Make art with natural dyes and plants! The Eco Printing Passion art challenge is the perfect way to add some colour, texture and sustainability to your artwork. Make and experiment from the comfort of your own home. Within 1 week you will learn how to make eco-prints, craft your own sketchbook and foster YOUR creative spirit. Your sketchbooks will be overflowing! #ecoprinting #artchallenge #ecoprintingpassion #sustainableart
Supplies needed:
Paper sheets (around A4 size) or small paperback sketchbook
Fresh flower petals, leaves and grass
Mordant (optional)
Steamer
String
Hole punch or screwdriver
Scraps of unpatterned fabric
Firstly, what is eco printing?
Eco printing is where the artist uses plants or other organic material to print with. There are a whole variety of ways to using natural pigment from plants to create art. People have been using pigments from plants and other sources of nature for art since prehistoric times.
Ways you can use organic material in art:
You can steam a rolled up sketchbook with petals inside (yes really!)
Dip the plants in ink or paint to print the organic shape or outline of the plant.
The natural colours of the flowers can be used to dye wool and paper.
The flower pigment can be added to a solution to make an ink.
Why take part in the Eco Printing Art Challenge?
Participating in this art challenge can help you gain exposure, fill your sketchbooks with fresh art and ideas and make connections with artists who are all as enthusiastic about flowers and eco printing as you.
We will experiment with printing organic material on to paper and fabric. If you enjoy messy experimental work and love nature-inspired art then this is for you!
Learn how to make a sketchbook and steam to print flowers and other organic materials
If you share your work on Instagram you will be able to see which of your paintings are gaining the most attention and be inspired by other artists' work. Use hashtag #ecoprintingpassion to connect with others.
One week challenge outline:
Download the Eco Printing Passion Challenge schedule for free:
How to steam sketchbook
*Please note: if you want to use a shop-bought sketchbook (which is totally fine!) you can just skip to Day 2.
Results
The natural colours will have seeped on to the paper, creating a natural pattern made from eco-printing. You will find the element of surprise intensifying as you unfold the sketchbook. The beautiful patterns made organically on the paper, make the slightly complicated steaming process all worth the while!
Further ideas and eco-printing tips
Using a mordant (to prepare your paper for printing) is not essential: you can still get impressive floral prints by just steaming with unprepared paper.
Keep the petals and leaves that shake off after you've steamed the sketchbook. Use these for future mixed media projects.
Stain (and dry) the paper with natural materials like coffee granules or tea before you print with flowers. The combo of browns with bright petal colours is beautiful.
Print shapes using flower heads or leaves. See here:
Share your results!
Use hashtag #ecoprintingpassion and share your work with lots of other nature lovers.