Preparing & experimenting with natural dyes and pigments.

I managed to source some of the more vibrant colors such as the copper based Blue verditer and the pink vermilion from a wonderful natural pigment company www.naturalpigments.com/oil-painting/pigment-powders.html. However i wanted a range of hues and textures so i have experimented with adding chalks and charcoals to create a range of shades and intensities. I have also been experimenting with making dyes from flowers, i found that mixing a small amount of chalk when crushing flower petals and leaves helps to capture the color. This worked particularly well with Nettles, Bluebells and Bog-weed flowers.