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When I started thinking about my newsletter, trying to figure out what I was going to write, I found myself saying, “I don’t have anything to write about this week. All I’ve been doing this week is practicing.”
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However, after thinking about it a while, I realized that was actually a good topic.
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In most of the arts, and particularly the visual arts, unless you’ve joined someone’s Patreon, the consumers never see the practice pieces that the artist has done. You don’t get to see the mistakes, the failed pieces.
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My goal at this time is to be able to offer marbled edges to other authors, as a service, come January, 2027. I love doing it, and going further into it this past week has only confirmed that. Plus, I believe that I will be able to make some money at it.
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At this time my art, my craft, is not good enough to do this to other people’s books. I make too many mistakes. The process isn’t as repeatable as I’d like, and the results are still a bit too random.
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How do I get better? Practice!
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Here’s an example of “not good enough.” You see those strange lines that don’t have much color on the middle set of books? Those are caused by air bubbles. When you marble the edges of a book, you have to be sure to start on one corner, then slowly lower the other corner, to force out all the air bubbles. When you go too fast, or if you don’t start at an angle, this is what happens:
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At this time, I’m mostly always remembering to do it correctly. Still forget now and again.
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Next. The first thing that goes into the pan is called sizing. I switched from one type of sizing (methyl cellulose) to a different type, carrageenan.
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OMG. I should have made that switch long ago. Yes, it’s more expensive, and when you make up a batch, you have to use it up within a week’s time, or else it goes bad.
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But I get such better results from it! The colors are so much brighter and adhere better.
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Second, I made the switch from pre-mixed paints to buying and mixing my own. Again, the difference in color is striking.
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The first is a typical sheet using the old process. The second is using the new. While there are still issues, the colors are so much brighter and more vivid.
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Mixing up my own colors is also something that I get to practice. As well as remember that I’m an artist.
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I’ve been watching a lot of YouTube videos on marbling, learning more techniques as well as trouble-shooting what I’ve been doing wrong.
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One of the people recommended keeping a journal and noting down formulas for paint mixes, as well as keeping track of what went well and what didn’t during a marbling session.
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That makes sense…on the surface.
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I’ve mixed up three batches of paint so far. The first batch I did completely by feel. A squirt of paint, a little water, a drop of surfactant, etc. Almost all of my paints turned out perfect.
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The second batch I tried to be more “scientific” about it. 1Tablespoon of paint. 2 teaspoons of water, etc.
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None of my paints were right. I had to add more water or more paint to almost all of them to get them to work.
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I had to remind myself that I work best by “feel” as it were.
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Chefs know what the temperature of a piece of meat is just by poking at it. I’ve practiced this, and when I grill something, I am now generally within a few degrees.
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For the third batch of paints, I got most of them to the correct consistency the first time by feel again. Formulas are never going to work for me. For the others, I had to play with them a bit.
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You need to find that Goldilocks consistency when it comes to paint. It has to be light enough to float on the sizing, but still thick enough that the color remains true. And it has to spread correctly. I have a small pan that I use for testing my paints. The darker colors, that is, the ones with more pigment, are much trickier. I’m still figuring out exactly the right consistency.
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This afternoon, I’m going to be finishing at least one, possibly two, of the book slip cases that I’ve made, covering them with paper that I’ve marbled. I’ve already practiced on one. Hopefully that will be enough, and that I won’t be wasting the marbled paper (and the box!) by making uncorrectable mistakes.
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Here’s to more practice! What have you been practicing lately?
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Yay! It's here! The next novel in the Water Witch mystery series! It will be available in the KRP store on August 10th, while generally available August 21st. On August 22nd, I'll have a signing for the book at Bundok Books.
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AJ’s latest vision shows a witch poisoning a man dressed in Renaissance garb. As the troupe of actors coming to put on one of Shakespeare’s plays won’t travel to Milltown until the end of the week, AJ and Roland decide that they can still take their vacation safely.
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Only to discover when AJ and Roland arrive that the troupe hasn’t left the mountain resort town. And that a witch travels with them.
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AJ had hoped that she’d get along with any peers she might meet.
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However, the murderous leader of this coven lacks any remorse.
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And it takes only one bad apple to spoil the entire barrel.
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The Bad Apple Witch—the latest Water Witch Mystery—pits AJ against women with magical powers. Fortunately, AJ has friends (as well as other witches) she can rely on solve not just the current murder, but a whole slew of them. As well as an entire oceanside community full of quirky characters who are also more than willing to help.
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Come enjoy AJ finally finding her place, and maybe, perhaps, a sustainable living situation with Roland, her lover.
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