Art Practice-Botanical Inks

   I wanted to share my latest art practice, and I am quite pleased with this one-used all botanical inks for this piece in my art journal.

  I started out wanting to see the orange peel ink after a couple days that it was made, and then added black walnut ink-which as soon as it hit the page-oops I should have watered it down a bit as it is a rich dark brown right out of the ink bottle. I grabbed a few other inks-added a fine salt for textures while still wet.

Below is after I added the salt to the top of the orange peel ink and also to the top of the black walnut ink.  I sorta see a mountain scene now-so I divided my blackberry ink into 3 small bottles. first one left alone, second one added baking soda, and third one a little vinegar.

   The one with baking soda gave me that pretty blue below the black walnut ink, so I thought if I added a little more baking soda it might give me a deeper blue-Wrong-went grey. I used the now light grey for highlights in the water-and lightly used it for the sky. Decided this needed a red sun-but now I have decided this is the red blood moon-smiles-from the avocado ink. Perfect for Erika's theme Red for AJJ

After looking at this the next day,  I did not like the lighter grey "mist" I had brushed over this piece especially over the orange peel ink.

   Sooo, I added in more of that orange ink-liking it much better, and grabbed the iron gall ink and glass dip pen to add in a few bushes-felt it needed a little something to tie it together.

Close up of the textures created from the fine salt -- once dry I brushed it off-although a little stuck to the ink which ended up ok

In the past I have always loved the "earthiness" from botanical dyeing on cottons or wool. Now I am really enjoying this journey with botanical inks, also used like watercolor paints for their earthy color hues.

Since I have a blood red moon will share on AJJ

  Next up will be my post of my ink making today-pleased with the two I made and I have a green now-smiles.