Ebru Soap, a Learning and Creative Process

So with the Great Cakes Soapworks Ebru soap challenge rapidly approaching, I decided to have a go at a couple of more attempts for practice sake. The first attempt you can see here.

These are my second, third and fourth try.

The first up in line is one I decided to use a new fragrance with, which I knew accelerated. I did not realize quite how badly it would accelerate with 40% lye concentration as well as rice. My high lye concentration buys me eons of time with all recipes I've tried, but when there's an accelerator fragrance, it moves far too fast for any intricate designs.

it wasn't a complete disaster. All in all I love the scent of the fragrance, Rice Shea Blossom from Brambleberry, and I do look forward to using the soap. I really could've worked this fragrance so much better, had I not tried such an intricate design with it.

The next soap was an attempt at a combing design. I used a homemade comb tool, pulled it through after laying colors diagonally in the mold, and then free handed swirls throughout. 

I'm kinda a throw and go colorant gal, so I accidentally over saturated the orange. it's quite reminescent of the fab designs of the 60's and 70's in my opinion.

Unfortunately after I made this intricate skewered design, the soap had reached medium to thick trace, and the ebru effect was a little, blobby, for lack of better term.

The excess orange also seemed to overwhelm the design some.

Onto the next soap. This soap didn't trace for eons. I had so much time swirling, I didn't know if it would ever harden lol. I did an ITP swirl with base colors, platinum grey,  dark steel grey, then some khaki yellow. I spiral swirled in the pot and poured. 

I then worked on the design. I tried my hand at birds this time. all in all I'm getting more comfortable with designing ebru art in soap.

 I've learned thinner batter works much better, a steady hand is very important, and harmonious strokes as well as detail work adds great interest. If your base pour is overly intricate, you run the risk of thickening trace, so keep the base design within a reasonable time frame. Gelling truly helps the soap designs to pop. Try different pulls. Many different effects occur from pulling in, out, in and out, swirling, spirals, etc. There is a limitless potential for creativity and imagination with ebru soap.