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Suminagashi: Learn The 900-Year Old Japanese Art Of Floating Ink
Your first masterpiece in 2 hours, even if you've never touched a brush.
Imagine if you could:
pull one-of-a-kind marbled prints from a tray of water using a technique so mesmerising it looks like a Japanese artisan's secret.
turn blank washi into flowing ink art that you can frame, bind into journals, or gift to someone you love.
have a calming, meditative creative hobby that takes you offline and into a world of water, ink, and quiet breath.
make handmade prints that cost under $1 a sheet in materials but look like they came from a Kyoto paper shop.
You might be thinking this is extremely hard.
A 900-year-old Japanese ink floating tradition? It sounds like something only trained artisans or paper masters can pull off.
But what if I told you that you don't need artistic talent, expensive equipment, or any prior experience?
Here's what most people don't realize.
The most beautiful suminagashi prints come from the simplest touches.
A drop of ink, a drop of surfactant, and a sheet of washi laid on still water. $30 of materials. That's all it takes to pull something breathtaking.
As long as the water is still and the ink is mixed correctly, the surface paints itself.
You touch the brush to the water. You breathe. You lay the paper. And suddenly, you're lifting a piece of art.
"Will my suminagashi look as stunning as yours, even if I'm not artistic?"
Yes.
You're not sketching or painting. The water creates the image. You just touch the brush, breathe, and lay the paper.
If you can fill a cup with water, you can do this.
This course teaches you the three things that matter:
how still your bath is, how you load the two brushes, and how you lift the print.
Anyone can learn suminagashi.
→ Even if you've never touched an ink brush. A clear step-by-step method that works with basic materials and zero experience.
→ Even if you think Japanese paper marbling is too complex. It's not. You just never had the right teacher.
→ Even if every craft you've tried ended in frustration. Suminagashi is forgiving by nature. Even "failed" pulls become part of the print's character.
→ Even if you don't consider yourself "artistic." A tray, two brushes, some ink, and a little patience. That's it.
The Philosophy Behind the Practice
Suminagashi carries four Japanese principles that quietly change how you see creativity, beauty, and yourself.
No two prints are ever the same. The water surface can never be recreated. That's not a limitation. That's the entire point.
The uneven rings, the soft bleeds, the quiet asymmetry of the swirls. These aren't flaws. They're what make your print alive.
Your breath moves the ink. Your mind gets quiet. The floating is the practice. The print is just the reward.
Just you, water, and ink. Every print you pull holds a moment that existed only once.
My name is Aiko Mori.
15+ years practicing and teaching suminagashi. From traditional black-ink floats to modern multi-color layered pulls. From postcards to folding-screen endpapers to full gallery pieces.
Hundreds of prints pulled, and over 200 students taught in small studio sessions and weekend workshops.
I picked up suminagashi feeling burned out and creatively empty. Within a week I was floating ink in every bowl in my kitchen. That obsession never left. I just learned to channel it.
Introducing: The Suminagashi
Masterclass
墨流し ・ From still water to flowing art.
2+ hours of step-by-step videos across 15+ lessons
✦ What's Inside ✦
The Living Tradition (Understanding Suminagashi)
- ✦ The 900-year history of suminagashi, born in the Heian court as decorated paper for poetry and letters
- ✦ The four foundational patterns (rings, feathers, breath, comb) and which ones to start with for the most striking first prints
- ✦ Why stillness and breath produce more beautiful prints than any amount of drawing skill
- ✦ How to read a suminagashi print so you can design and compose your own
Your Suminagashi Toolkit (Materials & Setup)
- ✦ The $30 shopping list with exact product links that gives you everything you need for your first 20+ prints
- ✦ The two-brush setup every suminagashi artist uses: one for ink, one for surfactant, and why it's the secret to clean rings
- ✦ Ink stick vs bottled sumi ink: which one floats better and why
- ✦ How to set up your floating tray at any desk or kitchen table in 10 minutes
Basic Techniques & Water Effects
- ✦ How to prepare your float bath step by step: water depth, temperature, and the two minutes of stillness most beginners skip
- ✦ The three ink concentrations (deep, medium, pale) and why your print comes alive when you alternate them
- ✦ Ink vs surfactant: the two-brush rhythm that creates concentric rings on the water surface
- ✦ How to lay and lift your paper so the pattern transfers crisp every single time
The Four Foundational Patterns
- ✦ Concentric rings: the foundational pattern that teaches rhythm, spacing, and calm hands
- ✦ Feathered lines: the fine-stick technique that pulls rings into flowing, plume-like streaks
- ✦ Breath patterns: the gentle exhale that moves ink across the surface like wind on water
- ✦ Combed swirls: the slow drag that turns rings into the classic marbled waves
Advanced Suminagashi (Layered & Color Prints)
- ✦ Multi-layer pulls: capturing one pattern, then a second on top, to build depth and atmosphere
- ✦ Indigo & color work: the traditional black-and-indigo pairing, plus modern multi-color floats
- ✦ Misty & atmospheric prints: how water temperature and ink dilution create soft, cloud-like pulls
- ✦ From postcard to scroll: scaling your technique up to large-format prints without losing pattern control
You've seen what's inside. Five modules. A complete system for learning, creating, and mastering suminagashi at home.
The full price for this course is $139.
You're not going to pay that today. And the reason is simple.
This is the first time I've offered this course to the public. I want 50 people to go through it. I want to read your emails, see your prints, find out where you get stuck and where you surprise yourself.
