The Art of Painting in Water

Suminagashi is the ancient Japanese technique of painting on water to create marbleized effects on paper. Literally, it means “ink-floating”, which is in reference to the Sumi-e inks that were originally used in the technique. The patterns are the result of color floated on either plain water or a viscous solution, and then carefully transferred to an absorbent surface, such as paper or fabric. Now, artists use both traditional inks and acrylic paints (usually watered down) to create this beautiful artwork. What do you think of this technique? Have you ever tried it? Please share your opinion in the comments.