Preserving Your Work

Clear Acrylic Spray

There is more work to be done after finishing a sumi-e painting if you intend to preserve and display your artwork. The very first thing that needs to be done if gansai (colored ink) was used is to apply two light coats of clear acrylic spray to the painted surface. Either outside or in a well ventilated area, hold the can 8 to 10 inches away from the painting while spraying. Allow time for the painting to dry between applications and afterwards. This doesn't need to be done if the painting has been entirely done using sumi because of the glue in its makeup.

If the painting is on a hard surface like a shikishi (square fancy cardboard, used for autographs, poetry, etc.), that is all that needs to be done. If the painting is on paper, however, it is important that it be "stretched" to smooth out the buckles and wrinkles that form when paintings on paper dry. This process also makes the paper more opaque, something that almost always improves a painting's appearance.

Stretching (Urauchi — 裏打ち)

Urauchi literally means a lining or backing. The stretching or urauchi process is simply the gluing of a sheet of backing paper on the reverse side of a painting. Professional artists often use a type of Japanese paper called minoshi for this, but any kind of light-weight washi (rice paper) can be used. It should ideally be about an inch larger than the paper the painting is on in all directions, but for student purposes, the same size paper is okay.

A note of caution: Poor quality paper shouldn't be used for the backing. It tends to tear apart. The same kind of paper used for the painting is usually okay. Cheep calligraphy paper, however, is not suitable.

Equipment: Besides the backing paper, you will need:

• Two wooden boards that have at least one smooth side each and that are larger than the painting (Some people prefer some form of plastic or Plexiglas^® boards, but see step 8 below.)

• Two soft broad, flat brushes (hake) 1½ to 3 inches wide

• Brush with stiff bristles (a shoeshine brush, for example, works well)

• Water sprayer with water

• Plain white, non-textured paper towels

• Sponge

• Paste (see recipes below)

• Regular masking tape

• Blue masking tape

• Heavy weights (a stack of large books, bricks, et. al.) or clamps

Paste Recipes: The paste used must be acid free to avoid prematurely aging or discoloring the paper. The paste mixture must also be thin and watery and not have the thick oozy texture of typical glue which can ruin the painting. Here are two possible recipes:

• Mix 1 tablespoon nori paste with 1 cup cold water. (Nori, a Yasutomo-brand product from Japan, is available in many art stores.)

• Mix 1 teaspoon powdered wallpaper paste and ½ teaspoon alum (available in many drug stores) with ¾ cup of warm water in a bowl. Mix well. Let mixture sit for half a day before using.

Process: Follow these steps:

1. Wipe the smooth sides of the wooden boards with wet paper towels or a sponge to clean the surface and moisten the wood. Glass or Plexiglas^® boards need to be cleaned, too, but wipe them dry.

2. Spray a fine mist of water on the front of the painting.

3. Place the painting face down on the smooth side of one of the boards. Using your hands, smooth the paper flat.

4. Apply paste mixture to the entire back side with a soft brush, stroking from the center of the paper, British flag-style, to the edges in all directions to eliminate wrinkles and bubbles.

1. 5. Center the backing paper, rough side down, over the painting, and again British-flag style, apply clean water to the entire surface using the other soft brush. This has to start immediately after applying the paste in step 4 before it has a chance to dry.

2. Lay paper towels over the painting, and using your hands, gently wipe from the center outward again to absorb any excess moisture and smooth out wrinkles and bubbles. Bubbles are where the backing and painting are not in contact with each other, so they must be eliminated. Wipe up all the paste around the edges of the painting.

3. Using the bristle brush, pound (tonton) the entire surface of the painting through the paper towels to assure that the backing paper and the painting are closely in contact with each other at every point.

4. Remove the wet paper towers.

5. Slip thin strips of paper diagonally under the corners of the painting to facilitate the paper's later removal from the board.

1. 10. Tape down the edges of the backing paper with blue masking tape, overlapping it by ¼ inch.

2. Cover the entire painting with dry paper towels and place the other board on top, smooth side down. Tape the boards securely together with regular masking tape to hold everything in place, and clamp them together and/or weigh them down with heavy objects.

3. Let the paper sandwich sit for 2 to 3 days to dry. If the boards are made of plastic or Plexiglas®, open them up for 10 to 15 minutes each day to prevent mildew from forming.

4. Remove the stretched painting when it is completely dry by carefully pealing off the blue masking tape to the side (i.e. away from the painting) rather than straight up, and gently lift the corners from under the diagonal strips of paper.

5. Clean the brushes and boards before storing them away for the next use. Leftover glue solution can be stored in a sealed jar in a cool place until needed again.

Your painting is now ready to mat and frame.

Cutting a Custom Mat