INSIDE INDIGO

Inside indigo

A handbook for dyers..
49€
early bird preorder at discounted price

A closer look at indigo, down to the molecular level.

Learn how to extract indigo pigment or build a vat in light of the inner workings of the molecule.

Follow step-by-step instructions with a running “science behind” column as your guide. Revisit your experience or discover new techniques. For advanced dyers and beginners alike, with concise, easy-to-understand explanations.

Use this illustrated handbook as a compass to help you navigate observational cues with confidence, whether to successfully extract indigo pigment or to recognize “what your vat is telling you.”

With more than 80 graphic plates, this is an ideal tool for visual learners who find it helpful to keep a reference open on their studio counter. Key concepts are available at a glance, enhancing the workflow.

And for those keen to dive deeper into the chemistry of indigo and its relationship to fiber, these detailed drawings and diagrams present a one-of-a-kind exploration of how things work at a molecular level.

A book by Julia Tabakhova in collaboration with Skye Macalester
Indican and water molecule being hydrolysed.

..a blueprint for your indigo journey

A unique visualization of indigo in its every configuration, this book is the first to integrate the molecule’s practical application with a detailed examination of its chemical interactions.
Image: hydrolysis of indican

Summary :

PART I : from leaf to pigment

PART II : from pigment to cloth

PART III : through the lens

Glossary :

INDIGO IN A NUTSHELL : visual board of the main chemical concepts

Highlights :

SOY MILK : an adhesive
INSIDE INDIRUBIN : recipe for pink soap
REDOX REACTIONS : decoded

Recipes :

Tataki-Zome
Fresh leaf and salt dye bath
Stock solution and Iron vat
Heated extraction and direct vat
Soy milk preparation

Inside you’ll find :

  • Reaction scheme play-by-play
  • Aqueous extraction guidelines
  • Everything about leucoindigo(s)
  • The science behind the vats
  • Stock solution and troubleshooting
  • Silk, wool, and cellulose : affinities

Bonus :

Learn & play with an indigo board game for all ages
one player / multiplayer

A complete overview of the mechanisms of the indigotin molecule.

As plant-based indigo enjoys a resurgence of interest in Western culture, Julia Tabakhova and Skye Macalester embark on a mission to cast light upon the complexities of the beloved blue pigment. Documenting indigoid species in their every form and interaction during both the extraction and dyeing processes, Tabakhova’s illustrations marry candid esthetic with technical detail. As the first of its kind to feature in-depth contextual images, this handbook is a perfect synthesis of art and science.

INSIDE INDIGO, a handbook for dyers..
a book by Julia Tabakhova
in collaboration with Skye Macalester
Softcover : 12"x12" (30x30 cm)
ISBN :  9782491418120
Edition : English
Publisher : Éditions TERRACOL
Pages : Over 80 illustrated plates
Level : Beginner and Expert

INSIDE INDIGO will be available in French in October.

À propos ..


Julia Tabakhova is a Normandy based artisan with a love for illustrations. She graduated in art and cultural mediation and worked as an art educator for numerous museums and institutions. Along the way she crafted didactical booklets to combine knowledge with playfulness. Over the past decade she has delved into the indigo world and parallel to her dyers’s practice she has been journaling her experiments into drawings now found in this book.

Skye Macalester is a marbling and pigment artist based in Portland, Oregon, where she grows a variety of indigo-bearing plants. Her background is in both science and art. An exploration of natural color and historical pigments from botanical sources led her to indigo, with its unique hue and curious chemistry. The experience of coaxing this blue from her own plants has sent her down countless rabbit holes in search of answers.