Japanese paper workshop

This was a workshop held at An Astute Assembly in Auckland.

This morning consisted of washi paper-making, marbling and Japanese writing.

Washi paper-making

Washi paper-making is a Japanese paper-making process in which you take the fibres of the mulberry bush and the starch from hibiscus. Traditional paper making was a laborious task, which made paper a luxury item.

A mixture is made with pulp, water and starch. You then scoop a small amount into a rectangular tray that allows the water to drain through bamboo slats.

You repeat this process 2 or 3 times, building up the thickness of the paper each time. When you are happy with the thickness, you remove the pulp from the slats and lay it flat add remove any excess water.

To make it really smooth, you can press it against glass and brush the surface or gently rub it with a finger.

This process can be made using local resources such as flax fibre and taro starch. I think that using local resources, could make is relevant to my learners.

Marbling

To make a marbling bath, all you need is water and then you can add Indian ink and washing up liquid to create the surface pattern. The washing up liquid breaks up the surface pattern by repelling the ink.

The tutor explained that in the east, you blow the surface to distort the pattern, where as in the west, you use sticks to draw through the water.

You need to ensure that you handle the paper carefully, as it becomes fragile from being wet.

Japanese writing

For this process you use Indian ink and a soft tapered brush. Before you apply the ink, you must make sure that you stir it on a ceramic slab, pressing the mixture.

The symbols are far more detailed than the Latin letters, and judging by the application of the brush, you don't move from left to right as we do when writing.

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