Oak Gall Ink Publication

Description

Oak Gall Ink, also commonly called Oak Iron Ink, is incredibly light fast black ink made from tannic acid and ferrous sulphate. Oak Galls are small growths sighted on oak trees which are caused by a parasitic wasp.

Many important documents such as the Dead Sea Scrolls, the first IOUs from the Bank of England and many artists’ drawings, used this ink due to its unique characteristics. When on a residency at Hestercombe, I created this small publication explaining; the history of the ink, how to identify different galls and a DIY recipe. This work also spurred a series of drawings using the ink (Blind view series) and hosting various workshops to share this information.