Papermaking
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A Brief History of Papermaking
http://www.cbbag.ca/BookArtsWeb/Papermaking.html
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According to Dard Hunter, the
great paper historian, the progress
of the human race may be divided
into three fundamental stages of
development: Speaking, Drawing,
and Printing. As interesting and
important as the first is, it is the
second (in the form of calligraphy)
and the third which concern us in
these pages; and while printing has
been done on other materials, it is
paper as a printing surface which
was responsible for the rapid
spread of knowledge following
Johann Gutenberg's pioneering
efforts with movable type.
Paper is defined by Noah Webster as "a
substance made in the form of thin
sheets or leaves from rags, straw, bark,
wood, or other fibrous material, for
various uses." Hunter qualifies that,
feeling that true paper "must be made
from fibre that has been macerated until
each individual filament is a separate
unit; the fibres intermixed with water,
and by the use of a sieve-like screen, the
fibres lifted from the water in the form of
a thin stratum, the water draining
through the small openings of the
screen, leaving a sheet of matted fibre
upon the screen's surface. This thin layer
of intertwined fibre is paper."
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The date usually given for the actual
invention of paper is 105 AD, but
experiments in papermaking from
disintegrated fibre probably extended
over a long period before the process was
brought to any degree of perfection and
publicly announced. In that year the
invention was officially reported to the
Emperor by the eunuch Ts'ai Lun, and
his name is associated with the
invention, although he may have been a
court official who became the patron of
the discovery. In any case, the Chinese
were able to keep a monopoly on the
fabrication of paper for over 500 years.
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While papermaking went on throughout
the Chinese Empire, including Korea, the
secret eventually spread to Japan, and later
spread slowly across central Asia and
Persia by way of the caravan routes,
reaching Samarkand about 750 AD. After
another 400 years, the first papermaking
mill in Europe was set up in Spain by the
Moors in the 12th century. By the mid15th, paper was made in all the principal
countries of Western Europe, just in time
to supply the needs of the newly-developed
printing press. This image shows
contemporary paper- and printmaker Lin
Hsin Hsin at a workshop in Japan.
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The finest handmade papers are made
from pure rag pulp, usually linen and
cotton, which are washed, boiled and
beaten to macerate the fibres. These
fibres are then suspended in water
where they can be lifted out by the
papermaker using a mould and deckle.
The mould is such an important tool to
the papermaker that Hunter devotes an
entire chapter (see Bibliography) to
describing their development and
differences around the world.
Essentially, a mould is a screen of some
sort, supported by a frame, which allows
the surplus water to drain after dipping
the fibres from the vat. A deckle is
another frame on top of the mould
which keeps the fibres from washing
over the edges. Since it is a separate
piece, some of the thin pulp inevitably
flows under the deckle causing the
slightly ragged edges known as deckles.
As a result of the demand for books,
and paper to print them on, following
the invention of the printing press, the
supply of good-quality rags began to
dry up and papermakers began to
search for new papermaking fibres
(ironically, the earliest papers were
made from tree bark, hemp, and other
plant fibres, as well as from fabric
trimmings). Shown here is a spread
from a book by Jacob Christian
Schäffer, published in Amsterdam in
1770, one of a series of six in which he
outlined his research into rag
substitutes, including the use of moss,
a sample of which is also shown (both
from the Koninklijke Bibliotheek).
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Another problem to be solved was the
speed with which paper could be made.
The first papermaking machine was
invented in France in the late 1700s by
Nicholas Louis Robert and later
developed in England by Henry
Fourdrinier in the early 1800s. By midcentury, it was discovered in Germany
that wood pulp could be used to make
paper, but it took two more discoveries,
soda-ash and sulphite treatments, to
make wood pulp practical. For the last
100 years, wood pulp has been the basis
for the majority of western paper, and as
we all know, the paper changes colour,
turns brittle, and falls apart in a decidedly
short time.
Fortunately, through the concerned
efforts of contemporary archivists,
conservators, and scientists, papers
are now being made which are
inherently more stable and which
satisfy the need for economy. Artist
papermakers and private printers
however, continue to insist on cotton
and linen fibres for quality papers.
Check out the links page for far more info on papermaking.
Samples may also be seen on The Art of the Book '98 and
The Art of the Book '03 exhibitions' papermaking pages.
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Project Ideas
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Paper boxes folding templates
Cover for sketchbook /journals
Cards
Envelopes
Landscape dipping and stenciling
Bookmarks
Cover Origami sculpture
Make paper for drawing and
painting surface
Watermarks
Paper casting
Collage
Pulp painting (slides 8 - 9 )
Sculptural Vessels (slides 10 - 12)
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Relief Sculptures (slides 13 - 14 )
Wall Hangings (slides 15 - 16 )
Embossing (slides 17 - 18 )
Printing on handmade paper
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Susan Olson’s Paper Pulp Paintings
http://www.thepaper-isapainting.com/
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Sculptural Vessels – Leandrea Spangler
http://www.bearcreekpaperworks.com/contemporarybasketry/index.htm
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Spangler creates an armature, woven from reed, lashed
bamboo and/or wire, as the bones for her contemporary
basketry. Highly textured handmade paper of black denim
creates the skin. The paper exoskeleton is sealed and finished
with layers and layers of color. These sculptural vessels are
shown across the country at invitational and juried
exhibitions.
About her work, Leandra says:
I am intrigued by the way light falls on a surface creating
highlights and subtle variations of shadow. To create
interesting variations on the paper surface, I press found
objects into newly formed sheets of (cotton water leaf)
handmade paper. These vessels: simple reed and paper
structures are often misidentified as metal, ceramic or stone.
Viewers are intrigued by the visual and physical paradox: the
perception of weight and mass and the reality of paper and
reed.
