Supercharge Your Artistic Papermaking โšก๏ธ

Blend papermaking with your art and become a more creative, fearless papermaker.

Finally nail down making professional quality papers for your work! And stretch yourself artistically to make pulp paintings ๐ŸŽจ, sculptures & tons moreโ€”all in your home or small studio space.

The newly finished Ultimate Papermaking School for Artists is the only online papermaking program of its kind, showing you a way to create pro papermaking art through a comprehensive structure. By May Babcock, artist & founder of Paperslurry.

Any of these you?


๐ŸŒŸ You discovered papermaking, fell in love, and want to integrate it as a major part of your practice.
 A self-taught โ€œletโ€™s Google itโ€ education leaves knowledge gaps. You want to go beyond beginner recycled papermaking. To make professional paper for watercolor, pen & ink, bookbinding, etc.โ€”and experiment with the rarer techniques like sculptural papermaking.

๐ŸŒŸ OR, youโ€™ve taken papermaking workshops over the years, but want to continue learning. You want to become a better creative papermaker and figure out how to do papermaking at home without a beater or press.

๐ŸŒŸ OR, youโ€™re a lapsed papermaker who needs a kick in the pants to jumpstart your creative practice. (Finally!) youโ€™re ready to do things you actually enjoy. Starting feels so hard! You forgot so much! But you donโ€™t have to struggleโ€”successful artists know that getting expert help is a game-changer.

๐ŸŒŸ OR, you want to be Earth-friendly or nature inspires your art. Youโ€™ve worked in your medium for years, and have only made very basic paper so far. You want to become a more creative papermaker and start a new fun journey.

the reverse pulp-painting method

learn Mayโ€™s way to pigment pulp

In all these, youโ€™re ready to dive deeper. ๐Ÿฌ

Youโ€™re hooked. You know you have more in you. Itโ€™s time to actually invest in your papermaking art instead of day-dreaming about it.

sample piece showing sculptural papermaking with armatures

Iโ€™m Pioneering a New Way to Learn Papermaking ๐Ÿ’ก

So, you want to learn real-deal papermaking. What are your options?

Letโ€™s say youโ€™re self-taught but the books and videos arenโ€™t enough.

Universities have papermaking if youโ€™re lucky, but that means dropping everything to spend $200,000 on art school. Yikes. ๐Ÿ˜ฌ

๐ŸŒŽ Maybe youโ€™ve done in-person workshops or thought about it, but thatโ€™s taking a week off and paying the class fee (+ $800), materials (+ $90), housing (+ $600), meals (+ $350), and travel (+ $80 for gas if youโ€™re driving, $500 if youโ€™re flying).

You arenโ€™t hallucinating. A one-week papermaking workshop can cost you over $2000. And, youโ€™d need to take a ton of workshops to get really good.

There ๐Ÿ‘ is ๐Ÿ‘ a ๐Ÿ‘ better ๐Ÿ‘ way ๐Ÿ‘.

A way you can expand your papermakingโ€”no matter where you are in the world and even without a Hollander paper beater, press, or dedicated papermaking studio.

Introducing The Ultimate Papermaking School For Artists. You Will Get:

โžก๏ธ 10 MASTERCLASSES
showing you EVERYTHING you need to know, from clarifying basics to a aaaaaallll the pigmenting, pulp painting, sculptural methods, etc.

โžก๏ธ THE 5-PART FORMULA FOR A PAPERMAKING SET-UP
that fits your home or small studio space, and doesnโ€™t require a Hollander beater.

โžก๏ธ A STEP-BY-STEP WAY TO MAKE PROFESSIONAL PAPERS
that you can use for any medium, with recipes for making very thin paper and a standby sturdy paper.

โžก๏ธ OVER 30 LESSONS ON NEXT LEVEL ARTISTIC TECHNIQUES
concise, pre-recorded videos that you can re-watch anytime. All of the methods donโ€™t require heavy papermaking equipment!

โžก๏ธ DEMONSTRATION NOTES
for each masterclass that you can download for easy reference.

โžก๏ธ THE INTERACTIVE SUPPLY DATABASE + CHECKLIST
showing you what to get, where to get it, and substitutions.

