Marbling Paper Man

Alum is a mordant meaning it causes color to set on the paper.

Marbling paper man. Lay flat to dry. If it s too thick the paper will push away the pigment when you gently lay your sheet onto the pigmented water. All you need is some vegetable oil some liquid food coloring a shallow tray or dish and some decently heavy paper. Do not touch the paper until it is dry typically within 2 hours depending on humidity levels decide whether to keep or discard your solution it can be used several times.

Let the mixture cool and spray a thin layer onto your cotton paper. Gel food coloring we used wilton brand colors if you are planning on using your food coloring for food after this art activity put a small amount of the food coloring in small containers to use that way hair gel won t be in your food in the future. Fill a spray bottle with warm water. Jar melo marbling painting kit non toxic painting on water.

We also used some little condiment cups with lids to mix our oil and food coloring but you could use any container with a lid. To change paint colors lay strips of newsprint across the solution s surface then remove. Without it the marbling will be faint and blurry. Repeat with clean strips until the solution is clear.

How to make marbled paper. I ve always wanted to try paper marbling and knew there must be some science involved. Set aside on top of your parchment paper or newspaper to dry. The best paper for marbleizing is thick enough to be absorbent while standing up to the water bath but not so thick that it s inflexible.

Author einen miura states that the oldest reference to suminagashi papers are in the waka poems of shigeharu 825 880 ce a son of the famed heian era poet. So we gave it a go and the results were stunning. Make sure to mark the side that you sprayed because it can be hard to tell once it s dried. Mix alum and warm water optional.

Remove and pat dry with a paper towel. First prep your paper. Add 2 tablespoons of alum and mix well.