Marbling Turnings

MARBLING TURNINGS Fluid, Mesmerizing and Spontaneous MARY THOUIN Getting started OODTURNING AND MARBLING are ancient art forms that Even if you are only interested in are both taking on new marbling wood, I can’t emphasize faces. If someone asked me if these enough the value of first becoming Wtwo crafts share anything else in com- proficient in marbling paper. There mon, I would answer “most defi- are good reasons for this. nitely!” I started turning in 1974 and A sheet of paper costing a few marbling in 1992. What captivated me cents gives freedom to learn and ex- with woodturning 27 years ago is the periment. It’s easier to discard 50 same essence that drew me to mar- sheets of marbled paper than to dis- bling. Their similarities? I view them card or strip marbling on 50 wood- both to be very “fluid” art forms — turned bowls! Your first trial sheets both are meditative, mesmerizing, will help you sort out the peculiarities and spontaneous. of paint chemistry, bath consistency, A simple definition of marbling is humidity etc. And, more important, that it is the art of floating paints on a these practice sheets help you begin thickened liquid or water, patterning to learn essential basics and to gain a design, and making a contact print. confidence and competence in con- A variety of paints and liquids or trolling patterns, color, and color bal- “sizes”can be used. In this article, I’ll ance. focus only on my materials and meth- After marbling your first 100 ods using acrylic paints and a size of sheets or so of paper you’ll be as- water thickened with carageenan, tounded at what there is to learn in which is derived from seaweed. this rich craft – and number 100 will Marbling is a beautiful, fascinating, be startlingly more beautiful than and surprisingly complex craft. It is a number one. (Caution: marbling balance and a blending of the marbler paper can be addicting, you might — and the process of marbling. You forget your original intention!) never quite know just who is in Marbling isn’t just for bowls and plat- Successfully marbling a three-di- charge — you — or the marbling! If ters like the ones on the cover of the mensional object is much more com- you can let yourself fall into and flow Journal, as you can see from the vase plex than marbling paper. You must with its magic, you will be well re- above and the photos on the following anticipate the way paints stretch and warded. There is no concrete set of pages. Photos by Dave Grondin. distort their patterns, and the way rules to insure success, only guide- they thin out as a 3-D piece is lowered lines. Any long-time marbler will tell turnings. I quickly found that mar- into it. Other aspects unique to wood you “what works for one person may bling on wood had it’s own addi- marbling are trapped air, wood as a not work for another — and what tional set of peculiarities. I also background, and finishes appropriate works one day, may not work the realized that there was minimal infor- for wood, which I’ll discuss later. next.” A marbler recently wrote to mation on wood marbling, which re- Setting up me, “Sometimes marbling is like try- quired me to pioneer my own way. ing to rein in wild horses — you may That was fine with me, as I have al- A fair bit of prep and set up is end up somewhere, but the trip was- ways seemed to find directions in life needed, so start a day ahead of time. n't what you had planned on!” Hang that challenge me. So, I dove in and It wouldn’t hurt to warn other house- on to your hats folks – it’s quite an ad- learned from the school of experimen- hold members that you will be taking venture! tation and self teaching. I will always over the entire room or kitchen and As I worked with my husband, be learning and I hope improving my all available horizontal surfaces! (And who was teaching himself to marble skills and techniques. I don’t have all perhaps some vertical ones.) Some papers, it was a natural progression the answers – I am happy to help oth- marbling techniques splatter fine for me to attempt marbling my wood- ers get started. drops of paint, so unless you want to FALL 2002 AMERICAN WOODTURNER 25 Copyright 2002, 2016, American Association of Woodturners. All rights reserved. www.woodturner.org The author spreads colors on the bath of size, then manipulates the patterns until she has something that pleases her. The weed pot is dipped into the color pattern, as shown. A dowel, hot-melt glued to the bottom of the turning is used to immerse the piece into the pattern. change your decor to “Speckles,” sure to wear rubber gloves when ap- of them. Because of this, many mar- protecting surfaces is recommended. plying alum – it is aluminum based blers use distilled water to make the And perhaps scheduling ‘a dinner and is readily absorbed through the size and to thin their paints. out’ may win you a few points, as skin, as well as being cumulative in Your own water may work well, well. the body. but if you have problems, start again Paints: Basic necessary supplies I use acrylics for both paper using distilled water. I understand and wood marbling. Because they are that water from a water softening sys- Size: The size is a thickened “bath” especially opaque, I feel the acrylic tem can also cause problems. that supports the floating paints. The colors are particularly good for mar- Photo Flo 200: (Kodak) Paints two main choices for size are: bling on wood. I presently use the need to be thinned in order to float on carageenan or methyl cellulose. I pre- “Ceramcoat” brand of acrylics, or the size, and are first thinned with fer carageenan, an extract of a sea- “fluid” acrylics made by Golden. Cer- distilled water. If that doesn’t work, weed called Irish moss. Buy amcoat is a good choice for beginners, use a small amount of photo flo, carageenan that is made for marbling as it is inexpensive and works well. available from camera shops, along (non-food grade). Mixing is relatively Its disadvantage is that their paints with the water. Usually just a small easy — it is slowly blended into sometimes have small flecks of conta- quantity is needed. water. mination. The Golden paints are clean Paper: (for paper marbling): Ask Alum: Pieces that are to be mar- and have a nice clarity to them, but the people at the art store to sell you bled need to be alumed first, which is they cost more. what other local marblers use. A few essential for the paint to stick to the Distilled water: Water is used to paper choices are Classic Laid or item you are marbling. Use alum that mix the size and to thin the paints. Classic Linen 70 lb, charcoal and wa- is sold specifically for marbling – nor- There are a number of factors that can tercolor papers. You may have to ex- mally listed as aluminum sulfate. Be cause marbling failures. Water is one periment. 26 AMERICAN WOODTURNER FALL 2002 Copyright 2002, 2016, American Association of Woodturners. All rights reserved. www.woodturner.org KEYS TO SUCCESS Cleanliness: Keep all containers, equipment and tools free of oils and Pans: I like white pans in order to soap residue, which can contaminate the bath and cause marbling failures best see the colors. For marbling and frustration. paper, use a pan that’s slightly larger Dust: Work in a minimal dust area – flecks of dust settling on the bath than your paper and about. 2-in. cause little areas not to print. This means no dust on your work, clothing, deep. or you! For marbling a whole turning, use Humidity, temperature, quality of ingredients: High humidity and a pan that’s deep enough for the piece lower room temperatures are desirable for marbling. Generally speaking to be totally submerged, without the – a temperature below 60° is too cold (the colors don’t spread well and size overflowing. The pan should be sink) and above 80° is too warm (the colors can spread too much and don’t at least double the diameter of the hold their shape). I find that 68° or so works well for me. It is also impor- woodturning – so that, as it is being tant to keep your paints and the size as close to the same temperature as immersed, there will be enough room possible – this is even more important than room temperature. If the for the paint to be drawn in from the paints and size vary greatly in temperature, it can cause the paints to sink. sides and cover the piece as you had In order to insure that you are buying quality ingredients, my best rec- intended. If you are marbling a rim of ommendation is to buy your supplies from a good art store or marbling a woodturning only, then you will supplier. only need a pan a little larger in diameter than the piece itself. which will resist the marbling. It’s 1.) The shape of the piece not al- Newspaper: This is used to clean also more difficult to apply a finish lowing the marbling to contact parts or skim the surface of the size. The evenly to softwoods. Also avoid Ex- of the turning.

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