That feedback is worth more to me right now than charging full price. Honestly, I also need to find out if I can handle 50 support inboxes without accidentally tipping a tray of ink onto my laptop.
So for this first group, the price is dramatically lower. Once those 50 spots fill, this page comes down and the full price goes live.
Now Only $47
90 Day Money Back Guarantee
🔒 Secure payment 🔒
P.S. If the next page doesn't load... I'm sorry, but the deal has ended!
Try it risk-free
You don't have to make the final decision now.
Get access to the full course. Get your materials. Learn the four patterns. Pull your first suminagashi print. Watch your skills grow with every new sheet.
If you don't love it, email hello@suminagashiclass.com within 90 days for a full refund. Within 24 hours. No questions asked.
But wait, there's more
Order today and you also get:
The Paper Guide: What To Buy And Where
- ✦ The 3 best beginner papers with exact product links
- ✦ What to avoid so you don't waste money on paper that won't lift the ink
- ✦ How to prep each sheet so the pattern transfers crisp on your very first try
The Perfect Float Guide
- ✦ The 3 ink and surfactant ratios that give you beautiful, spreading rings every single pull
- ✦ The water tweaks that keep your patterns sharp and your colors rich
- ✦ The paper lift technique that transfers your design crisp from water to sheet
The Notebook Guide: Turn Your Prints Into Journals
- ✦ How to wrap a print around a blank notebook step by step (no binding skills needed)
- ✦ The glue, fold, and trim technique that makes it look handmade, not amateur
- ✦ Which notebooks to buy so your cover fits perfectly the first time
Here's everything you get:
Now Only $47
90 Day Money Back Guarantee
🔒 Secure payment 🔒
P.S. If the next page doesn't load... I'm sorry, but the deal has ended!
One last thing...
Order today and you also get:
10 Pattern Recipes
- ✦ 10 patterns ranked by difficulty so you start with the easy wins and work up
- ✦ Exact ink and surfactant amounts for every pattern so you never guess
- ✦ Photos of the finished print next to each recipe so you know what you're aiming for
Students Usually Ask
None at all. This course is built for complete beginners, including people who've never touched a sumi brush or a tray of water. Module 1 starts with the fundamentals of suminagashi and walks you through your very first print step by step.
Under $30 total. A pair of beginner sumi brushes ($10 to $15), an ink stick or small bottle of sumi ink ($8 to $12), a pad of washi paper ($5 to $10), and a shallow tray you probably already have at home. The course includes a complete shopping guide with links. You do NOT need expensive specialty supplies.
Yes. Module 2 walks you through exactly which materials to start with based on the patterns you want to pull first. It also includes a shopping guide with specific links so you know exactly where to buy everything and what to avoid.
Everything you need costs under $30. A basic starter kit includes: two small pointed sumi brushes, an ink stick or bottled sumi ink, a surfactant (traditional sumi-nagashi oil or dish soap works), washi paper, a shallow tray, and water. Module 2 covers exactly what to buy and where.
Absolutely. All you need is a desk or kitchen table, a shallow tray of water, and a few sheets of paper. No studio, no workshop, no special equipment. Most of our students pull prints at their kitchen table. You can even do it on a lap desk.
Yes. The materials used in this course are available worldwide through online retailers. Sumi brush sets ship internationally, and most other supplies (ink sticks, washi paper, surfactant) are available anywhere. The course covers alternatives for hard-to-find items.
Your first suminagashi print takes about 20 to 40 minutes from setup to finished. Preparing the float bath and mixing ink takes 10 to 15 minutes, floating and pulling the print takes 5 to 10 minutes, and drying plus signing takes another 5 to 10 minutes. Most students pull three or four prints in a single session.
Your very first print will have that signature suminagashi look. That happens in under an hour. The beauty comes from the water and the technique, not years of practice. The initial "wow" moment is immediate. Every print after that just gets more refined.
Suminagashi is fundamentally different from drawing or painting. The prints are created by floating ink on water, not by sketching or brushwork on paper. If you can fill a cup with water, you can create stunning suminagashi. The water does the artistry for you.
The Troubleshooting Guide covers every common mistake so you can fix almost any issue on your next pull. But honestly, even imperfect suminagashi looks beautiful. That's the magic of this art form. Each print is literally one of a kind. And with paper costing a few cents a sheet, a learning experience is never a disaster.
90-day money-back guarantee. Try the entire course. Get your materials. Paint your first piece. If you don't love it, email us within 90 days and we'll refund you in full. No questions asked. No hoops.
Instant access to our private course platform. All video lessons and downloadable PDFs organized by module. Watch on any device: phone, tablet, or computer. Lifetime access, so go at your own pace. There's no schedule and no expiration.
Yes. Payments are processed through Stripe, the same secure payment platform used by millions of businesses worldwide (including Amazon, Google, and Shopify). We never see your card details.
No. Traditional sumi ink is non-toxic and has been used safely for over a thousand years. It can temporarily stain your hands gray, but it washes off easily with soap and water. The course recommends a small mat under your work to keep things clean, but even direct skin contact is completely harmless. There are no harsh chemicals involved.
Email us at hello@suminagashiclass.com and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.
Here's everything you get:
Now Only $47
90 Day Money Back Guarantee
🔒 Secure payment 🔒
P.S. If the next page doesn't load... I'm sorry, but the deal has ended!