Wild Pigments: Creating Handmade Watercolors & Inks

Wild Pigments: Creating Handmade Watercolors & Inks

Dive into the alchemy of color in this hands-on workshop focused on creating your own watercolor pigments and natural inks. Designed for artists who are already comfortable embracing the fluid, unpredictable nature of watercolor and ink, this workshop explores the process of transforming raw organic materials into rich, expressive color.

Participants will learn foundational techniques for sourcing, preparing, and preserving handmade pigments while experimenting with the beautiful variations that natural materials provide. This workshop encourages curiosity, experimentation, and a willingness to let the medium lead the way.

We will cover:

• How to make tannin-rich materials
• Extracting color from natural and organic sources
• Creating handmade watercolor pigments
• Developing natural inks and washes
• Binder basics and pigment preservation
• Testing transparency, granulation, and layering
• Building a personal palette from found materials

Perfect for painters, illustrators, printmakers, and mixed-media artists interested in deepening their relationship with color and process.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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Host or Publisher Durham Art Guild