Pigment & Paint Library :: Therese Livonne

Pigment & Paint Library

This is an ongoing creative research project where I am investigating nature's potential for colour and pigment that can be used in a creative practice. Traditional extraction methods is used as well as contemporary approaches to explore a full range of colours in one source.

SOURCE

PIGMENT

SWATCH

NOTES

BOTANICAL INKS

Acorns

Alder cones

Bedeguar galls

Chestnuts (bur + nut)

Spruce cones

BOTANICAL JUICE (for anthotypes)

Dandelion leaves

Dried nettle powder

Ribwort plantain

NATURAL DYES

Birch leaves

Dandelion

Purple Leaf Filbert

VAT DYES

Woad

LAKE PIGMENTS

Alder cones

Alder tree catkins

Apple Tree: Leaves

Birch: Leaves

Bracken

Canadian Goldenrod

Common Broom: stalks and leaves

Common Broom: seed pods

Dyer's Chamomile

Hornbeam: Leaves

Madder roots

Madder roots + Iron Sulfate

Nettle

Nordmann fir

Oak tree: Leaves

Purple Leaf Filbert

Sloan: Leaves

Sloan: Twigs

Sorrel

St. John's wort: Flowers

St. John's wort: Stalks and leaves

Surprise webcap/Cortinarius semisanguineus

Tansy

Weld

Yarrow: Flower, stalks and leaves

NATURAL CARBON-BASED PIGMENT

Branches, charred

Ox bone, charred

BIOGENIC INORGANIC PIGMENT

EARTH PIGMENTS

Rock

Soil

Rock

SYNTHETIC PIGMENTS

Copper acetate crystals

Abbreviations

A.C = Alder cone
C.A.S = Copper Acetate Solution
CH = Chalk
C.S = Copper Sulfate
D = Dandelion
F.S = Ferrous Sulphate
G.A = Gum Arabic
I.S = Iron Sulfate
L.W = Lime water
P.T = Pre treated (fabric bought pretreated)
W.O = Walnut Oil
O.D = Original Dye
Ac.D = Acidic Dye
Alc.D = Alkaline Dye

Foraged in Hjärup, Sweden, 2024. Produced a faint raw umber brown.

1) Acorn ink
2) Acorn ink + C.A.S

Foraged in Hjärup, Sweden, 2024. Produced a rich and strong ink.

1) A.C ink
2) A.C ink + C.A.S
3) C.A.S + A.C ink.

Bedeguar Galls foraged in Hjärup, Sweden, 2024.

1) Ink + F.S
2) Ink excl. F.S

Foraged in Hjärup, Sweden, 2024. Produced a very faint brown + grass green.

1) Chestnut ink
2) Chestnut ink + C.A.S

Foraged in Hjärup, Sweden, 2024. Produced a faint reddish brown.

1) Spruce cone ink
2) Spruce cone ink + C.A.S
3) C.A.S + Spruce cone ink.

Fresh dandelion leaves, foraged June, Hjärup, Sweden, 2024.

6 layers on linocut paper then soaked.

Dried nettle powder, foraged in Lund, Sweden, dried and grinded 2022.

6 layers on linocut paper.

Fresh plantain leaves foraged in June, Hjärup, Sweden, 2024.

Soaked during the night on linocut paper.

Birch leaves, foraged Staffanstorp, June, Sweden, 2024.

1st batch traditional dye:
Mordanted linen, cotton.

2nd batch sun + fermentation dye:
Mordanted linen, cotton.

Dandelion foraged in Hjärup, Sweden, 2024.

1) D. on cotton
2) D. on P.T cotton
3) D. on linen
4) D. on P.T linen

Purple Leaf Filbert, Staffanstorp, Sweden, 2024.

1) O.D on cotton
2. O.D on poplin
3. Ac.D on cotton
4. Ac.D on poplin
5. Alc.D on cotton
6. Alc.D on poplin

1 Kg. harvested 15/11-24 from my dye garden.

1) Pigment rubbing
2) Pigment + G.A

Alder cones foraged in March/April, Hjärup, 2025.

TRANSLUCENT pigment:
(1st extraction - Aluminium pot)

1) Pigment rubbing
2) Pigment + G.A

Translucent pigment:
(Filtration liquid from 1st extraction - aluminium pot)

1) Pigment rubbing
2) Pigment + G.A

Translucent pigment:
(Filtration liquid from the above extraction - aluminium pot)

1) Pigment rubbing
2) Pigment + G.A

Translucent pigment:
(2nd extraction - aluminium pot)

1) Pigment rubbing
2) Pigment + G.A

Catkins foraged in March, Hjärup, 2025.

