SUSTAINABLE MATERIAL RECOMMENDATION IN ILLUSTRATION: HANDMADE WATERCOLOR PRODUCTION WITH EARTH PIGMENTS

Abstract

The nature we live in is full of colors, and throughout history, human beings have developed various methods by experimenting with natural colorants to make the unique colors in nature permanent. Early humans discovered that they could extract pigment from plants, animals, minerals and soils in nature, and they obtained the first paints by mixing powdered pigment with a liquid substance. The emergence of the illustration is based on the cave paintings made by the first people, who are thought to be used as a means of transferring visual information. The primitive type of watercolor obtained by the mixture of natural pigment and cave water, and the unique tools of that period, pioneered the techniques and materials used in illustration. While the source of the pigments used in paints was nature until the 19th century, a new era has begun in paint production with the inventions in the field of chemistry and the developing industry. In recent years, with the emergence of the damage caused by the synthetic dyes produced, researches on natural pigments and dyes have increased and their usage patterns have started to come up again. In this research, a literature review was conducted on the origin of the oldest pigments used by primitive people, the compositions of paints, the development of watercolor and illustration. In the project part of the research, the handmade watercolor production processes of the 'Misi Palette', inspired by the paints used by the cave artists in their palettes, were shared. Re-learning, discovering and producing art materials and techniques that our ancestors used can enable designers to communicate with the earth and to develop themselves and raise awareness about sustainable design practices, thanks to thousands of years old pigments.