How to Paint on Japanese Paper

I'm a paper addict. I love the stuff. I've never held a paper that didn't immediately ask me to bring it home. Japanese papers hold a special place in my heart for its paradox of light as a feather, strong as an ox. Sumi-e paper, aka "rice" paper, is a long fiber very thin paper that is used in Japanese calligraphy and painting. It's fragile when wet but very durable when dry. I use it as a spine reinforcement in bookbinding. 

If you read/watched theblogpost on Etegami cards (Part 1 and Part 2), the techniques used are the same as techniques I used in today's video. 

The amount of paint to water determines the value in watercolor. More paint, deeper value. More water: lighter value. When you use a lot of water on Sumi-e paper, the color spreads mercilessly. There is no controlling it. It's a tidal wave.

 

In today's video, you'll see a bit more about working with this magical paper while I paint patterns to be used in a card project. I matched the paint colors to a few ink pad colors to tie everything in together when I made the cards. 

As usual, 

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Comments

[Sharon Field]

You do so many things I have never seen or even heard of, and you make it all look so easy. I do not have some of the supplies you used and I will not be able to try this method until I can come up with some money in my very limited budget, but I love hearing about different things one can do. Thank you so much from this novice!

[Diana Trout]

Thanks for reading and your comment, Sharon. You could use crayola paints and a piece of paper! It doesn’t matter at all what the supplies are. I hope you’ll try the idea of making your own painted patterns. I will try in the future to point that out. I appreciate your feedback.