The experiments with making my own materials continue! This week, I made sokui, a glue historically used in Japan and made with only white rice and water. When blended into a smooth paste, the starch in the rice creates a strong bond that is both acid-free — so it won’t degrade the materials being glued over time — and water-soluble. Sokui is commonly used with paper crafts, shoji screens, and in bookbinding; I also found a blacksmith who uses it in making hilts and scabbards for swords. Its solubility makes it super easy to clean up and kitchen-friendly. In my research, I found that sushi rice is recommended, but in my experiment, I used plain off-the-shelf white rice. Brown rice contains the husks of the grain, which won’t break down in the mashing process; even with white rice, I found there were a few husks, but for my purposes, this wasn’t a deal-breaker. With only one sample, I was not able to tell whether or not the additives in the “enriched” rice — such as niacin — had an effect on the final product. The process is very simple: start by cooking a small amount of rice as per the package instructions. I found just 1/8 of a cup of dry rice to be enough to start with. Do not rinse the rice beforehand; in contrast to rice meant to be eaten, you want all those gummy starches in the glue. Once the rice is cooled enough to handle, the mashing process begins. This takes a fair amount of time to fully break down each grain. Some folks will crush the rice in a food processor before cooking, which could speed things up a considerable amount. Overcooking the rice a bit will also help the grains break down. I used an old gift card and the back of a spoon to mash the rice into a paste, working small amounts little by little into a smooth, translucent, and fairly dry paste. Friction is your friend here, so don’t add any water until the final stages when you’re ready to use the glue. The final paste can be pigmented easily; the paste itself dries clear. I added a small amount of homemade India ink. I thought this would be a good chance to try monoprinting. I used a paper towel and the gift card to smooth out the blackened sokui and smudge a design into it. Getting the right consistency takes some experimentation, but is as easy as adding a few drops of water or mixing in more glue. This stuff did not roll out very well with a brayer; it could have been too sticky and thick, which you can see where the paper was pulled away from the ink. The paste will keep in the fridge and can be reconstituted with water, but does get quite rubbery, so it’s best to use it the day it’s made. The result was not what I had expected, but that’s the appeal of a monoprint, I guess! I do like the rough and rustic look in the print; it seems to go well with a saguaro cactus.
This is a simple way to experiment with a simple printing technique without the expense of commercially-manufactured ink. By using pigments found in the kitchen, such as various spices or some of the organic inks I’ve been making from cabbage and black tea, I had no reservations mixing this up in my kitchen. I’m also excited by its potential as a glue for wood projects. Because of the ongoing pandemic, it’s very cool to be able to make this versatile material on-demand and save a trip out. Happy making! Further reading:
- Chad Brown, Center for Creativity Assistant. Find Chad's work on Instagram.
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