As an aspiring artist, I like to peruse the internet for cool art techniques. One day I stumbled upon a video about suminagashi and I was instantly intrigued. Suminagashi, or “floating ink,” is an ancient Japanese art technique that is believed to date back to at least the 12th century. A common method of suminagashi is to float different colors of ink on the surface of water, creating designs from concentric circles to marble-like patterns, and then lay an absorbent piece of paper on top of the design to capture it. Like any art technique, it can be modified and used with different supplies for experimentation. You can create your own suminagashi artwork by simply following the steps of this tutorial.
Supplies needed:
- Suminagashi inks (these can be found on Amazon for about $12.)
- Paintbrush
- Paper (different kinds of paper will yield different results. Usually cheap construction paper is more absorbent and will produce better results. Experiment!)
- Container for water (big enough to put paper in.)
- Paper towels
- Plastic plate or dish to hold inks
Caution: When using any inks, remember that they will stain clothing!
Step 1: Pour cold water into your container to a depth of about an inch. Squeeze out several drops of each color of ink you plan to use onto your plate.
Step 2: Dip your paintbrush into the ink and then gently touch the end of your brush to the surface of the water. You should notice an expanding circle of color spread out across the water.
Step 3: Continue adding different colors to create your own unique design.
Step 4: When you are finished, take a sheet of paper and slowly place it over the top of your design. Try not to allow any air bubbles between your paper and the surface of the water.
Step 5: Set out some paper towels, remove your paper from the water and place it on the paper towels to dry.
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1 comment
Excellent article! Very cool technique!