The path to the true self through beauty and harmony
"Know thyself," says an ancient saying attributed to one of the seven eminent sages of that era. This inscription became a kind of graffiti on the wall of the temple of Apollo in Delphi, where the famous Pythia proclaimed her prophecies. Even then people forgot about the little introverts inside themselves - about their true desires, dreams and vocation. And people traveled to Delphi from all over the world to discover their destiny, instead of discovering themselves first. That is why many people today go to the East in search of realizing their own values rather than those imposed upon them, studying various Eastern practices for this purpose. One such practice is ebru, the ancient art of painting on water, which allows individuals to understand and accept themselves through unhurried drawing. Slippery lines, tantalizing aesthetics, amazing metamorphoses of ornaments - painting on water will be an unforgettable experience even for those who have never been interested in drawing and philosophy. Ebru is a way to the real you, and this way is incredibly beautiful.
The art that conquered the world
Ebru (from Persian ebri - "cloud") is an ancient technique of painting with colors on water with further transfer of the drawing on a solid base (paper, fabric or leather). Ebru provides the artist with a wide range of opportunities to create unique images, skillfully imitating the texture of natural stone - marble. Therefore, this technique is often called "marbling" or "Turkish marbling".
In medieval Turkey, the unique technique of transferring an image originally created on the surface of water onto paper served sometimes quite utilitarian purposes. Marbleized paper was used for government documents, contracts, etc. At the time, it was the equivalent of modern watermarks and protection methods. Ebru securely protected each document, making it unique. Ebru paper was also used for writing spiritual texts and calligraphy.
Appearing in Europe, this art form has undergone various transformations. Ebru is very closely related to the natural environment in terms of obtaining and processing materials. In this regard, each country adapted methods, chose its own materials, changed recipes according to local peculiarities. In this way, the art became increasingly individualized. To this day, many masters prefer not to reveal their drawing methods and material preparation techniques, so that no one could get even remotely similar results.
With the development of book printing and throughout the subsequent time ebru received a new round of popularity and development. It began to be used in the printing of books, pages with prints inserted as illustrations or colorful forzats. The technique of execution of such works of that time amazes with its variety, brightness of examples and richness of details.
Peculiarities of ebru technique
For centuries, natural paints have been used for ebru, made from colored stones, clay and other organic pigments. At the first stage, the paint is ground into powder. This process is done using a special stone and a marble board. An interesting fact is that the stone for paint preparation and the marble board must be of the same degree of rigidity. Otherwise, the stone may damage the board, or the marble chips may get into the paint, spoiling it.
During the grinding process, water is gradually added to the pigment. The procedure of grinding and mixing the paint lasts several hours and depends on the material from which the paint is obtained.
In addition to water, bovine bile is also added to the paint, this component is extremely important for the composition of the paint, as it determines its functional quality. After the addition of all the necessary elements, the paint must stand for one or two months, during which time the paint will be stirred, shaken, and the bile and water will be added again. The process of aging the paint is extremely important, because not enough time spent on this process will jeopardize the quality of the paint, it will be pale, and it will not lay down well on the paper.
At the final stage, the master carefully places a sheet of paper on the finished surface of the drawing, and then removes it and hangs it up to dry. After that, all remnants of paint floating on the surface of the water are carefully removed from the tub to prepare the basis for the creation of the next composition.
Regardless of the artist's task or skill level, ebru is always a unique artistic experience where the material, the elements and the person become one. This is not inherent in academic painting, and this feature makes ebru something more than just a special painting technique or art form. By practicing ebru, the artist is tapping into an ancient knowledge, a mystical artistic mystery, to create his own.