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Asian Papers 
| HOW THE ARE MADE
The cotton rag fibres are beaten in a hollander beater which circulates the shredded rags in water, mechanically crushing and opening out the cotton fibres to produce an even consistent pulp.All handmade paper is made sheet by sheet on a hand held papermaking mould. The moulds we use consist of a rectangular teak wood frame with a stainless steel wire mesh cover and sitting on top of this a second teak frame called a deckle. The pulp, in a very thin suspension in water, is poured onto the mould which rests in a vat of water. The papermaker spreads the pulp over the surface of the mould with a rapid splashing movement. The function of the deckle is to contain the pulp so that it doesn't slip into the vat. The seeping of pulp between the mould and deckle produces the rough deckle edge. The mould is then lifted out of the water causing a suction that pulls the fibres firmly onto the mesh of the mould. |
Khadi
rag papers are made from 100% cotton rag. Cotton rags have longer
fibres than linters which are the shorter fluffy cotton seed fibres
commonly used in papermaking. Genuine rag papers are rare and it is the
fibre length of this raw material that gives Khadi rag papers their
exceptional strength and durability. The cotton rag we use comes from
T-shirt cuttings from garment factories, a reliable source of pure
woven cotton.
These
papers are not absorbent and are ideal for watercolour which is the
most demanding medium for paper. The gelatine surface size allows the
watercolour to be worked over the surface without penetrating the
paper. Watercolour is a transparent medium and the reflection of the
paper surface through the watercolour gives the colours brilliance. The
rough surface of the papers gives texture and light to the watercolour. Heavier
weights of paper are better for watercolour - 320gsm and up – and it
should not be necessary to stretch the paper. Handmade papers have a
random fibre structure and this gives a better "grip" to the pigment
producing better gradation of colour and a more vivid result . The lack
of grain direction can make stretching the paper somewhat challenging
as it will pull in various directions. The important thing is to work
with the paper, not against it and to enjoy the individual character of
a handmade sheet. Select an Asian Handmade Papers category:
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