SUMAC INK | Botanical Ink-Recipe & Process
This time of the year it’s relatively hard to find natural elements to make ink, but good thing sumac stays with us all year round! I collected mine from Downsview Park in Toronto but they’re literally everywhere abundantly! Remember to leave the area where you forage as untouched as possible to respect nature and wildlife.
The sumac ink gives a browny pink or peachy pink colour depending on the paper.
INGREDIENTS
3 cups fresh sumac berries
Enough white vinegar to cover the sumac berries (base, helps to intensify the colour)
2 tsp alum (mortar, helps to vibrant the colour)
1 tsp gum Arabic gum (binder, thickener, helps to control ink flow)
10 drops of wintergreen oil (helps to prevent mold).
DIRECTIONS
1-Use your hands to remove berries from the plant
2-Bring sumac, vinegar, alum together and leave overnight if you have enough time to take full advantage of the colour of the sumac berries (optional)
3-Simmer the berries in vinegar and alum, keep the lid open and stir the ink occasionally until you reach the desired colour (dip a piece of paper into the ink to test the colour)
4-Turn off the heat and leave overnight (not necessary but again to take full advantage of the colour of the sumac berries)
5-Using gloves, gather the berries and squeeze out any excess ink
6-Pour the berries and ink into the fine mesh strainer and allow it to drain
7-Line a coffee filter on a funnel and place it over the bowl or a jar
8-Pour the strained ink into a coffee filter to remove small particles (see notes and repeat if necessary)
9-Whisk in gum Arabic until dissolved
10-Add the wintergreen oil
11-Keep it in a desired jar or bottle with a tight-fitting lid.
NOTES
Keep the area ventilated during simmering
Consider your plan of use. For fountain pens, filtering the ink many times until there aren't any small particles is crucial but for paintings, having some small particles can give a nice grainy texture to the paper.
Shake the ink well before every use.
