how-to of the day: making silk paper, part two

So how’s the silk paper looking? The last post ended with letting the paper dry overnight – it’s time to check it and see if it’s dry enough to peel off the screen. If it’s dry enough, the edges will feel firm and “crispy”. Unfortunately, my paper is still mushy, so I’m going to leave it on the screen for another day. If the paper is too soft when you try and take it off the screen, it can deform, pull apart or do other nasty things!

Here’s how the paint looks after sitting overnight:

You can see how much the colors have softened and blended together.

For this particular piece, I want to draw on some stronger lines, so I’m using a small plastic squeeze bottle with a fine-tipped nozzle on it. I want a very strong color, with a runny consistency. I’m using a 50/50 combination of Golden GAC 900 fabric medium (the same medium we used on the paper) and Golden fluid acrylic paint in carbon black. This combination of paint and medium will give me a finished texture of slightly thickened ink – perfect for doing this:

I’m painting the lines on when the silk paper is still damp, so there will be a slight amount of bleeding from the black paint. If you want to end up with a hard line, wait until the paper is completely dry.

Let the paint dry thoroughly… and I’ll see you next time

all images: C Findlay-Harder