Using Rice Paper

Question

I have ordered rice paper with which to make butterflies. It is so delicate though. Is there a way to coat the back with something like clear gesso and still have the look of translucent water color and airy? Is there another type of paper that might work instead?

This is the rice paper that I ordered. It is very thin, delicate and almost like tissue paper.

Answer 1

Because many types of paper go under the name ‘rice paper’ (pretty much any paper that is thin and semi-transparent) it will be useful to post a close-up picture to determine what type of paper you actually have.

I’ve often heard washi (or mulberry paper) being called rice paper. It is thin, semi-transparent, soft - almost cloth-like:

If that's the kind of paper you have consider that:

• starch or gelatin is generally used to size paper
• you can also use other transparent adhesive like PVA or rabbit skin gluе (PVA is white but becomes transparent when dry)
• the less you dilute whatever you chose to use, the stiffer paper you’ll end up with

I’ve seen art stores sell pieces of handmade paper that is thin and semi-transparent, with distinct fibers (like in the image below) but unlike washi they are quite stiff. There is wide variety of textures to choose from. These might work for your project well.

Answer 2

The question asks whether there is another type of paper that would be less delicate. Here are some ideas.

1. Shoji screens have to stand up to handling, so a number of manufacturers use a synthetic material instead of paper. A few examples:

   • A paper-like fiberglass fabric that's cleanable and nearly indestructible. For example: http://www.eagerplastics.com/shojiscreen.htm.
   • I've seen references to a product called Synskin from Tap Plastics used by some shoji screen makers. It's some kind of translucent or frosted plastic film or very thin sheet, but I couldn't find details on it.
   • Shoji screens are sometimes made with what looks like paper but is actually either a plastic-laminated shoji paper or a a paper print film laminated between sheets of acrylic. For example: http://www.shojidesigns.com/materials/warlon.html

2. Moving away from materials typically used where rice paper would be used, there are non-woven synthetic fabrics that can be similar or can be used for a similar purpose. If you need relatively small pieces, you can cannibalize it from disposable hair covers, beard protectors, or accordion-folded dust masks.

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   If you want to paint the material, something as thin as the beard mask above wouldn't be suitable. These kinds of materials can also be bought in sheets and rolls sold for applications like dust covers under upholstered furniture, dust filters on ducts and air vents, and interfacing in clothing. Featherweight/lightweight versions range from nearly see-through to translucent, and it is much tougher stuff than rice paper. Pellon is one of the big manufacturers.

3. Tyvek may be a substitute and is nearly indestructable.

Note that everything listed here is some form of synthetic material. If you want to paint it, water colors probably won't adhere well. You would need to use an appropriate kind of paint. Permanent markers, like Sharpies, generally stick to these materials and are available in a wide variety of colors. Some of the Pellon materials have a surface resembling felt. If you want to paint the material, consider the surface texture.