TRANSLUCENT pigment:
(Aluminium pot)
1) Pigment rubbing
2) Pigment + G.A

TRANSLUCENT pigment:
(Iron pot)
1) Pigment rubbing
2) Pigment + G.A

Catkins foraged in April, Hjärup, 2025.

TRANSLUCENT pigment:
(Aluminium pot)

1) Pigment rubbing
2) Pigment + G.A

TRANSLUCENT pigment:
(Iron pot)
1) Pigment rubbing
2) Pigment + G.A

Harvested August, Nebbeboda, Sweden 2025.

1st Extraction
(Aluminium pot - CLEAR alum)

1)Pigment rubbing
2)Pigment + G.A

Birch leaves, foraged Staffanstorp, Sweden, June, 2024.

OPAQUE pigment:
1) Pigment rubbing
2) Pigment + G.A

TRANSLUCENT pigment:
1) Pigment rubbing
2) Pigment + G.A

Harvested August, Nebbeboda, Sweden 2025.

1st Extraction -high temperature & over night
(Aluminium pot - CLEAR alum)

1)Pigment rubbing
2)Pigment + G.A

1st Extraction - Low temperature
(Aluminium pot - OPAQUE alum)

1)Pigment rubbing
2)Pigment + G.A

Harvested August, Nebbeboda, Sweden 2025.

1st Extraction
(Aluminium pot - OPAQUE alum)

1)Pigment rubbing
2)Pigment + G.A

1st Extraction
(Aluminium pot - CLEAR alum)

1)Pigment rubbing
2)Pigment + G.A

Harvested August, Nebbeboda, Sweden 2025.

1st Extraction
(Aluminium pot - CLEAR alum)

1)Pigment rubbing
2)Pigment + G.A

2nd Extraction
(Aluminium pot - OPAQUE alum)

1)Pigment rubbing
2)Pigment + G.A

Harvested August, Nebbeboda, Sweden 2025.

1st Extraction
(Aluminium pot - OPAQUE alum)

1)Pigment rubbing
2)Pigment + G.A

Flower heads harvested june/july, Hjärup, Sweden, 2024.

1st Extraction
1) Pigment rubbing
2) Pigment + G.A

2nd Extraction + C.S
1) Pigment rubbing
2) Pigment + G.A

3rd Extraction + L.W
1) Pigment rubbing
2) Pigment + G.A

Harvested August, Nebbeboda, Sweden 2025.

1st Extraction
(Aluminium pot - CLEAR alum)

1)Pigment rubbing
2)Pigment + G.A

Roots, grown and bought from local artist in Malmoe, Sweden, 2024.

Fermentation liquid
1) Pigment rubbing
2) Pigment + G.A

1st Extraction
1) Pigment rubbing
2) Pigment + G.A

2nd Extraction
1) Pigment rubbing
2) Pigment + G.A

Roots, grown and bought from local artist in Malmoe, Sweden, 2024.

3rd extraction of Madder roots + iron sulfate.

1) Pigment rubbing
2) Madder + 2,5 g. i.s + G.A

1) Pigment rubbing
2) Madder + 5 g. i.s + G.A

1) Pigment rubbing
2) Madder + 10 g. i.s + G.A

Harvested August, Nebbeboda, Sweden 2025.

1st Extraction
(Aluminium pot - CLEAR alum)

1)Pigment rubbing
2)Pigment + G.A

Christmas tree of 2024.

1st Extraction (CLEAR)
1) Pigment rubbing
2) Pigment + G.A

1st Extraction (OPAQUE)
1) Pigment rubbing
2) Pigment + G.A

Harvested August, Nebbeboda, Sweden 2025.

1 st extraction (OPAQUE)
1) Pigment rubbing
2) Pigment + G.A

1 st extraction (CLEAR)
1) Pigment rubbing
2) Pigment + G.A

Purple leafs, foraged June, Staffanstorp, Sweden, 2024.

TRANSLUCENT pigment:
1) Pigment rubbing
2) Pigment + G.A

OPAQUE pigment:
1) Pigment rubbing
2) Pigment + G.A

Harvested August, Nebbeboda, Sweden 2025.

