Japanese Nori (glue) Paste is used in the printing process to bind and disperse the pigment colour and add to its brilliance. Traditionally, rice paste is mixed by hand, but tubes and tubs of Nori are a convenient alternative. The colour can be in the form of a liquid pigment such as Akua Liquid Pigment, artists’ watercolour or gouache, or Sumi ink, so some experimentation with proportions is required. When printing larger areas of colour, a higher proportion of nori to colour is recommended.
Thin down the paste a little until it has the consistency of thick cream. This will prevent the colour from becoming too sticky and damaging the paper. A few drops of nori and, separately, a few drops of colour are dropped onto the block. They are mixed and spread using the maru bake and hanga bake inking brushes.
These tubes and tubs of Nori have been used for decades by Japanese school children for glueing and art projects in the classroom. The glue is completely non-toxic, and being mindful of the environment, the single-use tubes are made from recycled plastic and can be incinerated without danger of toxic emissions.
