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Author: Shari, Contributing Editor
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| Alum allows the paint to bond with the fibers of the paper. This is the mordant. If you don't apply alum to the paper, most of the color will wash away. Do not use grocery store or pharmacy alum as it usually has potassium or ammonia in it. You must use pure aluminum sulphate. I get my alum crystals from Pro Chemical and Dye Company. You can also obtain them from Marble Art.
There are two methods for aluming the paper. Method 1: Dissolve 1 tbsp of alum in 1 cup warm water. I mark the back side of my paper with an "X". Lay the paper on masonite or gator board and dip the sponge into the alum and dampen the whole paper with an up-down, back-and-forth motion. Method 2: This takes a lot more alum than method #1 but I prefer this method. I dissolve about 4 tbsp alum in one quart of warm water and fill my butcher tray with the solution. You may need more or less depending on the size of your tray. I then lay the paper, right side down, into the water and soak it for about 1-2 minutes. I gently pull it out of the bath by the top corners and hang it to dry on a line with clothespins. For both methods, when the paper is dry, it must be laid down flat with a heavy book or weights on top of it. The paper must be very flat to marble properly. Alum-treated papers which are exposed to the air for more than a few days start to lose their alum and need to be re-done, so I put them in a plastic bag if I am not using the papers right away. |
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| Carageenan is referred to as the "size". It is an extract of seaweed called Irish Moss. It is a type of gelatin and is used in making ice cream and yogurt.
Put 2 tbsp of carageenan into a blender and fill with DISTILLED WATER. Do not use city water. Blend on high speed for one minute. The mixture will thicken. Pour this into an empty one gallon container and fill to almost the top with distilled water. I leave a little room at the top to shake the bottle. This needs to sit for at least 8 hours so the bubbles pop and the foam goes down. It will last up to ten days in the refrigerator. I usually make it the night before a marbling session and let it sit out until morning. |
| I mostly use paints from Pro Chemical and Dye that are especially made for marbling. I also use some colors from Marble Art. Marble Art has a wonderful Ochre that I can't find anywhere else. Galen Berry of Marble Art also has iridescent colors. Galen is very friendly and you can call him up and chat with him. He is happy to pass on tips and help beginners out. He has a little booklet too. He carries extensive supplies at a reasonable price, and of course, he has the Texoprint paper. As far as I know, he is the only place to get that paper. His phone number is 405-959-1239.
I pour a little bit of each color I am using into styrofoam bowls (I re-use these over and over again). I lay a whisk near each bowl and if the colors look similar, I put the bottle next to that bowl so I know which color I am using. Some blues look alike until they hit the sizing. Part of the fun is mixing your own colors. I use separate bowls to mix new colors such as green and yellow to make lime green. The paint can be applied with an eyedropper for bigger "stones" or my personal choice, the whisk made from corn broom (explained earlier). |
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