The Papermaker's Bookshelf: 4 Great Resources for Your Studio
While the internet is full of eye-catching papermaking videos, sometimes it can be difficult to know where to begin. One great way to switch up your research routine is to turn to the classic standby--a good old fashioned book!
Lucky for us, papermakers throughout time have written books focused on their processes, experiences, and experiments within the field of hand papermaking. Within a single author’s account, you might discover the antidote for a stubborn papermaking conundrum and the inspiration needed to finally finish up that project you’ve been working on all year.
I always love to peek at what books other papermakers gravitate towards, and each person certainly has their own go-to list of papermaking literature. The books featured below discuss papermaking recipes, paper’s historical and scientific foundations, and technical how-to guides. They are insightful resources for both the novice and advanced hand papermaker. Whether you’re looking for books to add to your wishlist or preparing for a trip to your local library, here are four tried and true favorites (in no particular hierarchy):
THE ART OF PAPERMAKING (Bernard Toale)
GREAT FOR: Technical Explanations
Comprehensive introduction to hand papermaking with historical and technical explanations, as well as color illustrations of contemporary artists’ handmade paper artworks.
FAVORITE SECTION: “European Papermaking” discusses the historical development of Western papermaking with photographs that outline beater production, the scientific properties of dyes and pigments, and the manufacturing of traditional laid moulds.
JAPANESE PAPERMAKING (Timothy Barrett)
GREAT FOR: Historical Explanations
Timothy Barrett recounts his studies of traditional papermaking in Japan, while also providing guidelines for the modern applications of these techniques in the West.
FAVORITE SECTION:In“The Craft in the West”, Timothy Barrett proposes ways to practice Japanese papermaking at home, on both an amateur and professional level. This section includes sheet forming instructions, as well as lists of necessary studio supplies.
THE ART AND CRAFT OF PAPERMAKING (Sophie Dawson)
GREAT FOR: Illustrated GuideIllustrates the hand papermaking process through photographic documentation with supplementary written tutorials for advanced papermaking techniques.
FAVORITE SECTION: “Papermaking Variations” explores pulp painting, watermark techniques, inclusions, and various additional ways to modify your initial paper forms. The large photographs make the instructions visually compelling and easy to follow.
PAPERMAKING(Jules Heller)
GREAT FOR: Comprehensive Reference Guide
Information on various topics in the hand papermaking process with contributions from handmade paper artists and paper mill proprietors.
FAVORITE SECTION: “Part II: Theory and Some Practice” includes a chapter on “Problems and Solutions” which is a gridded list of all potential issues that you might encounter as well as possible ways to resolve those issues. Can’t figure out where those pesky air bubbles are coming from? Wondering why your pulp is foaming in the beater? Heller might have some answers for you.