Studio Practices: Paper Making - 1
Lately I have been thinking a lot about the different studio practices of an artist. The modern system seems to dictate that an artist should be focused on churning out work that revolves around their primary line of creation: if your’e a painter you paint, if you’re a sculptor you sculpt.
Personally, I find myself drawn to exploring various other creative pursuits in the midst of my primary work- and that has proven to be the most effective in keeping me creatively refreshed. It keeps my mind busy and gives my hands some new unfamiliar sensations to work with.
A lot of artists through history experimented in various mediums on the side. Picasso experimented with junk sculptures, painting, lithography, bronze casting, plaster casting, ceramics and wire sculptures to name a few. Salvador Dali experimented with photography, sculpture, furniture etc.
Most artists are restless, both physically and mentally. I have found that Introducing medium-experimentation into my studio practice is possibly the most effective way to be productive, while taking a break from my primary medium.
This week I have been experimenting with paper-making - a craft I have been drawn to for years. A few years ago, I had attempted making paper on my own and even though the results were not the best, the process left me curious to know more.
During my residency in Japan, we were lucky to be taken to the Ozu Washi store in Tokyo, a premier maker and retailer of washi paper worldwide. We were shown a film on how washi paper is made using kozo fibers and how the plant is harvested. This was followed by a mini-workshop where we made some paper and during that brief demo I picked up a few tricks that helped me improve my paper-making.
Our instructor showing us the correct position to hold the frame
The paper I made at the demo. Once the pulp was laid on the frame I used a hose to sprinkle water on the surface to create the dotted pattern.
The paper’s thinness and transparency seen against a light.
I wanted to use this week to experiment with making paper. I am currently working on a picture book with my husband, and the work had started overwhelming me. The idea of paper-making seemed to be a refreshing change and my aim was to try and make paper to use for painting and printmaking. At the residency we were taught a bonus technique of sizing paper.
‘Sizing’ is the process of preparing the surface of the paper to take on paint/ink. If paper is unsized then the ink and pigments will blot ( like tissue/toilet paper). Sizing prevents the pigments from going all the way through and spreading out.
My plan for the week was to make paper, size it and test it for printmaking and painting.
Below, I am going to briefly explain how I went about doing this, in the hope that it would be useful to anyone who would also like to attempt paper making.
I will start with making paper pulp, talking about how to make a frame/deckle and then the actual paper making process.
Part 1: MAKING PULP
Now all paper is made from pulp. Where does one source this pulp? Well, any scraps you have at home will do. Maybe old envelopes, old printer paper discards, unwanted sketches etc.
Few things to keep in mind:
- Paper thats gone through a printer will result in grey pulp - this includes documents, newspaper etc.
- Most courier packaging will end up giving you brown pulp
Practicing with whatever paper is on hand is the best way to begin. There is a lot of trial and error with paper making.
(Note: Please don’t use coated paper with glossy finishes/laminate or plastic coatings. As close to natural is best)
I had a small watercolour sketchbook with paper texture that I didn’t like so decided to recycle it. There were maybe 4-5 sheets of A5 papers.
What you need to make pulp (please read and prepare materials before starting)
- Scrap paper
- Kitchen mixie (the juicer fitting works best)
- 2-3 large vessels
- A cotton cloth
- Something like a plate with holes/sieve
1. Tear up paper scraps into small pieces
2. Soak scraps in a basin of water. All the paper should be submerged. Leave overnight
3. After soaking, grab small amounts and blitz in a blender with water
4. Make sure there is sufficient water added, otherwise the blades won’t move
5. As the paper disintegrates it absorbs more water, so keep adding water until the paper becomes a chunky pulp
6. This is stage 1 of blending. The point of this initial round of blending is to make sure all the paper is pulped and there are no large pieces
7. The paper pulp should come apart and no large pieces should remain
8. Repeat the blending process, this time with small amounts of pulp and more water. The more time spent blitzing the finer the pulp will become. The finer the pulp, the finer the paper
9. You can use a metal sieve to press out water from a fist-full of pulp
10. Then squeeze out the last bits of water by hand
11. Or you can wrap a fist full of pulp in a smooth cloth and wring out the water. Smooth fabric works best, textured fabric holds a lot of the pulp which gets hard to clean later
12. I form the paper into bundles, which I then spray with a mixture of water and tea tree oil to prevent mold
13. They can be used immediately to make paper or sun dried and stored away for a later day
14. I usually make pulp and keep in batches according to the paper type and here is an example of a bunch that didn’t dry properly and ended up with mold. Sun drying is the best way to avoid this. Once dry don’t put in a jar or any enclosed container for a week at least. Let it dry inside out .