โžก๏ธ 9 EXPERIMENTAL CHALLENGES
to stretch yourself artistically and integrate papermaking into your creative work.

All included in this self-study, online program.

Papermaking made for artists, by an artist ๐Ÿ‘ฉ๐Ÿปโ€๐ŸŽค.
By Paperslurry founder May Babcock.

The Secret? The Paperslurry Methodology 

The Paperslurry Methodologyโ„ข๏ธ is my proprietary art education framework. You learn papermaking through rapid prototyping, a โ€œdesign-thinkingโ€ concept of making small-scale tests instead of finished art. This approach is common among designers, less common with papermaking artists ๐ŸŒŸ.

This way, you're able to do a full range of artistic papermaking techniques at home or in a smaller space, without a press or beater!

By the end of the school, youโ€™ll

1๏ธโƒฃ Learn a college-semesterโ€™s quantity of content while having fun along the way ๐Ÿ˜€.

3๏ธโƒฃ Have a world of techniques you can do, because of this comprehensive base.

2๏ธโƒฃ Embrace experimentation over perfection to dig deeper into papermaking for your work.

4๏ธโƒฃ Be excited and productive, with a bunch of new ideas for your work long into the future. ๐ŸŽ‰

Whatโ€™s Inside: The School Curriculum

(click the โฌ‡๏ธ drop-down arrows to read more)

    • Why you shouldnโ€™t invest in heavy, big, or expensive equipment all at onceโ€”and what specific tools we recommend instead that wonโ€™t take up too much space.

    • Exactly what materials you need to get, where to find them, and when you need them. In the Interactive Supply Database, youโ€™ll get low-waste or zero-waste alternatives, or other options to accommodate both whatโ€™s available to you and your budget.

    • The inโ€™s and outโ€™s of choosing a paper mould & deckle, and how to make a long-lasting, professional mould and deckle.

    • What paper fibers the school will use, where to get them, and why theyโ€™re ideal for the creative techniques introduced in this school.

    • How to construct a small, simple paper press in a way that doesn't require a woodshop.

    • And how to decide where you should make paper, depending on your available spaces.

    • The methods I recommend on how to make dependable paper pulp without a Hollander paper beater.

    • A reliable paper recipeโ€”complete with fiber ratiosโ€”that results in smooth, strong, and flexible handmade paper suitable for a remarkably wide range of mediums.

    • Exactly how to skillfully form sheets at the vat with a mould & deckle, with instructions on pulp to water ratios, the technique, and why this step is important for even sheets.

    • How to use your newly-built paper press and why pressing is key.

    • Our recommended methods for drying your wet papers so that they stay flat, without the need for a complex drying system.

    • Acheive super thin, but remarkably strong paper that wonโ€™t fall apart

    • This paper is also suitable for a range of mediums

    • How to alter the slurry and your sheet formation method to get this very thin, beautiful paper

    • How to tweak these papers depending on the purpose of your paperโ€”the mediums youโ€™re planning to use them for (such as watercolor vs. calligraphy, woodcut printmaking vs. cyanotype)

    • How to properly โ€˜sizeโ€™ your papers so that they do not bleed if you plan on using your papers for wet media, such as ink or watercolor, or even other mediums like cyanotype that require a more waterproof paper

    • How to add rich color to your paper by toning with the EASIEST natural dye recipe.

    • How to โ€˜burnishโ€™ your paper for a ridiculously smooth surface, if youโ€™re doing something like pen and ink calligraphy

    • Youโ€™ll learn simple yet surprisingly effective creative twists to push your papers beyond a boring flat, white sheetโ€”so that when you use your papers for other mediums, they transform your work into something entirely yours, special, and stand-out.

    • Youโ€™ll get a curated group of techniques that are beginner-friendlyโ€”but donโ€™t look elementary at all.

    • Youโ€™ll learn how to embed (a.k.a. trap) objects in-between the paper, and how that opens up a world of conceptual possibilities.

    • Youโ€™ll also get my guide to including other materials into the pulp itself, so that you can achieve an all-over, confetti-like effect OR complete finished-looking collaged artworks.

