I have been painting with ink on Xuan paper for some time now. Xuan paper is a traditional rice paper used especially for Chinese calligraphy and painting. I use different Xuan papers, from raw to semi-raw alternating as I need. Each variety has a different strength, texture, and ability to absorb water, which allows me to apply layers and rework them without breaking them.
A couple of weeks ago, I came across the Korean technique of joomchi which uses mulberry paper. Joomchi is made by layering no less than four layers of mulberry paper, each layer “glued” with water and then kneading them together to form a cloth-like paper.
I made mine with four already painted rice papers to see what would happen. The fibers are too short and the paper tore easily during the kneading process. Still, I really like the transparency and quality of the new surface. At the end I added some stitches to reinforce the torn areas and to play with the lines.