1st Extraction
(Aluminium pot - CLEAR alum)

1)Pigment rubbing
2)Pigment + G.A

Harvested August, Nebbeboda, Sweden 2025.

1st Extraction
(Aluminium pot - CLEAR alum)

1)Pigment rubbing
2)Pigment + G.A

Harvested August, Nebbeboda, Sweden 2025.

1st Extraction
(Aluminium pot - CLEAR + OPAQUE alum)

1)Pigment rubbing
2)Pigment + G.A

Harvested in August, Nebbeboda, Sweden, 2025.

1st Extraction
(Aluminium pot - CLEAR alum)

1)Pigment rubbing
2)Pigment + G.A

1st Extraction
(Iron pot - OPAQUE alum)
1)Pigment rubbing
2)Pigment + G.A

2nd Extraction
(Aluminium pot - CLEAR alum)

1)Pigment rubbing
2)Pigment + G.A

Harvested in August, Nebbeboda, Sweden, 2025.

1st Extraction
(Aluminium pot - CLEAR alum)

1)Pigment rubbing
2)Pigment + G.A

1st Extraction
(Aluminium pot - OPAQUE alum)

1)Pigment rubbing
2)Pigment + G.A

Foraged in November, Sweden, 2024.

1st Extraction
1)Pigment rubbing
2)Pigment + G.A

Extraction from filtering liquid
1)Pigment rubbing
2)Pigment + G.A

2nd Extraction from filtering liquid
1)Pigment rubbing
2)Pigment + G.A

Foraged, Hjärup, Sweden, 2024.

1st Extraction
1)Pigment rubbing
2)Pigment + G.A

2nd Extraction + C.S
1)Pigment rubbing
2)Pigment + G.A

2nd Extraction + C.S (FILTRATION LIQUID)
1)Pigment + G.A

1st Batch – Alkaline Extraction (Limewater)
1)Pigment rubbing
2)Pigment + G.A

2nd Batch – Alkaline extraction (Filtering liquid)
1)Pigment rubbing
2)Pigment + G.A

"Lazy batch" (Alkaline extraction)
1)Pigment Rubbing
2)Pigment + G.A

"Lazy batch" (2nd extraction)
1)Pigment Rubbing
2)Pigment + G.A

Harvested in August, Nebbeboda, Sweden, 2025.

1st Extraction
(Aluminium pot - CLEAR alum)

1)Pigment rubbing
2)Pigment + G.A

500 g. harvested 20/11-24 from my dye garden.

1st Extraction (ALUMINIUM POT)
1)Pigment rubbing
2)Pigment + G.A

1st Extraction + CH (ALUMINIUM POT)
1)Pigment rubbing
2)Pigment + G.A

1st Extraction (IRON POT)
1)Pigment rubbing
2)Pigment + G.A

Extraction from filtering liquid (IRON POT)
1)Pigment rubbing
2)Pigment + G.A

Harvested August, Nebbeboda, Sweden 2025.

1st Extraction (ALUMINIUM POT)
1)Pigment rubbing
2)Pigment + G.A

Sticks foraged in Hjärup, Sweden, 2024. Pyrolysis process.

1) Pigment rubbing
2) Pigment + G.A
3) Pigment + W.O

Charred Ox bone
(store bought – then pyrolysis process ca. 8 h)

1) Pigment rubbing
2) Pigment + G.A

(Empty) Land snail shells (Orange colour),
Foraged in Hjärup, Sweden, 2024.

1) Pigment rubbing
2) Pigment + G.A

Rock foraged in Hjärup, Sweden, 2024.

1) Pigment + W.O

Rock foraged in Hjärup, Sweden, 2024.

1) Pigment + W.O

Rock foraged in Hjärup, Sweden, 2024.

1) Pigment + W.O

Soil from my own garden in Hjärup, Sweden, 2024.

1) Pigment + W.O

Soil from construction place, Hjärup, Sweden, 2024.

1) Pigment rubbing
2) Pigment + G.A

Rock foraged in Hjärup, Sweden, 2024.

1) Pigment rubbing
2) Pigment + G.A

Rock foraged in Hjärup, Sweden, 2024.

1) Pigment rubbing
2) Pigment + G.A

Rock foraged in Hjärup, Sweden, 2024.

1) Pigment rubbing
2) Pigment + G.A

Copper acetate crystals. (Copper plates, vinegar)

1)Pigment + W.O
2) C.A.S
3) Pigment + G. A
4) Pigment rubbing

Abbreviations

Avancerade inställningar