How I Got Started Marbling:

You may be wondering how all of these pictures were created. The answer: Marbling. I stumbled across marbling purely be chance. It all started when I wanted to buy my pen-pal friend an entire 24-lbs box of Skittles for her birthday. (She really loved Skittles, and I thought this to be the perfect gift.) I wanted it to be kept in the original shipping box to add a little nostalgia to the present, but, to my initial dismay, the candy came in twenty-four loose bags, with a generic outer box. This would not do; I would have to make and decorate my own box, so I began looking for ways to color it. That is when I found something really amazing. My candy-box misfortune was turned to rich fortune with what I discovered next.

It was then that I discovered the wonderful world that is known as MARBLING. The swirled, patterned and colorful images that I first saw had me almost immediately hooked. It was such a bizarre, obscure, and rewarding hobby, I had to give it a try. So, after a few trips to the library, the craft store, and a book-arts store, I began making my very first prints, eventually decorating my friend's box of Skittles in time for her birthday. (She loved it!)

And that, (sharing with others), is one of the main reasons why I began marbling. Through this site, I hope to extend this one step further and share many more of my creations with you. With a little imagination, you too can be transported into the wonderful world of marbled color.

A Brief Description of Marbling:

With all of these references to marbling, and no explanation as to how it works, it may seem somewhat mysterious, but it really isn't. Though admittedly, part of me likes this shroud of secrecy - the reason for this is that marbling is incredibly easy once you have learned the basic mechanics. (Of course, it obviously takes much, much longer to master, and I am nowhere near this point.) But, it is quite easy to obtain colorful and satisfactory results early on.

There are many different approaches and products that can be used in marbling, yet the basic principles and nearly always the same. Marbling consists of a vat of thickened water, called the bath, onto which thinned paints are dropped. The paints are thinned so that they will float on top of the thickened water (also referred to as 'size') where they expand to form circles of color. (Watching the colors drop and expand on top of the size for the first time is almost magical to see - it is seemingly alive.)

Once the desired colors have been applied, you can either make a print as is, called a "stone" pattern, (because the circles of color resemble stones), or use spaced rakes and combs to further manipulate the colors into patterns before printing. The actual print is made only once, and is accomplished by treating the paper with a mordant (most commonly aluminum sulfate) that helps create an instant bond between the paint and the paper. Then the sheet is carefully laid onto the surface of the bath where the colors are almost instantaneously imprinted onto the paper. It is then peeled off the surface of the bath and washed to remove the excess size, then set aside to dry.

At right you can see my humble marbling den. I primarily print on small 8 1/2" x 11" copy paper simply because it is so prevalent and much easier to handle and print than larger and/or thicker sheets. I use acrylic paints and a methyl-cellulose size, though I am ever-expanding my interests to possibly include carrageenan and watercolor paints. All of my rakes and combs are handmade from wood scraps plus either wooden dowels or sewing needles. The entire floor and surrounding walls are completely covered with plastic sheeting to protect them from the many paint splatters that inevitably happen during marbling.

If you have any questions about marbling or anything on this site, please don't hesitate to send me an email at: ejmeier@gmail.com I would say that if you are interested, probably the best place to start learning how to marble is either from a marbling friend, or, failing that, your public library. Most larger public libraries should have at least a few books written solely on the subject of marbling, with plenty of good illustrations. For some reason, the internet is not quite as 'informed' on this subject as the libraries seem to be.