4

Painting Black Outlines (Iron-Jaggery Dye)

Materials Used: Rusted iron scraps, Jaggery (unrefined sugar), Bamboo pen (Kalam)

• Iron scraps are fermented with jaggery in water to form iron acetate—a natural black dye.

• The artisan uses a bamboo pen (kalam) to apply this dye onto charcoal outlines.
  

  The fermented mixture naturally creates iron acetate, reacting chemically with the tannins from the previous myrobalan step, yielding a strong, permanent black without toxic additives.

5

Red Dyeing with Alum and Plant Roots

Materials Used: Alum (Potash Alum), Natural roots (Chay root, Madder)

• Alum solution is carefully painted onto areas intended to turn red.

• The fabric is then immersed in a boiling dye bath made from roots like chay (Oldenlandia umbellata) or madder.
  
  Alum acts as a mordant, chemically binding natural dye molecules to the cloth fibers, producing a vibrant, durable red. Chay and Madder roots contain natural anthraquinones, organic compounds renowned for their bright, lasting reds.

6

Applying Natural Yellow Color

Materials Used: Myrobalan flowers or Turmeric paste

• Areas needing yellow are painted with a solution made from myrobalan flowers or turmeric paste, followed by rinsing and drying.
  
  Both turmeric and myrobalan flowers naturally contain vibrant yellow pigments (curcuminoids in turmeric), known for their safe, edible quality and anti-fungal properties.

7

Indigo Dyeing for Blue

Materials Used: Natural Indigo leaves (fermented dye vat)

• The fabric is dipped into an indigo vat (fermented indigo leaves) to achieve blue coloration.

• The fabric, initially greenish, turns deep blue as indigo oxidizes in the air.
  
  Indigo naturally exists in leaves as indican. Fermentation converts it into indigotin, the blue pigment that permanently dyes fabric without harmful chemicals.

PC : Malini Divakala

PC : Malini Divakala

8

Combining Dyes for Green, Brown, and Mixed Shades

Materials Used: Combination of Indigo, Myrobalan, and Madder

• To achieve green, yellow-dyed fabric is re-dipped in the indigo vat.

• Additional hues like brown are achieved through layering colors or varying fermentation periods.
  
  Layering natural dyes utilizes fewer resources and expands color possibilities naturally, eliminating the need for additional synthetic or chemical dyes.

9

Final Washing with Soapnuts (Reetha)

Materials Used: Soapnuts (Reetha), Fresh water

• The final artwork undergoes thorough rinsing in freshwater mixed with crushed soapnuts.

• The fabric is dried under sunlight one last time, setting all natural colors firmly.

  Soapnuts contain saponins, natural soaps that gently cleanse without harsh chemicals, effectively removing excess dye and enhancing the fabric’s natural sheen and softness.

PC : Malini Divakala

Kalamkari Artistry

Discover the eco-friendly, multi-step process of creating beautiful Kalamkari art clothes with natural materials.