Anthotypes - anyone experimented with Colora Henna Powder?

[mabman]

I've become interested in trying my hand at anthotypes. I am hoping to try something that dyes/stains the paper with a deeper brown, blue, or black(ish) colour. I've tried making and using methanol extracts of strong tea, coffee, and tobacco with little success - the paper doesn't dye/stain dark enough for my liking with any of those, even with several coats. A red wine reduction is somewhat better, but yields a purplish colour that I don't find overly appealing.

On a whim I picked up a couple of packages of Colora Henna Powder at a local health food store. It is natural hair colouring containing henna, indigo, centaurea, rhubarb and/or beetroot (depending on the shade).

I've tried a couple of coats of their "Ash Brown" shade on paper - it sort of works, but the shade of brown on paper isn't as deep brown as I'd like. I've also tried their "Black" shade, which is in fact pure indigo (or pretty close to it - it's a very dark blue paste when it oxidizes). A couple of coats of the indigo is more what I'm looking for, but still isn't as deep or dark as I'd like.

I'm currently trying applications of mixes of the Ash Brown and Black shades (ex, 2 coats Black and 1 coat Ash Brown, and 2 coats Ash Brown and 1 coat Black).

Anyone else played with the Colora on paper?

 

[Mustafa Umut Sarac]

Contacting with henna one time makes you to develop one type of allergy. People makes removing tattoos with henna and be feel bad entire life because they have a type of cronic allegy. Dont use it.

 

[mesantacruz]

i think the above poster is referring to ppd, mentioned here

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17163917

and at first i thought he meant making contact prints with it, but i now think he means making skin contact with the henna gives lifelong allergies (as mentioned in the link above). And from what i understand he means the 'black henna' which you should look up, and see the nasty reactions people have.

Anyway, interesting question, thought i could learn something from it, and possibly suggest getting some coal and mixing that in with the indigo? would that work?... or would it just smudge? keep trying and hope you find something that works.