Eco-Friendly Primary Pigments from Indigenous Plants: Transforming Roselle, Turmeric, and Telang Flowers into Artist-Grade Colours
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37134/kupasseni.vol14.sp.6.2026Keywords:
Natural dyes, Plant-based pigments, Roselle, Turmeric, Telang flowerAbstract
Although natural dyes have been extensively researched for use in food and textile industries, their use in producing stable, mixable, and artist-grade primary colors for fine painting has not received as much attention. This study offers a new method for creating natural pigments made from telang flowers (Clitoria ternatea), turmeric (Curcuma longa), and roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa), which naturally give red, yellow, and blue hues, respectively. Investigating the extraction method, analyzing color results, and evaluating these plant-based pigments' potential as sustainable substitutes for artistic applications are the goals of this study. Plant components were extracted using both water and methanol solvents and examined on drawing paper using a descriptive qualitative approach. In order to create stable, ready-to-use paints, the dried plant powders were mixed with Arabic gum, kaolin, rice flour, preservatives, and water in the second stage. The results showed that while the prepared pigment combinations produced saddle brown (roselle), yellow (turmeric), and green (telang), direct extracts produced magenta (roselle), yellow (turmeric), and sky blue (telang). The resultant colorants showed good surface adhesion and durability on paper, indicating that they might be used in creative mediums. The promise of native plants as sustainable, non-toxic, and renewable pigment supplies is highlighted by this study. The results open up new avenues for artists and scholars to investigate environmentally friendly alternatives in color creation and add to the expanding corpus of study on sustainable art materials.
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