The Art of Painting in Water

Wdd Logo.
March 16, 2011
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. The above image is representative of what most people think of when they think of suminagashi. Some of you might remember learning a basic form of this technique in a high school or college-level art class. Because it's a relatively inexpensive in terms of materials, it's a popular project. And the end result is almost always beautiful, as long as the inks don't get mixed together. Some artists have taken the technique beyond a general marbling effect to create more concrete images. Though these are often still quite abstract, they have a more defined form than basic marbling. The end result, once transferred to paper, is quite beautiful. Here's a video that illustrates the technique: You can see in the video above that the technique requires a steady hand, both in applying the ink or paint to the water, and then in placing the paper on the surface to pick up the ink. The success of the technique also depends heavily on a grasp of fluid dynamics, in addition to basic artistic ability. The artistic side of things takes on more importance depending on the complexity of the image being painted. Popular subjects for these types of paintings include natural elements like mountains, clouds, and landscapes. The technique originated in China over 2,000 years ago, but was practiced by Shinto priests in Japan starting in the 12th century. The basic technique remains largely unchanged, despite more modern tools sometimes being used. One difference you'll notice between the video and the traditional technique is that in the traditional technique, the pigments were blown across the water to form shapes and swirls, while in the video, a tool is used to manipulate the pigment across the surface of the water. Here's another great video that shows the process: There are also plenty of videos available on YouTube that can show you the basic techniques used in Suminagashi. Just search for Suminagashi or painting on water to find them.
Have you ever experimented with this technique? Share your experiences and thoughts below...

WDD Staff

WDD staff are proud to be able to bring you this daily blog about web design and development. If there's something you think we should be talking about let us know @DesignerDepot.

Read Next

Exciting New Tools for Designers, October 2023

This month, we have a whole bag of goodies for designers, developers, and designevelopers alike. (Yes, we did just make…

The 10 Most Successful Rebrands of All Time - Ranked

We’re all familiar with rebrands going wrong, but what happens when they go right? From McDonald’s health kick to…

3 Essential Design Trends, October 2023

Every now and then, website design trends can leave you scratching your head. This month’s collection includes some of…

Weekly Design News #2

Every Sunday, we round up the best stories from webdesignernews.com. This issue features UX principles to improve your…

24 Best Creative Portfolio Websites in 2023

For anyone working in a digital creative field, whether design, illustration, animation, video, or a combination of…

15 Best New Fonts, September 2023

Nothing upgrades your designs like selecting the right font. It’s all too easy to fall into the trap of using the same…

Weekly Design News #1

Every Sunday we’re rounding up the best of the previous week’s stories from webdesignernews.com, and in this issue #1,…

The 20 Most Controversial Logos of All Time (Ranked)

When you hire graphic designers to create your company's logo, what do you expect? Professional designs, culturally…

LimeWire AI Studio Generative Art App

If you’re looking for the most exciting way to launch a career in AI-generated art, then you’re in the right place.

20 Best New Websites, September 2023

Are you in need of design inspiration? Are you looking for the best websites designed in 2023 to pull ideas,…

The Dangers of Deceptive Design Patterns (And How to Avoid Them)

As web designers, our role in crafting user-friendly digital landscapes is critical. We are tasked with creating user…

10 Best Ecommerce WordPress Themes in 2023 [September update]

You plan to set up shop with an online store. You know there’ll be competition. And to compete with or beat that…