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Dry ingredients
Table of Contents
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Name: Ingrid Romero
Date and Time:
Location: 7 East Ave, Apt 5R, Larchmont - NY 10538
Subject: Cochineal lake making
Weather: 72º F (outside) - 70º F (indoors)
I used the “Standard - Reversed” method below:
RECIPE 2: “Standard - Reversed” | |
1 - Mortar & pestle 1 - Hot plate 1 - Large beaker (at least 1000ml) 1 - Small beaker (at least 100ml) 1 - Pair of chopsticks or other stirring device 1 - Thermometer 1 - Funnel 1 - Filter | pH strips 300ml - Water - for alum (large beaker) 50ml - Water - for potash (smaller beaker) 1 - Drawstring bag 0.24g - Cochineal 10g - Potash 4g - Alum |
Procedure:
Note:
I did not grind the cochineal as the dry ingredients (powder) were sent to us in the M+K lab set along with brushes, chopsticks, etc.
I used:
(1) medium size stainless steel pot
(1) 34oz glass terrine
(1) 1 pint mason jar
(1) ½ pint mason jar
(1) large size plastic funnel
(1) tempered glass flat dish
(2) bamboo chopsticks
Multiple PH strips
Copper tongs
(1) coffee filter
Plastic dropper
Filtered water
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Dry ingredients | |
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Dissolve 10g potash in 50 ml water in the 100ml beaker | |
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Add alum and bag of cochineal to 300ml water in the 1000ml beaker | |
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Using 2 Mason jars for this process in a medium size stainless steel pot. I did not have issues with spillage as some of my classmates did. I did keep a low heat. | |
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Warm the colored solution to about 50 ˚C and add potash solution very gradually, stirring. Do this slowly and incrementally. | |
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Warm the colored solution to about 50 ˚C and add potash solution very gradually, stirring. Do this slowly and incrementally. | |
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Checking the pH of the solution after each addition until a pH of 6-7, there is no further effervescence, and precipitation of the lake pigment appears to be complete. | |
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Allow the solution to settle for at least 15min (ideally overnight) | |
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Pour solution through filter in a funnel | |
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Once the liquid has drained through, wash the pigment: discard the filtrate and place funnel+filter over a clean container. Pour 100ml of clean water through the filter. Repeat until the filtrate is clear | |
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Washing the cochineal | |
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Name: Ingrid Romero
Date and Time:
Location: 7 East Ave, Apt 5R, Larchmont - NY 10538
Subject: Cochineal drying
Weather: 75º F (outside) - 70º F (indoors)
After washing my cochineal (once) the water came out clean. I removed the coffee filter holding the wet pigment and placed it on a flat dish to dry.
The pigment had a gelatinous look, it started very suppled and plumped but started to dry as the hours went by. The pigment started as a bright pink/magenta in color while wet.
Note: Today’s weather was very humid and I was afraid it would take a long time for the pigment to dry completely. I laid it out by my kitchen window which has direct sunlight but the weather was not cooperating today.
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Allow the pigment to dry on the filter (at least overnight), then scrape off and use. | |
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Name: Ingrid Romero
Date and Time:
Location: 7 East Ave, Apt 5R, Larchmont - NY 10538
Subject: Cochineal drying - day 2
Weather: 74º F (outside) - 70º F (indoors)
On Wednesday June 2nd at 9:11am the pigment had decreased significantly, it was harder and had started cracking. As it was drying the color started changing towards purple. The texture looked similar to a melted crayon (waxy).
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Name: Ingrid Romero
Date and Time:
Location: 7 East Ave, Apt 5R, Larchmont - NY 10538
Subject: Cochineal drying - day 2
Weather: 74º F (outside) - 70º F (indoors)
By 2:00pm the pigment was continuously drying and showing a very purple hue.
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Name: Ingrid Romero
Date and Time:
Location: 7 East Ave, Apt 5R, Larchmont - NY 10538
Subject: Cochineal drying - day 2
Weather: 74º F (outside) - 70º F (indoors)
By 6:49pm the pigment was getting harder, dryer and dark purple in color.
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Name: Ingrid Romero
Date and Time:
Location: 7 East Ave, Apt 5R, Larchmont - NY 10538
Subject: Cochineal powder
Weather: 71º F (outside) - 70º F (indoors)
Today, we prepared different binding mediums (egg whites, egg yolk, linseed oil and gum arabic) to start experimenting with 3 different pigments: cochineal, ochre and azurite.
My cochineal had completely dried and was very purple in color. I used a metal spatula to scrape the crackled pigment. Collected all the pieces on a white piece of paper and using the bottom of a glass tumbler I grinded the pigment into a fine powder.
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Name: Ingrid Romero
Date and Time:
Location: 7 East Ave, Apt 5R, Larchmont - NY 10538
Subject: Cochineal powder - day 5
Weather: 72º F (outside) - 70º F (indoors)
I checked the remaining cochineal pigment powder today, to see if it had changed and I’m not sure if it's the lighting or my iphone camera, but in certain lighting (angles) it looks darker than last week. I also wanted to note that the pigment was left on my desk uncovered for a few days and maybe it oxidized a little. Once I shook the jar, the powder sitting at the bottom was brighter in color. It was not exposed to sunlight.
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