Natural and Historic Dyes & Inks
by Ibraheem RodriguesAnimal Derived
| Name | Colour | Description | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cochineal | Red to Orange | Cochineal Insect (Dactylopius coccus). Carmine is derived from this. |  |
| Lac (Shellac) | Reddish-Purple to Amber | Lac Insects (Kerridae Family). Sticklac (raw), seedlac (washed) and shellac (solvent extracted resin) are derived. |  |
| Indian Yellow | Orange-Yellow | Urine of cows fed mango leaves. Fluoresces in sunlight, making it seem extra bright. |  1 |
| Tyrian Purple | Reddish-Purple | Murex sea snails (Murex Genuss). |
Plant Derived
| Name | Colour | Description | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| ‘Dragon’s blood’ | Dark Red | Dried resin of several plants. ‘True dragon’s blood’ comes from plants in the Dracaena genus. Often confused with cinnabar in history. |  2 |
| Madder | Red | Rose Madder (Dyer’s Madder, Common Madder, Rubia tinctorum. |  3 |
| Turmeric | Yellow-Orange | Turmeric Root (Curcuma longa) |  4 |
| Onion Skins | Yellow |  5 |
|
| Weld | Yellow | Dyer’s Weed (Reseda luteola). |  6 |
| Nettles | Blue-Green | ||
| Lincoln Green | Deep Green | Woad dyed fabrics, over-dyed with weld. | |
| Indigo, Woad | Deep blue | Variety of plants, mostly from the Indigofera genus or Woad (Isatis tinctoria) |  |
Mineral Derived
| Name | Colour | Description | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vermilion | Brilliant Red | Powdered cinnabar (mercury ore). |  7 |
| Ochre, Umber, Sienna | Earthy Red-Purple to Yellow | Ochre mineral family. All contain Iron(III) Oxide, with varying proportions of other minerals. ‘Burnt’ varieties (e.g. Burnt Sienna) are produced by heating raw minerals (calcination). |
 8 |
| Ultramarine, Persian Blue | Deep Ocean Blue | Powdered lapis lazuli. |  |
Inks
| Name | Colour | Description | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lamp Black | Black | Soot, mixed with oil or water & a binder. | |
| India Ink | Black | Fine lamp black, mixed with hide glue and set into sticks or pellets. Reliquefied with water before use. Invented in ancient China, but named as it was commonly traded in India. |  |
| Iron Gall Ink | Black-Green/Brown | Tannins from oak gall extract mixed with iron sulphate. | |
| ‘Dragon’s blood’ Ink | Dark Red | Powdered ‘Dragon’s Blood’ resin and gum arabic, dissolved in water. See ‘Dragon’s Blood’ under Plant Derived. Commonly used by the Romans. | |
| Cephlapod (Sepia) Ink | Black-Brown | Ink sacs of squids, cuttlefish and octopuses. |
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