Ebru: Turkish Paper Marbling

For March and April I am taking classes in Ebru, which is the ancient art of Turkish Paper Marbling!

Completely natural, Ebru has been around for hundreds of years and is traditionally made in the shape of flowers, especially tulips. The paints are plant derived and thinned with cow intestine juice and then splattered with horse hair brushes onto kitre, water thickened by deniz kayıfı, a powder extracted from the sea that has proved difficult to translate. The thin paint sits on the surface of the thick kitre, and can be twirled to make patters. The patterns themselves can be a finished piece, or paler colors (as seen here in the first thirty or so seconds) can be used as a background for a central design. To create a flower, carefully placed drops of paint are pulled across the surface of the kitre with a small metal rod tool called a bız. When the shapes are complete, paper is laid across the surface and then slowly pulled off, picking up the paint.

Here is a video I made at my last class!