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 tree catkins


Birch leaves


Dyer's Chamomile


Nordmann fir


Madder roots


Madder roots + Iron Sulfate


Purple Leaf Filbert


Surprise webcap/Cortinarius semisanguineus


Tansy


Weld


NATURAL CARBON-BASED PIGMENT


Branches, charred


Ox bone, charred


BIOGENIC INORGANIC PIGMENT



EARTH PIGMENTS


Rock


Rock


Rock


Soil


Soil


Rock


Rock


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







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







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









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








Christmas tree of 2024.

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






1st Extraction (Clear)
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









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








Foraged in November, Veberöd, 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








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










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