discharge

chromophore is the part of a molecule responsible for its color. Discharging is the process of removing natural dye by destroying or altering the dye chromophores. This can happen by differences in Ph and other reactions with tannins, acids and pigments in the leaves

You will see that using this technique, a lot of leaves come into play that you would not usually use for botanical printing. There are lovely weeds out there that can be a lovely candidate, so do not forget to enter a ‘secret’ leaf in your projects to test these.

Step 3: Choose your leaves

Leaves can either discharge, or dye, or they can do both.

Leaves that have their own coloring pigments are marked with an Asterix.

Alder

Anemone tomentosa 

Berberis

*Birch
*Blackberry (Rubus Rosaceae)
Hedge bindweed (Calystegia sepium)

Camomille
*Catalpa
*Chinese tallow (Triadica sebifera)

Columbine (Aquilegia)
*Cotinus (young Fustic)
*Eucalyptus (different species have different colours)
Cushion Spurge (Euphorbia polychroma )

Fennel flower 

Fireweed (Chamaenerion angustifolium)

Fig leaves

Fish mint (Houttuynia cordata)

*Geranium (different flowering types give different prints)

Lemon Geranium
Gingko Biloba
Grape vine

Hibiscus
Hopvine

Lavender

*Liquid amber
Maple seeds 

Milkweed (Asclepias)
Mulberry
*Oak leaves
Oxalis (wood sorrel)

*Pecan (Carya illinoinensis)Peony (Paeoniaceae)Pink Peppercorn (Schinus Molle)Pink dogwood flowers (Cornus florid

Raspberry (Rubus Idaeobatus)
*Rose (Use leaves upside facing down!)

Snowberry

Sorrel 

South-western Catchfly (Silene muscipula) 
St johns worth flowers 

*Sumac (look out for stag horn sumac)
Tansy 

Tomato
*Tree of heaven (ailanthus)

*Virginia creeper 

*Walnut – Juglans Nigra and Juglans Regia
Wild carrot flowers (Queen Ann’s Lace)

c

Step 4: Decide on your blanket

The easiest thing to do is take blank Terry fabric (re-used after washing is FINE) and wet and wring so it is only ever so moist to the touch. 

This helps to:

A) keep the leaves in check

B) roll the sandwich with more contra to use on (this creating a tighter roll)

C) keeps moisture levels in check.

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You can make an iron blanket with 1% WOF ferrous sulfate. Make the solution, soak your pre-wetted blanket materials in the solution, rinse and wring.

This will create more depth of print

Place your moist (iron) blanket on the leaves and smooth the whole thing out

Add a barrier.

Please note; when you have a thick blanket you could very well manage without the extra barrier. It is a balance between making sure things do not seep through, and avoiding bulkin