How Nettle & Mugwort Become Ink | Witchcraft, Folklore, Foraging & Printmaking

Weeds, witchcraft and folklore combine as nettles and mugwort are brewed into natural printing ink. Subscribe for more How Was It Made films 👉 @vamuseum Join London-based artist Gal Leshem as she forages for these remarkable plants and transforms them into handmade ink, before creating a striking woodblock print inspired by historic midwifery, apothecary drug jars and medicine bottles. Discover the herbal knowledge and medicinal history surrounding these plants, alongside the combination of modern and traditional printmaking techniques used to bring the final artwork to life. 🎧 Pop on your headphones to experience the unintentional ASMR of Leshem's process. _ 00:00 Magic, witchcraft & plant lore 00:55 Foraging for nettles & mugwort 01:50 Properties of nettles 02:37 How to forage responsibly 03:23 Are nettle stings good for you? 05:32 Properties of mugwort: lucid dreaming 06:16 Turning plants into ink 08:05 Magic, witchcraft & herbal feminine knowledge 09:29 Creating different ink colours 11:07 Testing the plant pigments 11:27 Filtering and adding iron sulphate 12:53 How do you thicken ink? Gum tragacanth 14:06 Designing the print 14:56 Against Classification at the V&A 15:18 Midwifery, apothecaries & medicine bottles 16:12 Digital Photoshop collage 16:54 Laser cutting the woodblock 18:23 Printing with handmade plant ink 21:04 The final reveal 21:38 Reclaiming the domestic Watch more How Was It Made films: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLe2ihXndm5js7ANCTaZ26aoc