Discover the art and science of creating your own inks from nature with Make Ink: A Forager's Guide to Natural Inkmaking. This beautifully illustrated guide transforms everyday plants, berries, and minerals into vibrant, sustainable inks—perfect for artists, calligraphers, and anyone passionate about handmade creativity.
Author Jason Logan, founder of the Toronto Ink Company, shares step-by-step instructions for sourcing natural materials, preparing pigments, and crafting inks that are both eco-friendly and deeply personal. Alongside practical recipes, you'll find tips on tools, techniques, and color variations, plus inspiring stories from the growing community of natural ink makers.
Whether you're a seasoned artist seeking unique hues or a beginner curious about sustainable art practices, Make Ink offers everything you need to start foraging, experimenting, and creating. This book is more than a manual—it's an invitation to reconnect with the natural world through color.
Bring your art to life with colors born from the earth. Make Ink is your essential guide to turning nature into art. Features a foreword by Booker Prize-winning author Michael Ondaatje
Chapters include:
- A Forager's Checklist
- What Is Ink and How Is It Made
- Natural Ink: A Basic Recipe
- Colors and Recipes
- The Ground Rules of Natural Inkmaking
- Testing Ink on Paper
Why You'll Love This Book:
- Learn how to identify and gather plants, nuts, and minerals for ink making.
- Follow clear, tested recipes for creating a spectrum of natural colors.
- Explore the history and cultural significance of ink in art and writing.
- Embrace sustainable, eco-conscious creativity with minimal tools and materials.
Praise
“Named a Best Book of 2018."The Guardian
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“Logan’s essays about foraging for copper under bridges in Harlem, or scouring for berries at the beach, will make you want to go outside and be a magpie. Maybe ink-making is the new broom-making.”Forbes, Most Giftable Coffee Table Books
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“Logan’s artful test sheets (above) hold their own alongside works by Marcel Dzama, Margaret Atwood, Leanne Shapton and others, all made with his inks.”Wall Street Journal
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“In his new book, Make Ink: A Forager's Guide to Natural Inkmaking, Logan demystifies the process, encouraging experimentation and taking a fresh look at urban environments.”NPR
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“Logan includes recipe variations for attaining specific colors such as Vine Charcoal, Pokeberry and Silvery Acorn Cap. The final third of the book relaxes into art with examples of Logan’s own ink tests as well as work from others who have experimented with his inks, such as Dave Eggers and Margaret Atwood. (“At least one bottle of wild grape ink almost exploded on its way to Stephen King,” he writes.) A conversation with author Michael Ondaatje rounds out this exquisite volume.”Top Pick in Lifestyles, Book Page
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“Make Ink opens up about methods, providing an open source guide to DIY ink.”CityLab
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“Once you start making ink, the world never quite looks the same.”Martha Stewart
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“He also has quite a few recipes in his upcoming book, Make Ink: A Forager's Guide to Natural Inkmaking (Abrams Books, September 2018), that use color from the kitchen: carrots, black beans, blueberries, turmeric, and onion skins all make beautiful ink colors."Design Observer
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“The book is full of inspiration and takes a lot of the mystery out of ink making, at least at its simplest level. And it also reminds me why I love ink — any ink or liquid color as much as I do.”Well Appointed Desk
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“This book filled with ink recipes, minimalistic photography and lots of inspiration caught our eye immediately. "Fine Little Day
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“There are loads of craft books so pretty you might happily put them on your coffee table and never do anything more than flip through them admiringly. Others you actually crack open and make things from. As beautifully written as it is photographed and designed, this one begs to be read from cover to cover, like a good essay collection, whether or not you ever attempt to make your own inks…”Fringe Association
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