Brusho inks and Mark making

Brusho inks are very versatile and can be used to achieve endless interesting outcomes. They can be used on paper or fabric, although they are not fixable to fabric. For brusho inks you mix the powder with water, it is best to mix a small amount of powder with the water and then add more powder gradually to make a stronger colour.

There is another method you can do where you wet your fabric or paper and then sprinkle some of the powder onto the paper or fabric this creates an interesting finish.

Health and safety – wear protective rubber gloves and apron. Try to avoid spillage and splashing. Leave area clean and tidy. Wash away unwanted dyes and inks. Wash hands before leaving the print room. Secure lids on pots after use.

Mark making is a great way of adding texture to fabrics. Using whatever interesting tools you can find, a broad range of results can be produced. Pigment inks and procion dyes can be used for mark making.

To mix a pigment colour, put the required amount of binder into a clean pot, and add a couple of drops of pigment concentrate to it. It is best to start with a small amount and add more after if needed. Then mix the colour with a clean mixing stick. It is now ready to use.

The procion dye is mixed by the print technician. Ensure that your fabric is made of natural fibres before dying. To make sure that your fabric is dyed an even colour, the table must be thoroughly cleaned before dying starts, otherwise the wet fabric will pick up old dyes from the table.

Before you start working on the fabrics, make sure your work area is clean and the fabric isn’t creased. If necessary tape the fabric to the table with masking tape.

For this you use different tools to scratch into the ink you can also build up the inks and dyes if necessary by adding more layers.

Health and safety – Wear protective gloves and apron. Try to avoid spillage and splashing. Leave area clean and tidy. Wash away any unwanted dyes and inks. Wash hands beifre leaving the prink room. Wash all mark making tools.