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Relief Sculpture – Karen Davidson http://www.karendavidson.net/
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For 30 years Karen has been fascinated by images created on handformed
(or handcast) paper. "Paper, is both substrate and sculpture. I draw, paint,
printmake, and collage exclusively using my own, handmade paper. I make
bas-relied and three-dimensional sculpture”. The images are consciously
conceived from inside/out as though the fibers themselves dictated the
outcome. Most of her inspirations comes from Polynesia and Hawaii.
Present in her work are the images of other places she visited; Europe,
Asia, Australia, Indonesia and Africa. The landscapes reflect old villages
and rich cultures. Their myths and stories often find their way into her
work.
She uses 100% ph neutral cotton and other natural fibers. The paper pulp
undergoes many transformations, vacuum formed and embossed it
becomes a bas-relief or a freestanding sculpture. Grounds are made from
claybody and pigments (like lapis lazuli, colored clay gessos, lotus root)
and are applied to the top of the surface of the work.
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Wall Hangings by Carol Farrow
http://www.carolfarrow.net/paper_icons1.htm
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 "Carol Farrow's wallhanging 'paperworks' are created with hand made
papers, painted and waxed. The medium creates an almost sculptural
quality, tactile and textural, whilst her color flows across the pieces, or
series of pieces, sometimes intense, merging and diffusing into softer
tones and hues."
 Paper in its wet state can be cast or moulded to record a surface: it can
be torn, cut and reassembled or embedded with other papers or objects.
During its formation, it can take on any texture, thickness, shape, size,
color, porosity; it can be opaque or translucent, soft or hard, smooth or
rough.
 The process of working with paper can be simple or complex but the
basic operation of forming paper from fibers, which as separate
elements come together into a structure, is fundamental to the artist
working in this medium. The process allows for manipulation and
control but also surprise at all stages. Most importantly it invites change
and transformation
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Embossing
Using several layers
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Links
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Atelier Oto Oto -Washi, Japanese Paper Shop
Awagami Factory Washi
Babcock, John, hand made paper
Botanical PaperWorks handmade paper and invitations
Castle Papers & Press of Brian Queen in Calgary
Deckled Edge, The, handmake paper, bookbinding, printing by Judith Rudoler
D.H.Productions, DHP is a hand papermaking and binding studio in the Hudson
Valley that specializes in plant fiber papers and it uses its own paper exclusively
Dieu Donné Papermill, a not-for-profit papermill located in the Soho area of New
York City
Fibre Space site of the International Paper Historians, with info on the
organization; the history of paper, watermarks, etcFreyer's, Dieter, Buttenpapier
(handmade paper) site in German and English: history, museums, instructions,
producers, glossary, misc, and links
Friends of Dard Hunter history, news, etc, about the FDH.
Griffen Mill quality papers handmade in the UK
Kaar, Joanne B, papermaking and bookbinding
Keene, Susan Warner, paper and textile artist
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Magnolia Editions, papermaking and papermaking resources
Paper Page, Welcome to The, Artisan Paper and Stationery!
Paper, Papermaking, and Paper Artists, a 'Print Australia' list.
Paper Project, The with scanning laser otographs of papers by Gene Valentine
Paper Road Tibet, dedicated to preserving the history of and revitalizing
papermaking in Tibet
Papermakers of Victoria Inc. - Papermaking with Hawaiian plants
Papermaking by Elizabeth Nevins, of The Briar Press
papershops.com Paper, Cardstock, Clip Art and other bookcraft items and simple
plans
Papertrail, The, is Canada's foremost supplier of materials and equipment for
handmade paper
PaperWeb
PaperWEIGHT, a UK-based group that focuses on paper as an art form
Paperwright, The Hand Papermaking Supplies
Papyri Pages Guide to Paper, Papermaking, and the History of Paper
Prairie Paper, an introduction to papermaking for grades 5 to 10, by Douglas Jones
Pyramid Atlantic, an artist-centered community which explores the arts of hand
papermaking, printmaking, and artists' books
Redstick's Paper Arts papermaking and decorating
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Robert C. Williams, The, American Museum of papermaking
Ruscombe Paper Mill, Margaux, France
Seastone Papers on Martha's Vineyard, with info on workshops and process. Stiffe,
Gail, Hands On Paper, with directions for making paper from plants
Teaching Handpapermaking: A Classroom Guide, announcing a book from Zpaper
Press
Twinrocker Paper, history of the mill, product list, and a description of papermaking
Paper Decoration
Bibliography of Marbling Books on Peter Verheyen's website
Colophon Book Arts Supply marbling supplies, with an online catalogue
Dharma Trading Co., marbling supplies
Hamburger Buntpapier, traditional European decorated paper by Susanne
Krause
Historical Marbled Papers conservator Cor Knops is looking for marblers who
can recreate these samples
John Ang Cheng Siew Paper Marbling, including a page of paper marbling links
International Marblers Gathering, photos from the event held Sept 4-8th 2002,
at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Kristoferson Studio, paste and itajime papers by Susan KristofersonLapierre,
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Lucie, marbler
Maiwa marbling supplies, online store
Marbled Arts of Florence (Italy), marbled paper and objects
Marbling for Paper and Fabric Galen Berry, supplies and information Marblitaly
Designs, handmade marbled papers
Nevins, Iris, Marbled Paper and supplies
Palowoda, Marie, marbled art works
Paola Kathuria Marbling Gallery
Paper Passions, marbled paper and products
Parissi, Evi, of Greece, Marbling by
Traditional Turkish Marbling, a web site prepared by Alparslan Babaoglu
Turkish Art of Marbling (Ebru)
Valet, Alain, marbling
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