Alum Powder for Chinese Painting, Calligraphy, and Mounting

Immerse yourself in the rich traditions of Chinese painting and calligraphy with our Alum Powder. Alum solution has been an essential ingredient used to size rice paper, transforming it into Shou Xuan, also known as "mature rice paper." This specially treated rice paper is predominantly used in gongbi painting, an elaborate style that requires precise control over color flow and layering.

In gongbi painting, alum water is employed to seal the colors between different wash layers, preventing them from running into each other. Furthermore, alum is widely utilized to create water-resistant effects on raw Xuan paper, offering unique opportunities for artistic expression.

Beyond its role in painting and calligraphy, alum plays a vital role in wet mounting, where it is combined with flour to create mounting paste. A valuable tip: before wet-mounting, apply alum water to dark ink calligraphy strokes or heavy color sections in your painting to prevent bleeding.

Each package contains 10g of alum powder, providing you with a generous supply to explore and enhance your artistic creations.

Usage is as follows:

Step 1: Dissolve the desired amount of powder into a small quantity of warm water (suggested ratio 1:20).

Step 2: Gradually add more water to dilute the solution. For the creation of mature Xuan paper, a recommended ratio is 1/2 teaspoon of alum per cup of water (1:237). Adjust the ratio according to your specific needs, considering factors such as the number of applications of alum water.

Special Note: To create alum water for the Yu Zhixue style ice landscape, pour alum powder into hot water and stir until it no longer dissolves. Please avoid reheating the water to dissolve any remaining alum, as it may result in a thick solution.

Unlock the potential of alum in your Chinese painting, calligraphy, and mounting endeavors. Embrace the preservation and water-resistant properties of alum to elevate your artistic techniques and explore new horizons of creativity.