For an account of the pigment-making (or re-making) process, Birgit Reissland’s Practical Guide to the Production of Black Pigments, 1350 to 1700 provides both a robust history of the early modern recipes and a thorough account of her team’s laboratory practice; for readers interested in producing their own black pigments according to historic recipes, however — as a scholarly project or as part of a creative exercise — the following précis serve as short handbooks, including recipes translated for modern makers. Click below and for all the instructions you’ll need to create black pigments following historic recipes.
Reconstruction: Sheep-Feet Bone Black
Reconstruction: Vine Tendril Black (Burnt)
Reconstruction: Peach Pit Black
Reconstruction: Cherry-Stone Black
Reconstruction: Beeswax-Candle Black
Reconstruction: Birch-Bark Black
