Walnut extract
NBr7
Alternate Names
Black Walnut Extract
Juglone
Black Walnut Dye
Pigment Description
Sometimes said to be the ink of the Old Masters, however there seems to be a difference between walnut ink and "iron gall ink" made from oaks instead of walnut. This is not our specialty so we'd refer you to art history specialists here. Walnut Ink is usually made from the Juglans nigra tree and used as an ink.
When discussing dyes, there are different standards for lightfastness than there are in terms of archival art supplies. In her book Natural Palettes, Sasha Duerr mention that Black Walnut Husks "create stable and lightfast and washfast dyes, from deep dark browns when used on their own to solid black when iron is added." As a dye is an interesting option, though she cautions about walnut allergies.
In terms of archival standards for artwork it's considered to have poor lightfastness.
Resources
NBr7 pigment data from David G. Myers, The Color of Art Pigment Database, Artiscreation.com
CAMEO Materials Database: Conservation & Art Materials Encyclopedia Online, Museum of Fine Arts Boston. (Accessed June 2025). Black Walnut Dye https://cameo.mfa.org/wiki/Black_walnut_dye. Museum of Fine Arts Boston.Duerr, Sasha. Natural Palettes: Inspiration from Plant-Based Color. Princeton Architectural Press, New York, 2020. Book Available here
Stats
Lightfastness
Conflicting reports
Compared to something like an iron oxide pigment we would say Poor. Compared with other botanical inks it may be better than many
Transparency
Transparent
Toxicity
Hazard
A compound found in black walnut husks is also “An herbicide toxic to many plants. Deadly to horses, fish, and other plant sources some other animals. Cancer tests produced skin cancer and 5-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone tumors in mice. More data needed to classify.” -From Monona Rossol’s work on pigments
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