Black Walnut Paint & Ink

Alison Webb
Jul 28
3 min read

Picking Walnuts

For this tutorial, I am using Eastern Black Walnut (Juglans nigra), an endemic and prolific tree in eastern North America. This tree is naturalized in many other parts of North America.

The English Walnut, also known as the Persian Walnut (Juglans regia), can be used in this recipe as well. This is a common landscaping tree and one I often find in parks in the Pacific Northwest.

You can use walnuts gathered from the ground or picked from the tree, if they are nearly full size. The walnuts pictured below were picked from a tree in Tennessee in late July. Walnuts typically begin falling from the tree in late August or September here in Tennessee. Freezing whole walnuts is my preferred method for saving them for later use. Drying is possible, but tedious because you will need to separate the husk from the nut, and the pigment will be less potent.

Extracting Color

Extracting color from black walnuts is a simple process that requires approximately 24 hours for optimal results. The color comes from the green husk, but there is no need to separate it from the nut unless desired.

To extract the color, place the walnuts in enough water to fully submerge them. Bring the water to a boil, then simmer for a few minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the solution to sit. Repeat this cycle 5-10 times over 24 hours. You do not need to follow a strict timeline for this process. Your water will be a rich brown once the color is extracted.

Keep supplies separate from personal cookware.

Making Ink

Filter the walnut liquid through a coffee filter 2x
Simmer the filtered liquid to reduce volume
Test the color of your liquid and remove it from the heat once satisfied
Filter your ink one more time (very important)
Ink can be used as is, or add a few drops of binder with clove oil
Walnut ink will mold and is best stored in the refrigerator

Modifying Ink with Iron

Once you have made your brown walnut ink, you can add iron (ferrous sulfate) to create a dark brown/black ink. Simply stir in a small amount of ferrous sulfate, which will react with the tannin in the ink and instantly darken the color. Use as little ferrous sulfate as necessary. Excess will create crystals in your ink and is harsh on brushes and paper.

When working with inks containing iron, exercise caution to prevent contamination of your other inks. Many pigments will react with iron. Wash brushes well and change out rinse water before using other inks.

A few drops of a binder with clove oil can be added, and refrigeration is suggested.