Soy Milk Binder

I'm experimenting with using soy milk as a binder for pigments on unprimed canvas. This is a Japanese technique usually used on silk, and popularized in the United States by John Marshall. I'm using it as a way to apply dry pigments to cotton canvas. The only other way to get color on unprimed canvas without using a synthetic binder is dye, and the colors from natural dyes generally aren't as bright as I'd like them to be. The colors of natural pigments are subtle and earth-toned, too, but there's a bit more oomph than with the dyes.

This is Caput Mortuum, a purple-red iron oxide pigment, first applied more or less evenly, and then applied unevenly:






Pigments in soy milk binder can also be used for stamping:



Once the soy milk cures, the pigment is permanent on the canvas, and will not rub off or wash off.

I plan to use these fabrics as background for my mold pieces, and my goal is to use all natural materials and processes. Here's the evenly painted canvas behind the cantaloupe mold piece:



If you're interested in the use of soy milk as a binder, I highly recommend John's book, Salvation Through Soy.

And if you want to know more about natural pigments, visit the Sinopia website. Sinopia is a store in San Francisco that sells natural pigments, and offers workshops and instruction in their use.