping the nib pen into a bottle of ink brings me delight. I feel a thrill of inspiration as I scratch away with my pen.  

Maybe the next step will be trimming a goose feather to make a quill!

What type of art material brings you joy? It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks of your favorite art supply, only what you think.  Test out supplies in your collection that maybe you've overlooked. Find the ones that create a little spark of excitement or a sense of newness.  Let your intuition guide you into using your newfound art supplies.

If you'd like to make your own Black Walnut ink, this is a good time of year for roving in parks and woods. Seek out Black Walnut trees and you're likely to find the nuts around the base of the tree.  When they first fall, they are lime green and smell almost citrus-y.  As they age, the outer hull softens, flakes off and turns dark brown to black.  You may find piles of the hull pieces left by squirrels who feast on the nut inside.  I recommend using gloves to collect the black hulls as they stain whatever they touch.

You can read more about the process I used to make the ink here:

https://betsyblissart.blogspot.com/2023/12/making-black-walnut-ink.html

Happy Creating!

Walnut Ink Update

I've been testing out my homemade Walnut Ink to discover its properties.  

I'm finding that I can use it like watercolor paint, watering it down to lighten it, or adding layers to darken it.  If I want to lighten a spot, I can even scrub out dried ink spots with a clean, damp brush.  

I added white colored pencil marks to show the window light reflecting on these salad tomatoes.

This combination of supplies reminds me of Rembrandt van Rijn's ink and white chalk drawings.

Above: Rembrandt's Three Studies of a Child and One of a Woman from the Harvard Art Museums

Rembrandt's fluid lines and masterful portraiture show the possibilities of such simple materials as ink & chalk on brown paper.  Inspiring!

Testing out an art supply just to become familiar with it is a great way to trick your brain into not judging any artworks you create.  Because you are merely exploring and experimenting, you are freed from expectations.

What material would you like to test out and explore today?

Happy Creating!

Update: Walnut Ink

I've been having a play with my new, homemade Black Walnut ink.  

It flows smoothly, dries a rich, dark brown, and works surprisingly well for writing and drawing.  I just have to give it a little more time to dry than my other fountain pen inks to prevent smudging.  

When I write with it in my journal, I put a blotter page -- an absorbent piece of paper like newsprint -- between pages when I turn to a fresh page.

Above is a sample from my nature journal this morning.  I took 5 minutes while drinking my morning tea to watch the birds outside at the feeder, and it made me feel happy.

I love the fact that my ink came from nearby nature, that the squirrels helped me to make it, and that I have an abundance to share with friends and family.  Turns out, the more I'm involved with the creation of my supplies, the closer I feel to them and the more satisfying they are to use.

What's your favorite art supply right now?

I hope you can take a little time for yourself to play with your art supplies purely for your own joy this weekend.  It's a lovely form of self care.

Copyright Betsy Bangley 2023. All rights reserved.

Making Black Walnut Ink

I have read of making a lovely, brown ink purely from the nuts of the Black Walnut tree, and have been curious to try it.  I recently found a mature Black Walnut tree whose nuts had been pilfered by squirrels.  

The hungry squirrels sat at the base of the tree to peel off the outer hull of the walnuts in search of the nut within.  They left behind a big stockpile of the part I needed -- the hulls.

All I had to do was don some latex gloves to keep my hands from getting stained, and collect a bucket full of the dark dye stuff.

It's also a good idea to wear gloves to protect your skin as some people get a rash.  I didn't have any ill effects. 

I found an old pot that I use only for art projects and filled it with the hull pieces, topped them off with water and set it to simmer for an hour or so.

I stirred the pot with a wooden paint stirring stick, and had to be careful to keep the pot from boiling over and splattering the kitchen with dark goo.  I kept the vent fan running and the room ventilated.  

If you try this, keep an eye on your pot to keep the water from boiling off and burning the walnut hulls or the ink.

I tested the ink on watercolor paper (first photo) and pulled the concoction off the stove when I was happy with the color.  Using an old pillowcase, I strained the ink from the Black Walnut hulls, and collected the liquid in a bucket.

I strained the ink outdoors to keep from staining my kitchen counters and floors.

You can see the earthy, brown color of the ink here in the bottom of the pot.

I cleaned out the pot and returned the liquid to it to cook it down a bit, and condense the liquid into a darker ink.

As you can see, Black Walnut ink also dyes cloth!  If you try this project, make sure to wear old clothes and protect your carpet, counter, floor, etc. from being stained.  Also take care not to discard the hulls in your garden as they can kill grass and other plants.  

Here's a test of the ink after I cooked it down a bit.  I like the darker, richer colors of the ink after it was condensed.

I used the ink right away to write a letter to a friend.  A simple dip calligraphy pen worked beautifully.

The ink darkens as it dries.

After the ink cooled, I poured the ink into jars, and added a capful of vodka to each half pint to keep mold from growing in the ink.

I have a few artist friends I plan on giving some ink to.  A simple, inexpensive gift that invites creativity.

If this sounds like an exciting project to you, 

I recommend you read The Organic Artist, by Nick Neddo. He provides instructions and inspiration for making Black Walnut ink and a variety of other art supplies for free directly from nature.

Wishing you many happy art adventures!

Copyright 2023 Betsy Bangley