washi cardbooks for etegami journaling

Since I began posting my baby steps in art journaling, I've received a lot of queries about the washi card booklets I use, so I thought I'd take this chance to introduce them in greater detail than I can on Facebook or by email.  The Kuretake postcard book shown here contains 20 pages of medium-bleed washi cards. Perforated so that they can be removed, stamped, and mailed off, of course. But that's not all. In addition to the perforations at the top, it has perforations on the sides and bottom, so that after you paint your etegami, you can "crop" it down to the standard postcard dimensions, giving your etegami greater focus. You do have to be careful not to let anything important-- like the words-- stray into the margin area that will be lost when the card is cropped.

If you've read my book A Beginner's Guide to Etegami, you know that orthodox procedure for etegami is to paint freely past the border of your card and onto a large piece of paper that you've placed under the card to take the overflow. That is how you get the cropped look without actually cropping the etegami. This  card book gives you an easy way to cheat, especially if you're having a hard time allowing yourself the freedom to paint beyond the border of your standard-sized postcard. I have no hesitation about painting with abandon and spreading my image beyond the borders of my cards, so I'm not sure how I feel about this easy alternative.  But if you struggle against a tendency to draw tight images in the middle of your card, this may be one way to give a freer look to your work. I bought the Kuretake booklet, so I'll use it eventually.

The next two photos show the card book I am currently using. Like the Kuretake card book shown above, this Maruman card book has 20 cards perforated at the top for easy removal. The bleed quality is about the same as the Kuretake card book. The Maruman book is smaller because it is already postcard-sized, without the removable margins that the Kuretake card book has. So it's easier to slip into your bag or pocket if you plan to paint in it while traveling or just rambling in the neighborhood.

I ordered both the Kuretake and the Maruman from Amazon Japan, and have not done any research to see if it is also available outside of Japan or from other online vendors. However, I did receive a comment from a beginning etegami artist who found the Maruman card books at some kind of "super sale" in the US ---perhaps at a major stationery goods supplier? Anyway, judging by the English writing on the cover of both brands, chances are good you can find them outside of Japan.

etegami starter kit

The Japan Etegami Society, of which I am a member, has recently come out with a very reasonably priced Etegami Starter Kit that can only be ordered through them. It contains everything you need for experimenting with traditional etegami, and at a lower cost than any other kit I've seen. If you are interested in ordering one, you can purchase it through my Etsy shop, along with some other useful etegami-making equipment. You can't buy it without first discussing the order and shipping options with me by private message on Etsy. When we come to an agreement, I will set up a reserved order for you. If there is no interest, I will probably remove the listing. As always, if you know of an online supplier of etegami supplies (especially washi cards) that has a website in English, and who is willing to ship overseas, please comment below! We are always looking for efficient ways to get etegami supplies out to you. Much of the information readers have shared here in the past is already out-of-date.

UPDATE: As of May 3, the starter kit and all the other items offered in the listing have been SOLD OUT and I have de-activated the listing. Contact me if you need something in particular, and I will try to direct you to an online supplier. 

blank washi postcards now in my etsy shop

Many of you have asked me how to order etegami materials online, and I've written several posts sharing what information I could dig up on the subject. Some of you have found what you were looking for, some have improvised and come up with great solutions, and many others have continued to be frustrated by the difficulty of selecting and ordering the right kind of paper.

So, I finally broke down and decided to start offering blank washi postcards on my Etsy shop. Today I posted two different brands of Hongasenshi, the cardstock that I personally recommend for Etegami. I don't know the language that Western artists use to describe paper, so all I can say is that I like the way these two brands of paper interact with ink and paint.

I'm hoping that you can use the writing brushes and paints that you already have, or that you can find a supplier for them with less difficulty than it has been to find the right kind of paper.

Go here to learn more about the washi cards I am offering on my shop. If you could order directly from the paper suppliers, it would end up being much cheaper for you, since my prices reflect the postage, Japanese sales tax, and handling fees that I have to pay when I order the supplies. But at least this will be an easier way for you to get your washi cards. : )

mail order name seals (chops)

I have had soooo many readers ask me how they can get their own name seals (hanko) for use with etegami and other art in the traditions of Japan or China. Etegami is a folk art that makes no pretense at being Great Art, so I usually recommend carving your own hanko from a rubber eraser. I describe the process in this post.

However, I do understand the attraction of having one professionally engraved, using Chinese or Japanese characters that were chosen to fit the pronunciation-- or even meaning-- of your name. I recently came across an online business that might suit the purpose. It was mentioned in one of the discussion groups on the IUOMA (International Union of Mail Artists) website. I haven't used their services myself, you understand, but the website is in English; they accept credit cards; you can even pay via Pay Pal; and it seems they will ship anywhere in the world. They are called SEALSTONES.COM

If you've been searching for a way to have a wood or stone hanko designed for you, I hope this information helps. If you have tried other sources, and found one you can recommend, let me know so I can add the information here.

buying etegami materials online

So many of you have asked for advice on where the tools and paper for etegami can be purchased. Several of you have suggested promising websites. But so far, the only cardstock I've found that is produced specifically for etegami, and that can be ordered online from the US, is on the JetPens website. Thanks, Cole for being the first to direct me to this page! Etegami cardstock is usually labeled gasenshi, wagasenshi, or hongasenshi. Packages of these cards usually come with some sort of indicator of nijimi quality (which allows ink to bleed/spread sideways).

I prefer cardstock with the highest level of nijimi. The cards shown on the JetPens website have a scale of nijimi printed on the package. The placement of the circle in the row of boxes indicates the nijimi level, and the further left that circle is, the greater the nijimi. The attached photo (top) shows the set of cards that has the highest nijimi level on the JetPens page. This would be my choice. However, cards with high nijimi can be difficult for beginners to handle, so you may want to order cards of varying nijimi levels and test them till you find the one you're most comfortable with.

The JetPens website also offers a set of gansai paints (middle photo). They call it "Akashiya watercolor paints," but the box itself says Gansai on it in Japanese characters, so I feel safe in recommending it as the same type of paints I use. I was unable to find the kind of brush pens or sumi ink I use on this site. They do have some kind of brush pens, but they seem different from the ones we use for etegami.

I've ordered several etegami sets from Amazon JP, just to test them, and I like one well enough to recommend to you, but Amazon JP will not ship the item (see bottom photo) to overseas addresses. It comes with everything you need to start etegami, including a brush pen for outlines, a different kind of brush pen for coloring, an ink stick for making sumi ink, and a booklet introducing the art of etegami (in Japanese, with lots of pictures). The only complaint I have about this set is that the sample postcards included with it do not have much nijimi.

I emailed Kuretake (JP), the company that makes this etegami set, asking for leads to online shops. They kindly responded almost immediately, but could only give me the names and numbers of one US-based art supply store and one UK-based art supply store which carry Kuretake products. If you live within the telephone area code of the following businesses, it may be worth your while to call them. You can also contact them by email. Apparently, Kuretake (JP) has already informed them of my search, so they should be prepared to help you.

Company name: KURETAKE (U.K.) LTD.

Tel: +44-1527-523-799

Contact: Ms. Samantha Deykin

E-mail: samantha@kuretake.co.uk

Company name: FLAX art & design

Tel: +1-415-552-2355

Contact: Mr. Philip Flax

E-mail: pflax@flaxart.com