BLUE

BLUE

Blue is known as the most popular color. Therefore, it is a color with predominantly positive associations, unless with food, where blue is rare and is therefore perceived as unnatural. Natural sources, which can produce blue color schemes are for example:

Cornflower, Dogwood Bark, Dogwood Fruit, Hyacinth Flower, Indigo, Japanese Indigo, Oregon Grape, Saffron Crocus Petal, Purple Iris, Woad ...

Blue is associated by many people with harmony and trust, as well as sympathy and friendship. In the English language, there is the expression ‘true blue’, which stands for unconditional loyalty. Besides, a lot of people experience blue as a spatial color. that is perhaps a result of association with the blue sky or the sea. Blue is experienced as a cold color, since we associate blue with shadow, ice, snow and water.

Nowadays, blue is often used in clothing. Hundreds of years ago, textile was stained blue with indigo, a plant that releases a light blue dye. Today, there are many more natural resources, which produce blue color palettes.

Different shades of blue, which can be intensified by extending the soaking time, can be created with the help of spirulina.

STEP1 Take around one tablespoon of very fine spirulina powder. The finer the powder, the easier it is to create an even finish. Mix the spirulina with around one tablespoon of warm water. The more spirulina powder and the less water is used, the stronger will the color be.

STEP2 Mix your spirulina mixture into the tanning lotion or into the animal fat, which is applied onto the skin before drying.

The dye can be applied in two different ways onto the fish skin.

The spirulina mixture can either be mixed into the “Emulsified Oils” tanning mixture or after the tanning process into the animal fat, which is used to maintain the leather’s softness.

A) SOAKING TECHNIQUE Mix the spirulina mixture into the tanning lotion, which contains one egg yolk and two tablespoons of oil. Make sure the spirulina mixture is well mixed with the tanning lotion for an even finish. Lay the clean fish skin evenly into the mixture and let it soak. Afterwards, wash out the fish skin and let it dry.

Color Intensity 5 Minutes : Low 3 Hours : Medium 24 Hours : High

B) MASSAGING TECHNIQUE Mix the spirulina mixture into the animal fat, which will be massaged into the fish skin after the tanning process. Massage until almost dry. The more spirulina is used, the more intense is the dye outcome.

INGREDIENTS

This natural color recipe is suitable to dye one piece of fish skin (10x15 cm).

1 TBSP fine spirulina powder

1 TBSP warm water

A) 1 egg yolk + 2 TBSP sunflower oil