    • One of the bigger mysteries in the universe is how to color pulp. The Ultimate Papermaking School for Artists dedicates an entire masterclass on how to do just thatโ€”even down to details like how choosing your fiber source here actually matters.

    • Youโ€™ll learn how to pigment pulp into a range of colorsโ€”and why this method is ideal for achieving brilliant, long-lasting colors.

    • Youโ€™ll also learn how to mix different colors of pulp and types of fibers to achieve a wider range of paper tones and textures

    • And, youโ€™ll gain access to the recipe for my โ€˜cosmic papermakingโ€™ technique thatโ€™s so easy and fun, itโ€™ll be love at first sight. ๐Ÿ˜

    • Once youโ€™ve pigmented your pulps, you have what you need to make pulp paintingsโ€”paintings that are made entirely of paper. No paint is involved, only your pigmented pulp.

    • Youโ€™ll first learn how to achieve abstract, watercolor-like effects in your pulp paintings using your pigmented pulps.

    • Then, youโ€™ll learn how to get fine lines and sharp edges in your pulp paintings.

    • Iโ€™ll also teach you my reverse mark-making method of pulp paintingโ€”an elegant and beautiful approach that I love for several reasons.

    • Finally master the โ€˜blowoutโ€™ method, using my way that doesnโ€™t leave you soaked with water!

    • Youโ€™ll learn how to do veils and gradientsโ€”using pulp like silkscreen printing.

    • And finallyโ€”for those of you who like breaking all the rulesโ€”how to make free-form pulp paintings that break free from the rectangular format of traditional painting.

    • This is where we really push the possibilities of papermaking into outer space with a selection of techniques that allow paperโ€™s material presence to sing like Celine Dion.

    • Youโ€™ll learn a ridiculously easy way to emboss papers with a range of patterned surface textures.

    • Iโ€™ll teach you how to make woven grid paperโ€”a technique unique to hand papermaking

    • And, youโ€™ll learn how to make COLOSSAL, LARGE PAPERS (as big as your tablespace or floorspace) without having to invest in a larger paper mould & deckle. HOORAY! GO BIG OR GO HOME, Yโ€™ALL.

    • Iโ€™ll first teach you how to make paper pulp casts through 3 methods: (1) creating thicccc, low-relief paper casts the quick and easy way, and (2) making fully three dimensional paper casts using found objects or removable armatures as your mold, and (3) the simplest pulp casting technique.

    • Youโ€™ll also learn the dipping method to create paper sculptures, and why itโ€™s one of the most irresistible ways to completely transform wire, string, and more into fabulous works of art.

    • Iโ€™ll also teach you my special โ€˜drapingโ€™ method to make beautifully organic looking sculptures.

    • And finally, youโ€™ll learn ways to securely โ€˜wrapโ€™ objects and armatures with wet sheets of paper, an easy technique that combines beautifully with the previous sculptural approaches.

    • Itโ€™s MAGIC. A watermark is a hidden design, image, or mark within a paper that is only visible when held up to a light. Youโ€™ll get an overview of watermarks, understand how they exactly work, and see the creative possibilities of this subtle and magical technique.

    • Youโ€™ll learn how to make your very own hidden watermark design with 3 approaches: linear watermarks, graphic watermarks, and my very own โ€˜water drawings.โ€™

    • And, youโ€™ll learn how to optimize your vat for watermarks.

Sample Video Clips

5 PART FOUNDATIONAL SETUP

PIGMENTING & PULP PAINTING

ALTERNATIVE TECHNIQUES

MAKING QUALITY PAPERS

SIZING, NATURAL DYES & BURNISHING

SCULPTURAL PAPERMAKING

How Does This Papermaking School Compare?

For you get this same level of education outside of academia, youโ€™d have to take at least 6 weeklong workshops, if not many more. A typical in-person, weeklong papermaking workshop can cost you $2000 after the class fee, lodging, and travel.

Letโ€™s do the math. $2000 x 6 workshops = $12,000.

