Extracted from carrageen seaweed.
Carrageenan marbling size.
Carrageenan was not always a popular marbling size as it is today especially when marbling first came to europe in the 17th century from ottoman turkey instead gum tracaganth was the prime marbling size used as it was the main size used in ebru turkish marbling carrageenan had a reputation for spoiling very quickly within one to two days as opposed to gum tracaganth which lasts for several days which also take several days to dissolve into a workable size what made carrageenan useful was the fact that carrageenan allowed for a cleaner more defined edge between colours it was cheaper and it was much more accessible than gum tracaganth which had to be obtained from the eastern mediterranean which still is today this changed however in the late 19th century when josef halfer a marbler discovered that by adding borax a neutral antiseptic salt into the carrageenan it would extend the lifespan of the carrageenan size from two days to eight days borax did not alter any properties of the carrageenan size other than it helped boost the spread of the colours which is useful after using the size for a number of times saturating the size with ox gall which will eventually hinder the floating of the colours this and the cheaper cost of carrageenan eventually led to the disuse of gum tracaganth in european marbling.
Carrageenan is a seaweed extract and is the traditional marbling size.
Recommended proportions for marbling.
United art and education original art project.
Ideally you will have approximately one inch of solution and approximately 1 4 1 2 inch of space between the top of the solution and the top of the tray.
They are non toxic and often used as thickening agents in the food and pharmaceutical industries.
Kappa carrageenan refined 2 ounces 4 7 out of 5 stars 125 7 95 jar melo marbling painting kit non toxic painting on water.
Lambda grade carrageenan in powdered form used to make marbling water size.
To remove bubbles skim the surface of the solution with a piece of regular paper or newsprint.
The benefit to using methyl cellulose is that it does not spoil over time and can be left out indefinitely.
If your size is too dirty your colors will no longer expand as well as they should.
I ve tried with 0 5 and 0 6 guar water 5 6gr per liter ratio and i can say that it behaves somewhat ok i ve not tried yet the carrageenan so i can t tell you anything about the difference.
Carrageenan is expensive so marblers try to use their size as long as possible.
Creative marbling art for children 4 2 out of 5 stars 140 20 99 next what other items do page.
The alum mixture should be 1 4 cup to 1 1 quart of water instead of the ratio listed in the video.
Instead of carrageenan you can use methyl cellulose for your size.
Right now i m using a guar gum size.
Carrageenan and methocel are two different products used to make marbling size.
For larger quantities repeat using same proportions.
4 teaspoons 19 g carrageenan to 1 gal 3 79 l water.
You can print 20 to 25 sheets or so on a tray of size before it starts to get too dirty to use any longer.
In a blender slowly add the carrageenan to 3 cups 0 71 l warm water and blend until fully dispersed.
Pour the carrageenan solution into your marbling tray.
Blend 20g with 3 litres of water to make enough to fill an a3 marbling bath.
