Author Topic: Earth pigments?  (Read 4405 times)

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Offline sleek

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Earth pigments?
« on: October 31, 2019, 01:40:52 am »
I'd love to have a thread on here that demonstrates extensively how to make all the earth pigments,  the paints, the dyes, and their uses. If anyone has methods they use, please share it here. My goal is to make a sticky out of this.
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Offline bjrogg

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Re: Earth pigments?
« Reply #1 on: October 31, 2019, 06:08:32 am »
I'd be interested in this to.
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Offline backwoodsguy

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Re: Earth pigments?
« Reply #2 on: October 31, 2019, 06:24:53 am »
I too would  interested in a tutorial on what to do with the two colored rocks I received from Ed Brooks's give away Sept. 17th "Small box of goodies to give away". So far, the sinew has been processed and two arrowheads have been made but I'm not sure how to powder the rocks. Hammer? File? Another rock?

Offline mullet

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Re: Earth pigments?
« Reply #3 on: October 31, 2019, 06:31:49 am »
I've used red clay after I sifted it through a .200 sieve and then mixed it with hide glue. Did the same thing with charcoal, too.
Lakeland, Florida
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Offline Deerhunter21

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Re: Earth pigments?
« Reply #4 on: October 31, 2019, 06:51:33 am »
Rock powder,  small amount of water and eggs
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Offline mullet

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Re: Earth pigments?
« Reply #5 on: October 31, 2019, 08:55:39 pm »
Rock powder,  small amount of water and eggs

Roaches would have a field day with that in the South.
Lakeland, Florida
 If you have to pull the trigger, is it really archery?

Offline Deerhunter21

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Re: Earth pigments?
« Reply #6 on: November 01, 2019, 06:02:48 am »
Add some bug poison  :)
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Offline JEB

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Re: Earth pigments?
« Reply #7 on: November 01, 2019, 06:12:31 am »
Sleek, I brought home some natural materials which are tailings from a mine in New Mexico.They are gold in color and I may have some maroon also. The material crumbles pretty easy and will stain your fingers. If you want a small amount I would be glad to send you some.

I bought one of those small coffee bean grinders at a yard sale and use that to turn it into a powder like substance.  The grinder can be used with softer materials such as turquoise also.

Offline DC

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Re: Earth pigments?
« Reply #8 on: November 01, 2019, 11:47:19 am »
Do these pigments only appear in certain geology? For example, the ground around here is very iron rich but I don't think I've ever seen red ochre. Maybe they are in sedimentary country rather than volcanic?

Offline Deerhunter21

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Re: Earth pigments?
« Reply #9 on: November 01, 2019, 12:01:01 pm »
Jackcrafty has some videos on it
Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before destination.

Offline sleek

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Re: Earth pigments?
« Reply #10 on: November 02, 2019, 01:58:14 am »
Sleek, I brought home some natural materials which are tailings from a mine in New Mexico.They are gold in color and I may have some maroon also. The material crumbles pretty easy and will stain your fingers. If you want a small amount I would be glad to send you some.

I bought one of those small coffee bean grinders at a yard sale and use that to turn it into a powder like substance.  The grinder can be used with softer materials such as turquoise also.

You know what, I would LOVE some, thank you VERY much! I will be cutting some bamboo for arrow shafts here in January. I will cut you a bundle, along with another guy who I owe a stack.
Tread softly and carry a bent stick.

Dont seek your happiness through the approval of others

Offline JEB

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Re: Earth pigments?
« Reply #11 on: November 02, 2019, 07:01:25 am »
need a mailing address Sleek

Offline aaron

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Re: Earth pigments?
« Reply #12 on: November 02, 2019, 06:02:36 pm »
General procedure for earth pigments:
Grind up a rock that's good for pigments such as ochre. Now you have a mix of chunks- some are like tiny rocks, some like sand and some as fine as talcum. Your problem now is to separate out all the talcum sized bits. Put the ground up rock in a jar with water and shake. When you're done shaking, all the particles are suspended in the water and over time they will settle out. The big bits settle out first, then the medium bits settle out. If you wait a few minutes, everything settles out except the tiny bits. So, you pour off the water and tiny bits, leaving the bigger bits and some water in the first jar. In the new jar, you now have water plus tiny bits. Pour this onto a tray to evaporate the water. Once dry, you can heat it to change the color. The dry pigment is mixed with dilute hide glue to make a paint.

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Offline TimothyR

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Re: Earth pigments?
« Reply #13 on: November 02, 2019, 09:06:30 pm »
Definitely interested in that.
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