The Ultimate Papermaking School has a $12,000 value.

sample piece showing the woven grid technique

How It Works

The Ultimate Papermaking School for Artistsโ„ข๏ธ is taught in an online classroom where youโ€™ll learn creative papermaking through the Paperslurry Methodologyโ„ข๏ธ. ๐Ÿช„

  • HOW TO ACCESS - You can log in and access the video masterclasses on your own schedule, at any time. Youโ€™ll have access to the school for 3 years after your enrollment date.

  • STRUCTURE - In each of the 10 masterclasses, youโ€™ll watch the pre-recorded video demonstrations in order, then finish with an Experiment to try out what youโ€™ve learned.

  • SCHEDULE - There are no live meetings or live demonstrations. It is a self-study school, where you go through the masterclasses on your own schedule.

  • HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE - You work at your own pace. You are not expected to finish in 10 weeks! Each masterclass will take about 10 hours to complete, including watching the video lessons and doing the Experiments.

  • IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS - I donโ€™t offer 1:1 or group coaching at this time (my plate is very full ๐Ÿ˜…). There are no open comment/question sections or live meetings. This is a self-study program, meaning I designed this course intentionally so you can learn on your own. Donโ€™t worry, my demos and explanations are very detailed and thoroughโ€”I think youโ€™ll be pleased! If you really have a burning question or need my 1:1 advice, use my Online Papermaking Consultation service.

โ€œYou are such a great teacher. You are super clear, straight-forward and you show us what the process is, while adding layers of complexity. Since Iโ€™m self-taught your class is really helpful and valuable to my practice. Iโ€™ve been enjoying your assignments and I love your creative and fun way of approaching the art of papermaking. Thank you for sharing this knowledge.โ€
— Melinda West, West Gardens Basketry

Students Are Saying:

โ€œMayโ€™s course is very comprehensive, giving information on many aspects of paper making. Her videos are very detailed and easy to understand. She includes a lengthy list of materials and optional substitutes. Iโ€™ve made paper before so it was a refresher. I didnโ€™t know that I would like making natural dyes. I also am enjoying embedding materials in two pieces of paper and making the paper sculptural. Fun! Highly recommended. โ€
— Vivian Pratt, mixed media artist
โ€œI am very much a novice in papermaking. I read all kinds of things and research answers to issues when they arise, but Iโ€™ve not had a comprehensive base on which to build. This course has provided that base, but the ah-ha came when I recognized the need and the value to having a sequential structure for all the information. So, form over function and process over product are critical to satisfaction with the workโ€”-this has been my treasure!

Though I havenโ€™t yet completed all lessons, each one I have done the information has been clearly presented and demonstrated. The sessions are expertly designed to increase both knowledge and skills in a concise, logically progressive manner. I highly recommend this course to both beginner and beyond students, as there is much to learn in each classโ€ฆโ€
— Susan Pierce
โ€œClass is complete with all the possibilities for making paper. Some Iโ€™ve explored on my own but other techniques like grid papers is something Iโ€™ve always wondered about. And making thin papers with abaca and formation aid is eye opening. May covers all the ins and outs of color and pulp painting. Very complete class. Iโ€™m enjoying it and learning so much!โ€
— Julie Proctor
โ€œI love what you are teaching us in this course. Iโ€™m new to paper as an art form. I started August 2023. I have learned an enormous amount of information. Seeing how itโ€™s done is way better than reading instructions. The pulp painting is endlessly enjoyable and rich in mindfulness. Thank you, thank you for this course. Itโ€™s incredible.โ€
— Mary Hahn Ward
โ€œI like your course because it is realistic for someone who wants to do home or small studio papermaking, and does not have access to a Hollander beater. I like your extensive discussion of equipment, and your demos are great. I can clearly see what you are doing. Whatโ€™s valuable is that I can keep coming back to it if Iโ€™m unclear on something. When you take a class in person, when itโ€™s over, you just have your notes.

To me, it was clearly worth the cost, because it clarifies what I already know, as a beginning, papermaker, and enhances my knowledge and understanding of the various processes.๐Ÿ™‚โ€
— Carol LaBorie

About the Instructor

May Babcock is an artist based in the United States, founder of PAPERSLURRY, and creator of THE ULTIMATE PAPERMAKING SCHOOL FOR ARTISTS.

