From:
Suminagashi Paper
A technique that originated in Japan more than 800 years ago, suminagashi is the process of marbling plain paper to transform it into something vibrant and colorful. According to author Diane Maurer-Mathison, of Spring Mills, Pennsylvania, this art form isn't as complicated as it might seem. In fact, all it requires are a few basic steps and the right equipment.
Tools and Materials
Marbling tray, plastic kitty-litter pan, or photo tray
Newspaper
Small paintbrushes
Surfactant solution, such as Photo-Flo (see sources)
Boku Undo marbling dye (see sources)
Watercolor mixing tray
Absorbent paper, such as rice, block-printing, or charcoal papers
Suminagashi Paper How-To
1. Prepare the dyes you've chosen by mixing 1 teaspoon of the dye, 1 drop of surfactant solution, and 1 teaspoon of water in the watercolor mixing tray. In one of the tray's wells, mix 1 teaspoon of water and 1 drop of surfactant solution. Mix each one, using a different brush for each color and for the water and surfactant solution.
2. Fill the marbling tray with 2 inches of water. Skim the surface with a strip of newspaper to remove any dust. Using the brush with which one color was mixed, allow the brush to soak up dye, and touch the brush to the surface of the water. Next, touch the brush with surfactant solution in the middle of the color you've just applied to the water-filled tray. Keep alternating between colors and surfactant solutions until you've formed a number of concentric rings of color. Remember that the more rings you create, the more visually appealing your suminagashi paper will be.
3. To pattern the colors, you can swirl them using a single strand of hair or a cat whisker, or simply blow gently on them. Slowly lay a sheet of absorbent paper onto the surface of the water, lift off the paper, and lay it out to dry. Skim any excess color off the top of the water using the newspaper.
Resources
Special thanks to Diane Maurer-Mathison. We used Boku Undo marbling dyes, Suminagashi paper, brushes, marbling supplies and books, Photo-Flo surfactant solution, and Hand Marbled Papers.
Recommended Reading
Diane Maurer-Mathison:
"The Handcrafted Letter" (Storey, 2001)
"Art of the Scrapbook" (Watson-Guptill, 2000)
"The Ultimate Marbling Handbook" (Watson-Guptill, 2000)
"Making Fold and Dye Paper"
"Suminagashi Marbling"
"Making Paste Paper"