Maya Blue ~ Pigment for painting & Printing

The Magic of Maya Blue ~ a turquoise pigment made from indigo and praised for its resistance to aging. First discovered and extensively used by the pre-Columbian Mayan and Aztec People the recipe and even the knowledge of this fantastic brilliant turquoise colour was lost for many centuries. When the colour was re discovered on archaeological digs, the puzzling question on how to create this pigment was finally solved by Michel Garcia, who created a recipe that could be made in the studio.

Maya Blue ~ made with organic Indigo, is a turquoise blue pigment that can be used for printing and painting on paper or fabric. It is not suitable for dyeing. Mayan Blue pigment is extremely light and age resistant and therefore suitable for paintings and wall hangings.

Mixed with a binder it can be applied to fabrics, canvas or strong paper.

How to?

First make your own Soya Milk

(much richer in enzymes than store bought)

25g dry soya beans

500ml water + extra to soak the beans overnight

• Soak the beans overnight.
• Strain and rinse well.
• Add the beans to a blender and blend with 500ml of cold water for about 5-7min. Strain and squeeze out through a muslin cloth. 

Fresh Soya milk will only last 2-3days in the fridge.

Application

• Brush your canvas with soya milk - Let dry flat or on the line, you don't want any cracks. Make sure you apply the pigment within a week while the enzyme are still fresh.
• Combine the pigment with a little soya milk: 1part pigment 3 parts soya milk
• Add stones or marbles to the jar and stir vigorously, crushing the pigment into smaller pieces and hydrating it evenly throughout.
• Remove marbles.
• You can add guar gum to thicken it, but it is optional.
• Apply the lovely pigment with a brush, stencil, roller or however you want to work it.

Allow the pigment to dry for 1-2weeks. Now rinse gently to remove any excess Pigment and soya milk. This is a surface application and vigorous washing may remove more pigment than desired. 

Have fun!