May discovered papermakingโ€™s transformative power while completing her MFA. Today, she innovates in her studio, making papermaking art from plants to give voice to waterways.

May has taught papermaking at renowned art schools such as RISD and SMFA at Tufts University, Penland School of Craft, Womenโ€™s Studio Workshop, and other places she canโ€™t remember right now. Exhibitions include the RISD Museum of Art, New Bedford Whaling Museum, Fitchburg Art Museum, and the Ogden Museum of Southern Art. She has also installed public art at Brown University, Illinois State Museum, and T.F. Green International Airport.

Youโ€™ll be in good hands!

Frequently Asked Questions

  • The class does not meet live at any point. There are no scheduled meetings or demonstrations. The Ultimate Papermaking School for Artists is taught in an online classroom where you can log in and access the video masterclasses on your own schedule, at any time, wherever you are in the world. You work at your own pace.

  • Yes, school will be accessible for 3 years after your enrollment date, for you to login and access anytime through your account.

  • Paperslurry does not provide any materials, supplies, or kits. Why? A major goal for students is to build up your own papermaking set-up and know where to find tools and supplies in the future.

    The first masterclass is dedicated to establishing foundational papermaking set-up, to be used for the entire program. Youโ€™ll learn what you need to get and where to get it.

  • No, this school is focused on techniques for art making using purchased and recycled fibers. (Though keep in mind, all paper is made from plants originally! Even your recycled paper comes from mostly trees. Trees are plants.)

    Since plant papermaking is both AWESOME and A WHOLE OTHER THING TO GET INTO, in the future I will be offering a separate online school how to make paper from plants.

  • No, this school does not teach production papermaking, a.k.a. producing sheets at a large volume that you would then sell at retail or wholesale.

    This school focuses on techniques for making paper for your art medium, and making art with paper pulp itself.

  • No experience in papermaking is necessary to take this training school. This school is for artists and the curious who want to incorporate creative papermaking into what they already do.

  • Nope. The fact that youโ€™re here reading this is evidence that you have a natural curiosity, and curious people have the potential to be GREAT artists. So youโ€™ll learn a lot and find joy in papermaking even if you donโ€™t identify as an artist, yet.

  • If for any reason you are not satisfied with your purchase, you may request a 100% refund within 30 days of your enrollment by emailing may@paperslurry.com.

  • Each masterclass will take around 12 hours to complete. This includes watching the video lessons and completing the Pulp-y Experiments.

  • Yes! It may seem like a hurdle because papermaking is a hands-on process, but not only is it possible, it is more optimal because you can learn at your own pace and create your own set-up for papermaking.

  • Nope! The school is designed to be completed in order, and it is not possible to breakup the different masterclasses.

    Once you enroll, you can login and access the masterclass videos all in the same online classroom.

  • Please email may@paperslurry.com and Iโ€™ll help you out!

  • Yes, if youโ€™re looking to upgrade your creative papermaking techniques. Though this course is not focused on production papermaking, many of the artistic methods can easily apply to what you already do as a papermaker.

  • I donโ€™t offer 1:1 or group coaching at this time (my plate is very full ๐Ÿ˜…). There are no open comment/question sections or live meetings. This is a self-study program, meaning I designed this course intentionally so you can learn on your own. Donโ€™t worry, my demos and explanations are very detailed and thoroughโ€”I think youโ€™ll be pleased! If you really have a burning question or need my 1:1 advice, use my Online Papermaking Consultation service.

  • No worries! I made an 'Interactive Supply Database' with several substitutions for each supply. So, you can use what's available to you. Around 50% of my students are not in the USA, so this course is designed to work no matter where you are in the world.

Join The Ultimate Papermaking School for Artists

This time next year, youโ€™ll be making your own art papers, โ€œpaintingโ€ with pulp, and making your best work yet.

JUST $495 TO LEARN FROM A MASTER AND BECOME A PAPERMAKING ROCKSTAR ๐Ÿคฉ

Proud to offer a 30-day, 100% money-back guarantee (that you wonโ€™t need because it is AWESOME.) ๐ŸŒŸ