How to Be a Color Wizard: Forage and Experiment with Natural Art Making

In a bountiful book combining art and chemistry, a celebrated ink maker invites kids to become color wizards—by foraging and transforming natural materials to make their own paint and artistic creations.

What colors might await in a leafy forest, a berry-stained back alley, a seaweedy beach, or even the dark corners of an ordinary fridge? With this book as a guide, curious young wizards can make natural confetti, unlock the hidden color power inside a leaf, and craft a paintbrush wand. They’ll brew magic potions from beets and acorn caps to produce their own colors, from the darkest black to the palest pink to invisible ink, then share their discoveries with friends, family, and the whole color-hungry human race. With whimsy and infectious enthusiasm, master ink maker Jason Logan explains the science of color while presenting “quests,” recipes, and hands-on activities using materials kids can find in their own homes and neighborhoods. Featuring both photographs and the author’s own gorgeous homemade-ink illustrations, How to Be a Color Wizard is an ideal blend of art and science—plus a little bit of magic.

Jason Logan is the founder of the Toronto Ink Company (maker of ink for Margaret Atwood, Yoko Ono, Michael Ondaatje, and Harley-Davidson). His art has been exhibited in New York City, Los Angeles, Toronto, and the Yukon, and his inkmaking revolution has been featured by the New York Times, Martha Stewart, the New Yorker, and NPR. His book for grown-up wizards, Make Ink: A Forager’s Guide to Natural Inkmaking, was included in the Guardian’s Best Books of 2018 roundup. The Colour of Ink, a film featuring his work, was a special selection at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2022. He can be found picking up rusty nails and scavenging for berries on the streets of Toronto, where he lives with his family and a giant dog known as Baby.