Japanese Sumi Ink Marbling
2-3 hours
Ages 8+
What Will You Learn?
Some years ago, on a visit to Istanbul, I wandered into a little guesthouse tucked into a street just down the hill from Topkapi Palace. The owner, Hikmet, was a master marbling artist, and the place reflected his passion for the art form. Everything in sight was marbled in bright colors and myriad patterns: lampshades, draperies, picture frames, bedsteads, plus a stunning array of wearables. I’ve been in love with marbling ever since.
Shortly after my trip I had the opportunity to try my hand at oil marbling. I had great results, but the process required lots of materials, some of which I’m sure are toxic. And I knew it would take a lot of time to master control over the swirling pigments to achieve the beautiful patterns I saw in books.
Marbling has been around for centuries (especially in Asian countries), and there are a variety of techniques, both historical and contemporary, that you can try. But one of the easiest is using Japanese sumi ink and plain water to create beautiful black, gray, and white designs on a variety of papers. These can be used for card-making, bookbinding, scrapbooking, and other craft projects.
Set up your Marbling Tray
Step 1
Fill the plastic tray with 3–5 inches of water.
Step 2
Pour a small amount of the sumi ink on the surface of the water (some of it will sink to the bottom; that’s why you only need a small amount) and swirl it around with the comb or hair pick. Try to cover the surface of the water with ink. The more you move the comb through the water, the more detailed the pattern will be.
Created your Marbled Paper
Step 3
Hold the paper by the edges, and starting at one edge, roll a sheet of paper slowly along the surface of the water in the plastic tray. Carefully turn it right side up and set aside to dry. You can do the same with a second piece of paper, which will have a lighter gray design.
Use a paper size slightly larger than you would like your finished piece to be. This way you can trim the edges you hold, as they might not touch the surface of the water.
Step 4
After marbling 1 or 2 pages, add a little more ink to the water tray and repeat the process. If your designs become less marbled and more overall gray, dump the water and start again.
Step 5
After the paper is slightly dry, you might want to press it under some weights to keep it flat. If it still buckles, use a slightly warm iron when the paper is completely dry. The plastic tray and comb can be cleaned easily with soap and water.
Try Variations
Step 6
This first variation will allow you an interesting white or light gray space in which to put some writing or other design.
After you’ve poured some ink onto the water, dip the large brush in a cup of plain water and make some random marks on the paper.
Turn the paper upside down (water brush marks on the bottom), and roll it carefully along the surface of the water in the plastic tray. The sumi ink should not stick to the brush marks, leaving white spaces you can write in or embellish in some other way.
Step 7
This second variation will produce a brighter, more solid color(s). Rather than pouring the ink into the water, dip a fine-tipped paintbrush into the ink, then lightly poke the tip of the paintbrush onto the water’s surface.
Repeat this as many times, and with as many colors, as you wish. You may touch the water’s surface in the same spot over and over again, creating a bullseye effect, or in different spots, depending on the look you want.
Step 8
There are also variations with the actual marbling process. Although combing works fine, you can also try dragging a (plucked) strand of your hair across the water’s surface. Or simply blow across the water’s surface.
About the Magazine
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Materials:
- Plastic tray
- Water
- Sumi Ink
- Comb or hair pick
- Paper
- use paper slightly larger than what your finished product to be
- Large brush (optional)
- Paintbrush (optional)
Printable PDF: Japanese Sumi Ink Marbling PDF
Maker Camp Project Standards
Based on NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards)
National Core Arts Standards
The National Core Arts Standards are a process that guides educators in providing a unified quality arts education for students in Pre-K through high school. These standards provide goals for Dance, Media Arts, Music, Theatre, and Visual Arts with cross-cutting anchors in Creating, Performing, Responding, and Connecting through art. The Anchor Standards include:- Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.
- Organize and develop artistic ideas and work.
- Refine and complete artistic work.
- Select, analyze, and interpret artistic work for presentation.
- Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation.
- Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work.
- Perceive and analyze artistic work.
- Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work.
- Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work.
- Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art.
- Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural, and historical context to deepen understanding.
National Core Arts Standards
The National Core Arts Standards are a process that guides educators in providing a unified quality arts education for students in Pre-K through high school. Also see Standards with cross-cutting anchors in Creating, Performing, Responding, and Connecting through art for Visual Arts.NGSS MS.Engineering Design
The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are K–12 science content standards.- MS-ETS1-1. Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.
- MS-ETS1-2. Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
- MS-ETS1-3. Analyze data from tests to determine similarities and differences among several design solutions to identify the best characteristics of each that can be combined into a new solution to better meet the criteria for success.
- MS-ETS1-4. Develop a model to generate data for iterative testing and modification of a proposed object, tool, or process such that an optimal design can be achieved.
NGSS HS.Engineering Design
The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are K–12 science content standards.- HS-ETS1-1. Analyze a major global challenge to specify qualitative and quantitative criteria and constraints for solutions that account for societal needs and wants.
- HS-ETS1-2. Design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through engineering.
- HS-ETS1-3. Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics as well as possible social, cultural, and environmental impacts.
- HS-ETS1-4. Use a computer simulation to model the impact of proposed solutions to a complex real-world problem with numerous criteria and constraints on interactions within and between systems relevant to the problem.
NGSS 3-5.Engineering Design
The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are K–12 science content standards.- 3-5-ETS1-1. Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.
- 3-5-ETS1-2. Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
- 3-5-ETS1-3. Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.
