4. BioChromes

Research on Artists or Projects Using Natural/Bacterial Dyeing

Natsai Audrey Chieza

Natsai is a designer and researcher who uses bacterial dyeing to create sustainable textiles. She works with Streptomyces coelicolor, a bacteria that produces pigments, to dye fabrics in vibrant colors. Her work focuses on reducing the environmental impact of the textile industry by replacing chemical dyes with natural, bacteria-based alternatives.

how Natsai Audrey Chieza do Bacterial Dyeing

Artemisia Gentileschi

Although not a modern artist, Artemisia used natural pigments in her paintings. Her work inspires me to explore how natural colors can be used creatively in art and design.Artemisia Gentileschi skillfully employed natural pigments to achieve her dramatic effects. She likely ground and mixed these pigments herself, creating a palette of vibrant colors. For instance, she might have used the deep blue of ultramarine for shadows and the rich green of verdigris for highlights. By carefully layering these pigments and manipulating their intensity, she achieved the striking chiaroscuro that defines her work. The luminous reds of cinnabar and the earthy tones of ochres further enriched her palette, allowing her to depict the textures and emotions of her subjects with remarkable realism.

Natural Dye with Modifiers on Fabric

For this assignment, I decided to create a natural dye using onion skins and modify the color using lemon juice. Here’s how I did it:

Materials Used:

1. Onion skins (from about 6 onions).
2. Water (1 liter).
3. White cotton fabric (pre-washed).
4. Mordant: Vinegar (100mL).
5. Modifier: Lemon juice (50mL).

Process:

Step 1: Prepare the Dye

I collected onion skins from about 6 onions. The skins were mostly dry and had a rich orange color.

I boiled the onion skins in 1 liter of water for about 1 hour. As the skins boiled, the water turned a deep orange color, which is the natural dye.

After boiling, I strained the liquid to remove the onion skins, leaving only the dye solution.

Step 2: Prepare the Fabric

I pre-washed the white cotton fabric to remove any chemicals or dirt that might interfere with the dyeing process.

To help the dye bond better to the fabric, I used vinegar as a mordant. I mixed 100mL of vinegar with 1 liter of water and soaked the fabric in this solution for about 1 hour. Vinegar is an acidic mordant that helps fix the dye to the fabric.

Step 3: Dye the Fabric

After soaking the fabric in the vinegar solution, I gently squeezed out the excess liquid (without rinsing) and placed the fabric in the onion skin dye bath.

I simmered the fabric in the dye bath for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally to ensure even dyeing.

After simmering, I left the fabric in the dye bath overnight to achieve a deeper color.

Step 4: Apply the Modifier

Once the fabric was dyed, I removed it from the dye bath and gently squeezed out the excess liquid.

I divided the fabric into two sections:

One section was left as-is to keep the original orange color.

The other section was treated with lemon juice as a modifier.

To apply the modifier, I dipped the second section of the fabric into a solution of 50mL lemon juice mixed with 500mL water. I left it in the solution for about 10 minutes.

Lemon juice is an acidic modifier, so it shifted the orange color to a lighter, more yellow tone.

Step 5: Rinse and Dry

After dyeing and modifying, I rinsed both sections of the fabric in cold water to remove any excess dye and stop the chemical reactions.

I hung the fabric to air dry.

Results:

The original dye (without modifier) produced a warm orange color on the fabric.

The modified section (treated with lemon juice) turned a lighter, yellowish-orange color.

The vinegar mordant helped the dye bond well to the fabric, resulting in vibrant and long-lasting colors.

Unexpected Discoveries

I was surprised by how much the color changed with the lemon juice modifier. The original orange dye turned into a bright yellow, which I didn’t expect to be so vibrant.

The vinegar mordant worked really well to fix the dye, and the colors remained bright even after rinsing.

Producing pigment

For this part of the assignment, I decided to make charcoal pigment using sunflower oil as the binder. Here’s how I did it:

Materials Used:

Charcoal (from burnt wood).

sunflower oil (or another oil binder).

Mortar and pestle (or a grinding tool).

Palette knife or spoon for mixing.

Container for storing the pigment.

Process:

Step 1: Prepare the Charcoal

I collected charcoal from burnt wood. It was already black and brittle, which made it easy to grind.

I used a mortar and pestle to grind the charcoal into a fine powder. This took some time, but I made sure the powder was as fine as possible to create a smooth pigment.

Step 2: Mix the Pigment with Oil

I placed the charcoal powder in a small container.

I added linseed oil to the powder a few drops at a time, mixing well after each addition.

I continued adding oil until the mixture had a thick, paint-like consistency. If it became too thick, I added a few more drops of oil to thin it out.

Step 3: Test the Pigment

I applied the charcoal pigment to a piece of paper using a brush.

The pigment adhered well to the paper and created a rich, glossy black color.

I let the pigment dry and tested its durability by rubbing it gently. It stayed in place and didn’t smudge.

Results:

The charcoal pigment mixed with linseed oil produced a deep, glossy black color.

The oil binder gave the pigment a smooth, professional finish.

The pigment dried slowly, which allowed me to blend and work with it for a longer time.

Unexpected Discoveries:

I was surprised by how smooth and glossy the pigment became when mixed with linseed oil. It looked like professional oil paint!

The slow drying time of the oil binder allowed me to experiment with blending and shading.

Swatches for the Analog Material Library

I created two swatches for the lab’s material library:

1. Onion Skin Dyed Fabric

2. Charcoal Pigment paint