The Colour of Ink: Rediscovering the Art and Alchemy of Natural Pigments
We recently watched The Colour of Ink, a documentary that follows Toronto-based inkmaker Jason Logan, and was completely captivated. The film wasn’t just a look into the process of making ink—it was a meditation on creativity, nature, and the deep history embedded in something as seemingly simple as liquid pigment. Logan’s approach, foraging for materials like walnut husks, rusted metals, and wildflowers to create inks with rich, unpredictable qualities, felt like both an art form and an act of discovery. I found myself inspired, not just by his craft but by the history of ink itself.
That inspiration led us down a rabbit hole, exploring how different cultures have created and used ink for centuries. Ink has always been more than a medium for writing or drawing—it carries stories, traditions, and innovations passed down through generations. From the sumi ink of ancient China and Japan to the iron gall ink of medieval European manuscripts, ink-making has shaped artistic expression for millennia. Logan’s work connects to these traditions, but it also reinvents them, showing that ink-making is not just a historical practice—it’s a living, evolving art.
Jason Logan and the Toronto Ink Company
At the heart of The Colour of Ink is Jason Logan, an artist, designer, and inkmaker whose passion for natural pigments led him to establish the Toronto Ink Company. Founded in 2014, the company is built on the idea that ink can be more than a mass-produced commodity—it can be a reflection of place, history, and artistic intention.
Logan’s ink-making process is deeply intuitive and site-specific. He gathers raw materials from urban and natural landscapes, creating inks that are infused with the essence of their surroundings. A rusted nail, a crushed berry, or a piece of soot-stained wood can become the foundation for a new pigment. This hyper-local approach makes each of his inks unique, not just in color but in story. His process challenges the idea that ink is simply a product—it’s a living material, shaped by the environment and the artist’s interaction with it.
The Toronto Ink Company is not just about producing and selling inks; it’s about educating people on the forgotten craft of ink-making. Logan frequently collaborates with artists, writers, and scientists to explore new ways of using and understanding pigments. His work has been featured in galleries and museums, and he continues to push the boundaries of what ink can be. His company is a testament to the idea that even in an age of digital screens and synthetic materials, there is still magic in the simple act of putting pigment to paper.
Yokoi Kinkoku 横井金谷, Views of Lake Biwa at Sakamoto, Pair of six-panel folding screens; ink and color on paper Japan, Edo period, 1832. (Harvard Art Museums)
A Medium as Old as Time: The Role of Ink in Art History
While ink is often associated with writing, its role in visual art is just as significant. One of the oldest artistic traditions that relied on ink is East Asian brush painting. Dating back over 2,000 years, artists in China, Japan, and Korea used sumi ink—a dense black ink made from soot and animal glue—to create expressive landscapes, calligraphy, and figure studies. Masters like Sesshū Tōyō and Shitao transformed simple black ink into stunningly dynamic compositions, emphasizing brushwork and fluidity over rigid form.
In the Islamic world, ink was central to the art of illuminated manuscripts, with detailed calligraphy and intricate designs enhancing religious and philosophical texts. The 16th-century Persian artist Sultan Muhammad combined ink and gold leaf to create lush, ornate compositions in his illustrated manuscripts, blending text and image in seamless harmony.
Collection of Hanging Scrolls (Minneapolis Institute of Art)
The European tradition, while often associated with oil painting, also has deep ties to ink. Renaissance artists like Leonardo da Vinci and Albrecht Dürer used iron gall ink for detailed sketches and anatomical studies, demonstrating its versatility as both a drafting and expressive medium. The 19th century saw an expansion of ink’s role in fine art, with artists like Francisco Goya creating haunting ink wash drawings that blurred the line between painting and illustration.
Even in contemporary art, ink remains a powerful medium. Cy Twombly’s gestural ink drawings challenge traditional notions of line and composition, while artists like Fabienne Verdier merge Eastern and Western influences by using oversized brushes and calligraphic ink strokes to create abstract works on a monumental scale.
Support Independent Art Journalism & Become a Member Today
As an independent publication, The Art Districts relies on member support to fund our journalism and keep our reporting and criticism free and accessible to all.
Contemporary Artists Keeping the Ink Tradition Alive
Beyond Jason Logan, there are several artists today who are redefining ink as a medium.
Toyin Ojih Odutola is widely recognized for her intricate ballpoint and ink drawings, which challenge traditional portraiture by using layers of ink to create rich textures and depth. Her work explores themes of identity, storytelling, and the materiality of ink itself.
Max Gimblett, a New Zealand-born artist, merges ink painting with Western abstraction, drawing inspiration from Zen Buddhism and Japanese calligraphy to create fluid, meditative compositions.
Vittoria Chierici experiments with historical ink recipes, pushing the boundaries of how natural pigments can be used in modern painting.
Kaoru Hirose works with botanical inks to create ethereal, fluid compositions that emphasize the fleeting beauty of natural colors.
These artists, much like Logan, are tapping into ink’s historical and material richness to create work that feels both ancient and immediate.
Paulina Peavy and Lacamo (spirit muse), Untitled, Colored ink, India ink, and Watercolor on paper, 1984. (Minneapolis Institute of Art)
The Future of Ink-Making
Watching The Colour of Ink didn’t just introduce me to Jason Logan’s work—it reignited my curiosity about the materials we often take for granted. Ink, like art, is a living thing, shaped by history, culture, and the natural world. As more artists embrace natural inks, they are not only reviving lost traditions but also pushing them forward, finding new ways to work with these ancient materials.
Logan’s work is a reminder that creativity is deeply tied to the materials we choose. In a time when synthetic, mass-produced inks dominate the industry, turning back to natural pigments is both a creative and ecological choice. It’s about reconnecting with the earth, embracing imperfection, and letting the medium itself become part of the artistic process.
My journey into ink-making started with a documentary, but it has led me into a much larger world—one where history, nature, and creativity are inextricably linked. And that, to me, is the true color of ink.
As an Independent Publication We Rely Solely on Donations & Memberships. Please Consider Becoming A Member.
Become a Member Today