Make Ink: A Forager's Guide to Natural Inkmaking

by Jason Logan

Overview

“The pigments he concocts from these humble beginnings are as fun to make as they are eye-opening to work with . . . the world never quite looks the same.” —MarthaStewart.com

A 2018 Best Book of the Year—The Guardian

The Toronto Ink Company was founded in 2014 by designer and artist Jason Logan as a citizen science experiment to make eco-friendly, urban ink from street-harvested pigments. In Make Ink, Logan delves into the history of inkmaking and the science of distilling pigment from the natural world. Readers will learn how to forage for materials such as soot, rust, cigarette butts, peach pits, and black walnut, then how to mix, test, and transform these ingredients into rich, vibrant inks that are sensitive to both place and environment. Organized by color, and featuring lovely minimalist photography throughout, Make Ink combines science, art, and craft to instill the basics of ink making and demonstrate the beauty and necessity of engaging with one of mankind’s oldest tools of communication.

“Logan demystifies the process, encouraging experimentation and taking a fresh look at urban environments.” —NPR

“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.” —The Well-Appointed Desk

“Quite a few recipes . . . that use color from the kitchen: carrots, black beans, blueberries, turmeric, and onion skins all make beautiful ink colors.” —Design Observer

“Make Ink opens up about methods, providing an open source guide to DIY ink.” —CityLab

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781683353270
Publisher:	ABRAMS, Inc.
Publication date:	04/12/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	219
Sales rank:	137,485
File size:	80 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Toronto Ink Company founder Jason Logan is an internationally recognized designer, creative director, author, and artist. His illustrations appear regularly in the New York Times and his fine art has been exhibited in New York City, Los Angeles, Toronto, and the Yukon. His work has been recognized by the AIGA, SPD, the Centre for Social Innovation, and the Canada Council for the Arts. Michael Ondaatje is a celebrated poet, novelist, editor, and filmmaker, best known for his 1992 Booker Prize–winning novel The English Patient.

Editorial Reviews

This book filled with ink recipes, minimalistic photography and lots of inspiration caught our eye immediately. "

Fine Little Day

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.

Most Giftable Coffee Table Books Forbes

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

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

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

Named a Best Book of 2018."

The Guardian

Once you start making ink, the world never quite looks the same.

Martha Stewart

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

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.

Book Page Top Pick in Lifestyles

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

“Make Ink opens up about methods, providing an open source guide to DIY ink.

CityLab

Named a Best Book of 2018."—The Guardian

“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

“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

“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

“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

“Make Ink opens up about methods, providing an open source guide to DIY ink.”—CityLab

“Once you start making ink, the world never quite looks the same.”—Martha Stewart

“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

“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

“This book filled with ink recipes, minimalistic photography and lots of inspiration caught our eye immediately. "—Fine Little Day

“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

From the Publisher

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