Marbling: Applications & Techniques
Marbling is a single print process, done by manipulating paint that is floated on the surface of a thickened water solution. The floating paint is then transferred from the water onto paper, fabric or any other porous surface.
MATERIALS NEEDED
1. Liquitex® Soft Body Concentrated Artist Colors: They are recommended for marbling, as they are fluid and easily mix with water. All colors can be intermixed.
The following colors have been found to work consistently: Burnt Sienna, Brilliant Yellow, Permanent Alizarine Crimson Hue, Phthalo Green, Ultramarine Blue, Titanium White, Dioxazine Purple, Prism Violet, Phthalo Blue, Cerulean Blue Hue, Turquoise Green, Bright Aqua Green, Permanent Green Deep, Chromium Oxide Green, Bright Yellow Green, Yellow Medium, Azo, Yellow Orange, Azo, Yellow Light Hansa, Yellow Oxide; Deep Magenta and Red Oxide. Other Liquitex Acrylic Colors in tubes or jars work with varying degrees of success.
2. Size: A suspension mixture, which the paint floats on. Traditionally tragacanth or carrageenan, are added to water to thicken it. Blue Liquid starch or powdered laundry starch can also be used. Not all brands of liquid starch work.
3. Mordant: Prepares the surface of paper or fabric for quick adhesion of the paint.
4. Paper or Fabric: Paper, fabric and leather are absorbent without sizing. Natural fibers and synthetics can be used. Wash to remove size. Remove wax + oils from leather with acetone.
EQUIPMENT NEEDED
1. Containers and stirrers for paint.
2. Stylus, pin, needle or pointed tool.
3. Combs with long prongs. Purchase or make by pushing T pins into a 1'' wide strip of corrugated cardboard and taping over their tops. The teeth should be evenly spaced and long enough to pierce the surface of the paint floating on the size.
4. Whisks for Spattering Paint: Secure a rubber band to one end of a bundle of broom bristles.
5. Eye Droppers or Brushes: One for each color used.
6. Pans: Cake pans, aluminum roasting pans or photographic trays that are 1-2'' deep.
7. Newspaper strips cut 2'' wide for skimming excess paint from the size after marbling.
8. Paper towels for cleanup.
9. Wastebaskets next to the marbling area.
PREPARING SIZE
Starch: Use Blue Liquid starch or powdered laundry starch mixed to heavy recipe on box. Success varies by brand.
Wallpaper PAste: Mix to heavy liquid consitency and test. Success varies by brand.
Carrageenan Moss: (carragheen) found in art stores and mail order. Add 2-3 oz. moss (approx. 1/3 cup) to 3 quarts distilled water. Mix moss with 1 pint water in blender. Add to rest of 3 quarts and stir. Let stand 15-30 minutes. Pour into pan and leave for 30 minutes. If colors sink into size, add a few drops of ox gall.
Irish Moss Tea: Available in health food stores. Two ways to prepare mixture: 1. Add 1 cup dried whole or 1 oz. ground moss to 2 quarts boiling water and cook 5 minutes. Stir constantly. Remove from heat and add 2 cups of cold water. Cover and set aside over night. Size must be room temperature for use. 2. Fill large pan (spaghetti cooker) with water and sprinkle moss on top until the surface is entirely covered. Bring to a boil and let cool overnight.
Gum Tragacanth: Available from art stores and mail order. Two ways to prepare mixture: 1. Mix one tablespoon gum tragacanth with one quart hot (not boiling) distilled water. A blender or mixer will speed up the mixing process. Let stand 24 hours. If air bubbles rise, wipe off with the edge of a strip of newspaper. Add another quart of water when ready to marble. 2. Fill an 8'' x 10'' x 2'' deep pan with hot water. Sprinkle gum powder on top so that a fine layer covers surface (1 tsp. to 1-2 pints of water). Mix until powder is dissolved, repeat twice more. NOTE: Gum tragacanth doesn't sour as Carrageenan does. Starch keeps for long periods.
PREPARING MORDANT
1. Mix two tablespoons alum (available in grocery stores) with one pint of hot, distilled or soft water.
2. Mark one side of the paper or fabric. Turn over and sponge the cooled alum solution on the other unmarked side. The paper should be kept damp but not wet, although the fabric can be dry before printing. Construction paper doesn't need this treatment but it is recommended for fabrics.
THIN PAINT
Mix Soft Body Concentrated Artist Colors with a small amount of distilled water and Airbrush Medium to the consistency of light cream. If paint is too thick it will sink; if too thin it will spread out quickly and become transparent. If colors spread too slowly or not at all, add a small amount of diluted Flow-Aid Flow Enhancer (1 part Flow-Aid to 20 parts distilled water).
MARBLING DIRECTIONS
1. Treat fabric with mordant solution and allow to dry. If needed, treat paper with mordant solution and keep damp. Do not allow treated paper to dry.
2. Fill pan with size, so it can be pierced with stylus or teeth of comb (1/2'' to 1'' deep).
3. Skim size with newspaper to reduce the surface tension and eliminate dust or air bubbles.
4. Spatter or drop several previously thinned colors onto the surface of the size. Thicken or thin colors as needed to float and maintain shape.
5. Manipulate colors with the stylus or combs to form patterns or pictures.
6. Gently lay the mordant-treated paper or fabric, treated side down, on top of solution. Let middle touch first. When ends start to curl up, lift off and let the excess size drip back into the pan. It will look like paint is dripping, but the pattern is in the paper or fabric. The run-off is excess starch.
7. Blot with tissues or rinse gently with water. Wait until sheet is dry to rinse if using unmordanted paper.
8. In warm area, drip dry marbled piece on clothesline or air dry, printed side up, on newspaper.
9. Clean the size by skimming with newspaper strips before adding new paint and printing another. Old paint will sink to the bottom of the pan.
10. The size can be re-used for about a week. Cover or refrigerate to keep. Size deteriorates faster in warm weather. Starch can last for months.
11. Marble in cool, low moisture environments for best results.
POSSIBLE PATTERNS
1. Marble-like: drop paint, then create lines with a stylus.
2. Bull's-eye: drop paint, one color on top of another consecutively. Some colors work, others don't. Varying the order in which the colors are dropped may affect how they expand.
3. Hearts: drop color to form bullseyes, then draw the stylus down the middle of the drop.
4. Flowers: drop color and draw stylus towards the middle of the drop.
5. Stars: drop color and draw stylus out from the middle of the drop.
6. Splatters: load a paintbrush, toothbrush or whisk with paint and tap on edge of pan.
7. Flames: splatter colors and comb from one side to other several times in same direction.
8. Arches or Scallops: splatter colors then comb from one side to other and top to bottom.
9. Feathers: splatter colors and comb in one direction. Use a stylus to trace a line from top to bottom and back throughout the pan. Paint can also be splattered or dropped and swirled with a stylus. Many variations are possible. Size should always be still. Abrupt movements disturb the patterns and form bubbles in the size.
