Demonstration Art

Calligraphy

The kanji characters below are hanabi (fireworks).for those who want to practice their calligraphy.

Demonstration Painting

One of the techniques I used with this painting was to paint the dark sky on the back of the paper after the fireworks had been painted on front. A potential problem is that the dark sumi on the back can obscure the colors. To avoid that, deliberately use "thick" colors; i.e. colors with relatively little water added. Adding some nikiwa (hide glue) helps, too. Be careful not to use too much nikiwa which can make the paint shiny. I also mix a drop of nikiwa with the sumi on the back of the paper to help avoid streaks.

If you don't have gansai, there a few other techniques you might use to paint fireworks. One is to use milk, half-and-half, or heavy whipping cream. The more fat, the better. Another is to paint with nikiwa. Lastly, rub candle wax directly from a candle on the paper where the fireworks streaks are to go. The fireworks aren't very distinct, but the technique works.

The paper will absorb a lot of water with this painting, so using thicker or stronger paper is recommended.