A voice for craft

This week’s #craftfocus is pigment making.

Pigment making refers to the creation of coloured insoluble particles for use as colourants. Pigments are made from organic (plants and animals) or inorganic raw materials (metals and some minerals), and are transformed into colouring compounds using a range of different techniques through both mechanical and chemical procedures.

Pigments are used in a wide variety of applications – for making paint, inks, tinting plaster, fresco, colouring resin and varnishes, ceramics and more.

The craft of hand manufacturing historical pigments involves numerous processes and skilful hand techniques to extract clean and bright colourants from raw materials.

The process of creating lake pigments begins with collecting and preparing the dye plant material, which is then fermented and boiled in water to create a concentrated dye solution. After filtering out the plant solids, the dye is chemically transformed into an insoluble pigment by adding alum (the substrate base) and then an alkali (the fixer) to the warm decoction, causing the pigment to precipitate as a solid.

This solid pigment is filtered, washed, dried, and then finely ground and sieved to a uniform powder consistency.

The process of creating earth pigments involves collecting iron oxide-rich material, breaking down any hard rocks and cleaning the sample by removing impurities by hand, then putting it through a series of coarse to medium sieves.

The material is then repeatedly washed and subjected to levigation, a crucial step that separates the finest pigment particles from the water. Finally, the resulting pigment sludge is dried, ground with a pestle and mortar and sieved to produce a fine, uniform powder.

Pigment making is classified as endangered on our Craft Inventory. Threats to its viability include a low number of full time practitioners able to pass on their skills, alongside no formal qualifications available for the craft. Due to the rarefied knowledge and processing time required in hand pigment making, for the end user they may be expensive to purchase, compared to cheaper imported mass-produced pigments.

Increased prices of raw materials, tools, m

This week’s #mondaymaker is Anna Liebmann @anna.liebmann.basketweaver – a willow basketmaker.

Anna grows and processes her own willow in Scotland which is how she got into the craft. She tries to use this as much as possible as well as commercially grown willow from Somerset and Scottish Growers.

Anna enjoys making useful baskets and learning more about traditional methods and designs, which she loves to pass on to others and see them use too. Anna was drawn to the craft for its environmental credentials but also feels like a custodian of skills for the future.

View Anna’s full profile on our maker’s directory: https://www.heritagecrafts.org.uk/maker/annaliebmann/

#heritagecrafts #mondaymaker #willowbasketry

Over 36 posts we are profiling the recipients of our recent round of training bursaries.

Mary King, from Worcestershire, who served as a driver in the Royal Navy, is a skilled woodturner looking to transition into leatherworking after a recent above-knee amputation. Her bursary will fund a range of courses, including pattern cutting and an introduction to leatherworking, to develop the skills to make and sell dog collars and harnesses.

Mary’s bursary is funded by the Royal British Legion.

Mary said: “This funding will make it possible for me to explore and learn a useful craft. I’m hoping to be able to progress with leatherwork and a change in direction.”

📷 Jo Heard

This week’s #craftfocus is #dyeing

Dyeing is the addition of colour to fibres, yarns and cloth, specifically with natural dyes from either plants or animals, or synthetically produced materials.

Natural dyeing techniques are relatively simple – the skill lies in knowledge and experience built up over time and through experimentation, including:

-Wide knowledge of plant material and insect dyes
-Knowledge of scouring/cleaning fibre and cloth
-Knowledge of good mordanting and the different effects of different mordants
-Knowledge of modifiers and how these can affect colour
-Preparation of dyestuff and vats
-Knowledge of recipes, experimentation and record keeping
-Knowledge of environmental law and gathering material from the wild

Dyeing is classified as viable on our Craft Inventory, however, threats to its viability include training and recruitment issues; there is no recognised qualification and while many courses are available, it can be hard for prospective students to assess their quality. There is also a lack of awareness of the dyeing process, as people tend to focus on finished products.

Natural dyeing is time-consuming and raw materials can be expensive. Many dyers are practising to a high standard but it is difficult to earn a living from the craft.

Images: Karen Morgan @tirglascymru and Jo Southall @jboccytherapy

#heritagecrafts #craftfocus #dyeing