Making Ink: Copper Oxide Blue

Blue Ink  - Copper Oxide (2nd attempt) 

Isn't that a lovely blue?

See notes below for what made this one work.

 

FAIL: Copper Oxide ink (with a zinc chaser) 

Some things don't always go as planned. My first try at this was to use pennies.  They sat in the vinegar and salt brine for about 2 weeks, only producing a cloudy gray.  Then I realized copper pennies today are not really made of copper but are mostly zinc (since 1982).  My friend Nancy found some scrap copper parts in her garage and donated them to the cause.  I purchased 2 copper scratch pads at the local hardware store -- and replaced the zinc pennies.  And now it's producing real bona fide blue ink!

 

This is after about 1 week.

 

After 4 weeks.  Here it is next to the bottle of Dawn dish soap.  Nearly the same color blue!

I left it to marinate until I started to see something forming at the top of the liquid -- metal filings? I figured it was saturated enough by then and I had as much ink as I was going to get out of it.

 

 

Here it is after I strained out the copper scraps.

 

 

And here are those hard-working copper scraps -- or what's left of them.

The copper scratch pad is dissolving into the brine, and the copper pipe fittings are developing a nice patina. 

 

Note about the salt -- I used iodized table salt.  Somewhere I read that the fancy non-iodized Himalayan / French / sea salts do not produce the same results. Yeah for Morton's!

With a nod to Jason Logan, The "Make Ink Guy" in Toronto, the recipe comes from a handout he provided for one of his workshops.  I also have his book -- which I highly recommend!

Making Blue Ink with Copper Oxide

• glass jar
• 1/2 cup copper scraps (pennies BEFORE 1982)
  
• 2 cups white vinegar
• 1 T table salt (use iodized)
• spoon or stir stick
• strainer
• glass containers with tight-fitting lids
  

1) Mix up the vinegar and iodized table salt in a glass jar.  Add the copper, making sure all metal is completely submerged.

2) Leave the mixture to marinade / macerate in a well-ventilated area, uncovered away from pets and children for 1 - 4 weeks, until you have a rich blue-colored liquid.  [The recipe says to stir twice a day -- which I did the first time around.  I didn't bother with round 2, and it came out fine.]

3) Once the desired hue is reached, strain the ink and pour into individual glass containers with tight-fitting lids.  The color may separate into a transparent darker blue and a lighter milkier liquid  [I think he must have had zinc in there for the milky layer.]

Now to play!

 

  

This is various inks (plus metallic watercolor) laid down, allowing the colors to mix a bit.  The next step is to lay down the paper do the ink picks it up ...

Copper Oxide (the greenish verdigris) with Prussian Blue and coffee inks.

This one is Prussian Blue with Copper Oxide (the greenish blue) with silver watercolor.