Evoke the ancient art of Chinese watercolor painting by using rice paper as a material to paint on. According to Mark Nesbitt and others in "Curtis’s Botanical Magazine," rice paper was first introduced to Europe in the 1820s by rich Chinese watercolor paintings. Today's artist can utilize this thin and almost translucent paper to create modern paintings.
Underneath
Rice paper is thin and absorbent. Place the paper upon cotton fabric or paper towels if you're using the rice paper for watercolor painting. It helps absorb excess wetness from the paint. Otherwise, the paint can leak onto other areas of the painting and stick to your table. Thick cotton paper can also be placed underneath the rice paper.
Paintbrushes
Use traditional Chinese paintbrushes when painting watercolors onto the rice paper. Any type of soft paintbrush works, too. Chinese paintbrushes are made from sheep or wolf hair and some western watercolor brushes are made from sable. Stiffer paintbrushes can cause scratches or tears into the rice paper.
Crumble
Create texture to your rice paper by first crumbling it into a ball and then flattening it out. The creases form a crackling effect with the painting and adds a different effect. Rice paper typically is found in rolls and needs to be smoothened before using. Heavy books can flatten it out, but crumbling it is a modern twist on this ancient material.
Other Paints
Acrylics and gouaches (opaque waterpaints) can certainly be painted onto rice paper. Add water to these paints before applying them onto the rice paper and use soft brushes. Place paper towels or absorbant paper underneath the rice paper as you would with watercolor painting.
Experiment
Try using Chinese brush techniques when painting on rice paper. The sides of the brush create softer tones, while the tip of the brush is used to form strong dark lines when held completely straight. Holding the brush at a 45-degree angle forms a medium tone.
Practice
Sketch out your painting on drawing paper before you begin painting. Mistakes are difficult to correct on rice paper. Once you paint on it, you can't remove the paint. Draw light pencil marks onto your rice paper before you begin or practice on another piece of rice paper before working on your final painting. Chinese painters work slowly and patiently with the material because of this characteristic.
