From Pigment to Palette: Natural Inks, Techniques and Materials

From Pigment to Palette: Paints, Techniques and Natural Materials

Using natural powdered pigments — plant-based, mineral, hybrid or made from organic waste — participants explore different ways to create artistic materials. The same colour material can become watercolour, gouache, tempera, fabric paint, soy-milk paint, alcohol paint, pastel, chalk or wax pencil depending on the binder, preparation and support. This theme helps participants understand how pigments can be used in painting, drawing and printing on paper and fabric.

I want to discover — 2h30

An introduction to transforming powdered pigments into artistic materials. Participants prepare a watercolour and gouache and make a first painting experiment on paper or fabric.

You will learn to distinguish plant, mineral and hybrid pigments, understand the role of water and binders, prepare a simple watercolour and gouache, observe transparency and opacity and apply colours to paper and fabric. You will observe natural pigments, create a small solid watercolour and tempera, experiment with soy-milk painting and compare texture, intensity and opacity. At the end, you take home samples and a sampler of the colours and binders used.

I want to continue learning — 4h

Explore several ways to prepare and apply natural pigments: watercolour, gouache, tempera, soy-milk painting and alcohol painting. You will compare binders, prepare transparent and opaque materials, adapt them to paper and fabric, adjust intensity and texture and record the results. You take home a selection of prepared materials, paper and fabric samples and a sheet with the formulations and techniques used.

I want to gain my autonomy — 2 days

A two-day training dedicated to creating a diverse range of artistic materials from natural pigments. You will develop different formulations and test binders for painting, drawing and application to paper and fabric: liquid and solid watercolours, gouache, tempera, paper and fabric paints, soy milk, alcohol, pastels, chalk and wax pencils.

You will learn to select suitable pigments, adjust hardness, texture, transparency and opacity, test resistance and preservation and document formulations. You will prepare plant, mineral and hybrid pigments, experiment with painting, drawing and wax on different supports and create your own range of artistic materials. Base pigments and materials are included; participants may bring a small piece of natural fabric and should wear suitable clothing.