Summary: If you open up an antique book and look at its inside cover, yoursquo;re likely to find the paper there a colorful mix of circles and swirls and linesmdash;more than likely the result of a technique known as ebru or Turkish marbling. Itrsquo;s a technique of transferring color to paper without using a paintbrush and is a difficult art to master. Ihsan Colak is not only a PhD student at Indiana University, but also a marbling artist who has spent the last few years honing his skill. The art of Turkish marbling is called ebru. The technique is the transfer of color to paper without using a paintbrush. Colak uses gouache, not oil paint, to create his works. ldquo;I donrsquo;t think any marbling, ebru, masters know whatrsquo;s going on chemically because itrsquo;s on the surface.rdquo; Colak often demonstrates the craft to Bloomington audiences. ldquo;(The gouache) stays on the water and when you put the paper down, the paper absorbs old color. You see all the color is on the paper without any mess.rdquo; Colak came to the art of marbling after trying his hand in music. He tried various instruments such as the ney, a traditional Turkish flute and the violin. Colak says this art is part of his spirit. When he is marbling, he is taken to someplace else other than this world.
