Cochineal Bug

December 2023

Cochineal Bugs purchased from Shepherd Textiles.

Cooked a tablespoon of desiccated bugs on the stovetop with several cups of distilled water.

Originally used the dye to make a pigment. That process involved adding alum and washing Soda to the concentrated dye to create a chemical reaction wherein the dye is precipitated, the solid color separates from the liquid. In other, less strong dyes, the resultant liquid is usually pale or clear. In the case of this Cochineal however, the dye from the bugs was so powerfully concentrated, that I was able to use the leftover liquid to create my first ink.

I separated out the bright fuchsia liquid into several containers to experiment with shifting pH to change the color. I added Cream of Tarter (an acid) to make the ink redder and Washing Soda (a base) to shift the fuchsia to purple.

Bottled 60ml each color of Cochineal Water-Based Ink and added 10 drops of gum Arabic solution (distilled water, glycerin, honey, powdered gum), preservative, and wintergreen/clove essential oils.