What is Fabric Marbling?

Discover the secrets to this traditional technique that combines painting and design

Fabric marbling is a process that involves floating paints on top of a thick solution. The paints are manipulated into patterns that are later transferred to an object. You can use this craft to dye fabrics and paper, while some people also use it to dye leather and ceramic pieces.

Origin: Japan

The technique goes back to 12th-century Japan. It’s a practice known as suminagashi, which means “floating paint.” It is still used today to dye paper.

Legend has it that suminagashi was discovered by accident when a member of the Imperial family dropped their sumi-e paints in water and observed how the paints floated on the surface. Intrigued, they submerged a sheet of paper into the solution and witnessed the image transfer.

New Variations: Turkey and Persia

In the 15th century, another type of marbling, Ebru, which means “cloud art” in Turkish, was born in Turkey and Persia (now Iran). This method used mucilage and water, creating a thicker solution than that used in suminagashi–much more like those used today–which allowed the artist to create drawings more fluidly and add detail.

An interesting fact: in Turkey, they would use marble paper to avoid documents being falsified (it’s impossible to recreate the marble patterns with perfect accuracy).

Finally, in the 17th century, travelers and explorers brought marbling to Europe from the Middle East: first to France and Germany, and then to the rest of the continent. These dyed sheets were used for accounting documents, official documents, and calligraphy paper.

Carla Qua (@carla_qua)–a designer specializing in fabric marbling–lists five traditional marbling patterns, according to Richard J. Wolfe, a book lover who, for more than 25 years, collected and categorized marbled papers. If you would like to learn more, you can find the complete catalog in his book, Marbled Paper: Its History, Techniques, and Patterns.

1. Turkish or stone marbling

This is a very standard pattern–it is the base from which all others derive. It’s the one that’s the most similar to marble.

2. Feather

The shapes in this pattern look like feathers. You will need some tools, such as wooden sticks, to create this effect.

3. Unparalleled

These patterns are created using a comb. The variations in shape are due to the distance between the teeth.

4. Placard

Use the stone pattern as a base. Later, draw on the surface with something very thin, such as a wire or a toothpick.

5. Italian or vein

Similar to Italian marble. Soap is used as the dispersant.

If you want to learn more about this technique, sign up to Carla Qua’s course, Introduction to Marbled Fabric, and learn to make five traditional patterns and transfer them to different fabrics. You will discover the basic tool and materials, as well as tips to get the best results.

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