Peacock Feather Design

The most popular of the marble designs. This pattern is part of what the Florentine Bookbinders called "Combed Papers" which distinguished them from the rest of the people who practiced the art of Paper Marbling. We need to prepare a a basin where we will pour a gelatine like solution. The base is created mixing water with a well known seaweed called carrageen, this is boiled and kept cold before use to make sure it doesn't deteriorate quickly due to heat or humidity during the whole process. A solution can last for a full day of production but in very humid conditions we might need to change it at least once, so it is always good to keep a couple of spare ones in the fridge just in case. The colours, which are made with a secret recipe, are spread on the surface of the gel and blended together until we get the right combination. Using two different combes we now create the pattern, the first comb is pulled through the gelatine to create the finishing of the design, the second one helps us create the actual Peacock Feather with a variation of bright colours that cannot be obtained with other marbling recipes. We just need to wipe off the excess of the gel from the paper and let it dry on a rack. It's a kind of Magic!