There is a moment in Ebru that every practitioner treasures: the moment you peel the paper from the surface of the tray and see the design transferred in all its vivid, irreducible uniqueness. No photograph quite captures it. No description fully conveys the feeling of holding a piece of art that you made — and that the water also made — and that can never be made again.
But that moment is only the culmination of a carefully prepared process. Here is a complete, step-by-step guide to how Ebru paper is made — from preparing the tray to hanging the finished sheet to dry.
Step 1: Prepare the Sizing Solution
Everything begins with the sizing solution (aharlı su). This is the thickened water in your tray — the surface on which your pigments will float. Traditional Turkish Ebru sizing uses kitre (gum tragacanth), which is dissolved in water over 24–48 hours. Contemporary practitioners often use carrageenan (derived from Irish sea moss), which hydrates more quickly and reliably.
The correct consistency is critical. The sizing should have the viscosity of very light cooking oil — slightly thicker than plain water, but not gel-like. Too thick, and your pigments won't spread; too thin, and they'll sink or bleed together uncontrollably. The ideal temperature is between 18–22°C (65–72°F). Extreme cold or heat changes the surface tension significantly.
Pour the sizing into your tray to a depth of about 5 cm. Remove any bubbles from the surface by skimming with a sheet of paper, and allow it to settle for 15–30 minutes before beginning.
Step 2: Prepare Your Pigments
Traditional Ebru pigments are natural mineral and earth colors — lapis lazuli, malachite, cinnabar, carbon black, and various ochres and earth tones. Each pigment is ground finely and mixed with water and a small amount of ox gall. The ox gall acts as a surfactant, reducing the surface tension of the pigment so that it spreads when dropped onto the sizing.
The key variable is the amount of ox gall in each color. The first color you drop needs the most ox gall — it must spread widely to form a broad base. Each subsequent color needs progressively less, because it must spread only enough to sit beside the previous colors, not displace them entirely. Mastering this gradient is one of the most challenging aspects of Ebru technique.
Test each pigment on a spare piece of the tray surface before beginning. The ideal spread is a disc roughly 5–8 cm in diameter when dropped from about 20 cm height.
Step 3: Apply the Base Pattern
Using your largest Ebru brush, begin dropping pigment onto the surface of the sizing. Hold the brush horizontally above the tray and tap it against another brush or your finger to release the pigment as drops. The drops spread outward in concentric rings, pushing the existing pigment toward the edges.
For a Battal (base) pattern, continue dropping colors across the surface, alternating colors to create an even, layered distribution. Work from the sides toward the center, ensuring good coverage without overcrowding. A good Battal base is the foundation of all subsequent patterns — take time to get the color distribution right.
Step 4: Create Your Pattern
With the base layer in place, you can now shape the pattern using your tools. Options include:
- Leave as Battal: the free-dropped pattern is complete in itself — clean, fluid, and beautiful
- Use a comb: draw a wide comb across the surface once (Gel/wave pattern) or twice in perpendicular directions (Taraklı/feather pattern)
- Use a stylus: draw lines, swirls, and shapes — including flowers if your skill level allows
- Combine tools: a comb pass followed by stylus detailing creates complex, layered designs
Speed matters. The sizing surface is active — pigments continue to move slightly even after you stop touching them. Work decisively and complete your design before the pigments begin to dry or blur at the edges.
Step 5: Prepare and Lay the Paper
The paper must be pre-treated with alum solution. Take a sheet of alum-treated paper (or apply alum solution yourself and allow it to dry completely). Hold the paper by its two long edges, curving it slightly so that the center touches the sizing surface first. Lower the paper evenly onto the surface, pressing gently with fingertips to ensure full contact with no air bubbles.
Leave the paper on the surface for 20–30 seconds — enough time for the pigments to bond to the alum-treated fibers, but not so long that the paper becomes saturated.
Step 6: Lift and Rinse
Peel the paper from the surface in a single smooth motion, starting from one long edge. As you lift, you will see the pattern transfer — pigment rising from the water onto the paper in a complete, vivid image.
Rinse the paper immediately under a gentle stream of cool water to remove any excess sizing. Be careful and swift — too much water pressure can blur the edges of the design. Lay the paper on a flat surface or hang it to dry. As it dries, the colors will deepen and the paper will flatten.
Step 7: Skim the Tray and Repeat
After lifting the print, the remaining pigment on the tray surface must be removed before the next print. Lay a sheet of plain, un-treated paper on the surface, peel it back, and discard — this "waste print" cleans the surface. Repeat for each additional print.
"Every Ebru print is a collaboration between artist and water. The artist proposes; the water decides."
Each session teaches you something new — about how your sizing is behaving, how your pigments are interacting, how your tools respond. The process is the same every time; the result never is.
