Dry Wheat Paste Chine Colle

Dry wheat paste chine colle is a quick method for putting background colors or images into a print. Often it is part of intaglio printmaking methods, but it works with all the printing processes. Using dry wheat paste is fast and quite easy, but it is not the traditional way that chine colle has been done for hundreds of years, with its origin in Asia we believe. Your artist is Bill Ritchie, showing how he made some quick prints of the Busker Etcher, Ethan Lind, at the Pike Place Market one day in June.

[@Sailordoc3349]

very cool video Bill. I knew about Chine Colle by way of your videos. I also have Brian's book, but I did not know about this process. Thank you for your teaching, you truly have a gift for it.

[@TheKatykeenan]

Very nice Bill. thanks for the lesson....a revisiting from my days in art school....brings back memories. I loved all my intaglio etching days and would love to get back to it. fyi....i got a Whistler etching...i think part of a true edition on laid rice paper...at a 2nd hand store here in seattle. would love if you could take a look at it with me. I think it's real! when are you at Pike Market again?

[@annrosenthal8194]

Daniel Smith doesn't make it anymore. Where do you get the wheat paste now?! Thanks!

[@paolosaccheri1094]

Hello, I wish to start and have no clues... In packages of rice or wheat starch in powder for chine collé I normally read Needs to be cooked. Have you tried to use or do you know if it is possible to use plain rice or wheat powder starch like you do with this dry wheat paste? Do are different dry wheat paste and wheat starch? (meaning that if they write dry paste it has been cooked first and then dried again afterwards?). Thanks

[@BillRitchie]

I don't know how they make it. I bought a package of WHEAT PASTE, that's all and it's pretty convenient just to sprinkle on the damp paper. If you can find ARROWROOT STARCH in a health food store, it works great but has to be cooked, like making pudding. I made a video Nihon Chine Colle with Norie Sato, but I don't remember if I put it up on line. I used to use arrowroot starch all the time. People tell me I should be using METHYL CELLULOSE, I think it doesn't require cooking. Yes Paste works, but it yellows the paper in about ten years. Really convenient, but messy.

[@paolosaccheri1094]

so you are saying that in 10 years time the wheat paste in dry form that you used in the video is going to become yellow, correct?

[@BillRitchie]

@@paolosaccheri1094 No, shouldn't do. But Yes Paste does, they say.

[@josephina4792]

Nice video, and I'm intrigued with your beautiful printing press. Is such an item still available to buy?

[@BillRitchie]

Yes it is - I'm not doing the finishing work on them anymore, but I'm happy to refer you to my partner Tom - [e-mail] and he has a website up under his main business www.kughler.com/ep - and look for the small line under the pricing page to see the Mini model.

[@BillRitchie]

If you were in Seattle, you could come and get my bag I bought for the video. Looks like you're in PA, so why not buy some wheat wallpaper paste and refine it in a coffee grinder or blender? Some people told me methyl cellulose is good ro better. Then of course you can go back to arrowroot starch or rice flour. I still like "quick" Yes paste, but costly. I see a video, "How to make cheap wheat paste" on my sidebar. I'll check it out! Thanks for the Question, Ann.