You have seen the videos — those hypnotic, blooming patterns of color swirling on water — and you want to try it yourself. The good news is that the basic experience of Ebru is genuinely accessible at home. With modest equipment, safe materials, and the right approach, you can be making real marbled paper within a day.
This guide covers everything you need to get started, from the equipment list to your first session, with honest advice about what to expect and how to build your skills progressively.
What You Will Need
The Tray
Any shallow, flat-bottomed container that holds your chosen paper size works. Start with an A4/letter-size tray — a standard plastic storage container (approximately 35 × 28 cm) is ideal. Depth should be 5–8 cm; too shallow and you will splash, too deep and you will waste sizing.
Sizing (Carrageenan)
Purchase carrageenan powder from a Ebru supply specialist, a natural food supplier (carrageenan is also a food additive), or an online craft supplier. You need approximately 1.5 grams per liter of water. Prepare your sizing 4–12 hours before your first session.
Pigments
Authentic Ebru pigments ground in water and conditioned for use on a sizing surface are available from Turkish Ebru supply stores (many of which ship internationally). For a first session, four colors are sufficient — a warm and cool version of each primary color is a good starting set: a warm red, cool blue, yellow, and white.
Each pigment must be mixed with a small amount of ox gall solution before use. For your first session, start by adding approximately 5–10 drops of ox gall per small jar of pigment, then adjust based on observed spreading behavior.
Ox Gall
Available from Ebru suppliers and some art supply stores. Buy the liquid form rather than dried. Store in a cool, dark place.
Brushes
Traditional Ebru brushes (ispir fırçası) are made from rose thorns and horsehair — available from Ebru suppliers. As a beginner, thin watercolor brushes (size 4–6) work fine for dropping color. Do not use synthetic fiber brushes — they do not release pigment cleanly onto the water surface.
Stylus and Comb
For pattern-making, you need: a thin pointed stylus (a knitting needle, a skewer, or a purpose-made Ebru needle) and a wide-toothed comb. Purpose-made Ebru combs are available from suppliers, but a regular wide-tooth comb works for practice.
Paper
Paper must be treated with an alum solution before use to ensure the pigment adheres permanently when the print is lifted. Dissolve alum crystals in water (approximately 30g per liter), brush one side of your paper with the solution, and allow to dry completely before use. A4 copy paper is fine to start, though thicker paper (90–120 gsm) produces better results.
Your First Session: Step by Step
- Prepare your space: Cover your work surface completely. Put on old clothes or an apron. Have water and paper towels ready.
- Prepare the tray: Pour your carrageenan sizing to a depth of approximately 4 cm. Allow to settle for 30 minutes before use. Skim the surface with a strip of newspaper to remove any bubbles.
- Test your pigment: Drop a single drop of your first color from about 10 cm above the surface. A well-calibrated pigment should spread into a disc 5–8 cm in diameter. If it sinks, add more ox gall. If it spreads too much or too fast, reduce ox gall.
- Start with Battal Ebru: Drop multiple colors across the surface. Observe how they push and yield. When the surface is covered, lift a piece of alum-treated paper by the two short ends, bow it slightly so the center touches first, then lay it flat on the surface. Hold for 3–5 seconds.
- Lift the print: Lift the paper quickly by one corner, pulling it along the length of the tray. Rinse immediately under running water to remove excess sizing. Lay flat to dry.
- Skim between prints: Before each new print, skim the surface with a strip of waste paper to remove residual pigment.
Common Beginner Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)
- Pigment sinks: ox gall concentration too low — add more; also check that your sizing is not too thin
- Colors won't separate, blur into each other: ox gall concentration too similar between colors — create a more graduated system; also the sizing may be degraded
- Paper lifts with a smeared or incomplete print: usually caused by air bubbles under the paper when laying it down; practice the bowing technique
- Pigment comes off the dried print when wet: the paper was not properly alum-treated; ensure the alum solution was strong enough and fully dry
Building from Here
Once you have the basics of Battal Ebru under control, explore in this order: simple combing → Gel (wave) pattern → stylus work (hearts, feathers) → Tarama pattern → simplified flowers. Each step builds on the previous one.
If at any point you feel stuck, a structured workshop with an experienced teacher is worth every penny. There are things that can be shown in person in five minutes that would take months to discover alone. Erdem Balikci offers workshops in Austin, Texas — get in touch if you are interested.
