Making the Ink!
Ink is a liquid or paste that contains colored pigments and is used to write or draw on to a surface to create a design. Historically, people made ink out of a variety of things such as plants, animals, or minerals that they could easily find near their home or trade for in their community. Check out a few exmaples of inks below:
- Carbon Ink – was made of soot, glue and water. This ink was popular during the Greek and Roman times, but it was known to smear and fade quickly.
- Iron Gall Ink – is made from iron salts and tannic acids from vegetable sources. This ink is still sold today!
Let’s try to make an ink with items from around your house! Choose one of the inks below to get started.
Black Raspberry Ink
Ingredients:
Directions: Boil the raspberries with the water and alum for about 15 minutes then mash the berries really well to release the juice. Use and old T-shirt or a few coffee filters to strain out the liquid into a bowl. Whisk in the gum Arabic or honey until dissolved to thicken the ink. Let it cool and it is ready to use! You can also pour it into a small bottle or glass jar to use again.
Black Tea Ink
Ingredients:
Directions: Boil the tea leaves with the water for about 15 minutes. Use and old T-shirt or a few coffee filters to strain out the liquid into a bowl. Whisk in the gum Arabic or honey until dissolved to thicken the ink. Let it cool and it is ready to use! You can also pour it into a small bottle or glass jar to use again.
Coffee Ink
Ingredients:
Directions: Boil the coffee with the water for about 30 minutes. Use and old T-shirt or a few coffee filters to strain out the liquid into a bowl. Whisk in the gum Arabic or honey until dissolved to thicken the ink. Let it cool and it is ready to use! You can also pour it into a small bottle or glass jar to use again.
Making the Writing Utensil!
Before we had ball point pens or pencils, people used a variety of tools to write with, one of them was a quill feather. The tip of the quill feather was cut into a point that was crafted to hold a little bit of ink and used to write. What could be some of the challenges with using a quill pen?
Let’s find out! The calamus, or hollow shaft of the feather, is kind of like a plastic straw just a lot thicker. When both are cut just right they can be used as a pen to write. Follow the directions below to test it out.
Materials Needed
Paper (optional)
Glue (optional)
Directions
Cut your straw at an angle to create a point.
Cut a VERY TINY slit into the point of your straw, the slit should be no longer than 1/8 inch.
(optional) Create some feather like characteristics and cut them out.
(optional) Glue them onto the side of your straw.
Now that you have your ink and pen, it is time to test it out! Use them to write a letter or draw a design. Do you think you would be able to complete your homework with a quill pen today? Why or why not?
The quill pen had a variety of difficulties that made it challenging to use, so eventually someone created a fountain pen that could store a little bit of ink which meant you did not have to dip it as much. How do you think they created it?
Share your quill pen masterpieces with us on social media using #FindYourPark / #EncuentraTuParque and tag us @FirstStateNHP for a chance for it to be featured below.
FAQs
Another possible alternative to gum arabic is the grapevine,Vitis riparia, or frost/riverbank grape and is found throughout North America. The sap from the grapevine's stem resembles that of gum arabic. The polysaccharide from the grapevine's stem may be made into a white powder, viscous liquid or clear gel.
How do I make my own ink? ›
Directions: Boil the raspberries with the water and alum for about 15 minutes then mash the berries really well to release the juice. Use and old T-shirt or a few coffee filters to strain out the liquid into a bowl. Whisk in the gum Arabic or honey until dissolved to thicken the ink. Let it cool and it is ready to use!
How to make ink in the wild? ›
In an old pot, add leaves, flowers, or berries, water, salt (1 dash per cup) and white vinegar (1 teaspoon per cup). Heat, keeping just below bowling. Cook for at least an hour or until water takes on a deep, rich color. Use a strip of paper to test your color.
How to make ink from grapes? ›
Bring the water to the boil. At first you will see no colour change in the water, but as it approaches boiling point, the colour floods out of the grapes. When boiling, mash the grapes with a potato masher and turn down the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
How to make purple ink at home? ›
Purple is also one of the best colours to start with, as it can be easily derived from 'safe' things like grape skins (dark) to onion skins (dull), to sloe berries (pinky-puple), or more vibrant beetroot or red cabbage colours - which will change with pH.
Why is gum arabic so expensive? ›
Arabic gum comes from the dried sap of the acacia tree. The primary exporter of this gum is a country in Africa called Sudan. This is one of the reasons why it is so expensive, Sudan has recently been embroiled in a civil war and seems like it is going to be unstable for a while.
How do you thicken ink without gum arabic? ›
Add cornstarch. If you have chosen to use cornstarch instead of gum arabic, there is no specific measurement to follow. Begin by adding 2 tsp. of cornstarch to your hot tea and stirring vigorously.
What leaves can be used as ink? ›
Natural plants that can be used as ink include indigo plant, madder, safflower, jasmine fruit, purple perilla, dye yam, gallnut, turmeric, gardenia, red flower, cayenne pepper, tomatoes, lithospermum, black sesame skin, plant charcoal, peanut pod, olive tree leaves, henna, and oak .
Can you make ink out of beets? ›
Berries, acorns, beets, charcoal, and walnuts could all be used to make ink!
What plants are used as an alternative ink? ›
It can be more challenging to make inks and dyes that are blue and purple, but plant extracts used for these colors include red cabbage, blueberries, elderberries, grapes, indigo leaves and hyacinth flowers.
Pokeberry – Produces a hot pink/red ink (please don't eat these berries, they are poisonous) Black Raspberry – Produces a light purple ink (after 1-2 years, it will darken to a brown) Red Raspberry – Produces a medium pink ink (after 1-2 years, it will darken to a light brown) Blackberry – Produces a purple ink.
How to make dandelion ink? ›
Pick 10 fluffy dandelion flowers and cut the yellow part of the flowers off into a mortar bowl. Mush and squoosh them until pasty. Add a ½ teaspoon of water and moosh some more. Add drops of water as needed to loosen the color and scrape it from the sides of the bowl.
Can you make ink from ashes? ›
Ashes Into Tattoo Ink
Utilizing techniques from the process of converting ashes into diamonds and other techniques, we achieve carbonization of the molecule. Then the ashes are infused with the pigment being used, making sure there is a match in the molecular molecule sizes of both the pigments and the ashes.
How do you make botanical inks? ›
Place your petals into a clean jar and add some salt (roughly a teaspoon for one cup of petals). Squash the petals down a bit, then pour on just enough hot water to cover them. Shake vigorously to help mix- you can add a marble or glass bead to the jar if you have one to help bash the pigment out of the petals.
Can you use honey instead of gum arabic for ink? ›
Honey was used at one time as a binder since it is both sticky and naturally antimicrobial—but gum arabic replaced it thousands of years ago, and is the preference. It is easily available from just about any art or craft shop that sells painting supplies. Some paints still use honey today as a binder.
What does gum arabic do for ink? ›
Gum Arabic has many uses. This medium can be added to inks and gouache as a binder, making them more easy to use for calligraphy. It increases gloss, color brilliance, and transparency when added to watercolor.
How to make paint without gum arabic? ›
making watercolor binder might be easier than you think you'll need gum arabic. either some glycerin or honey and some boiling water. some recipes online also call for some different drops of essential oil. like clove that have antimicrobial properties to them.
