Many of us have experimented with bleach as an art medium. There are wonderful techniques for stamping with it, and for “painting” out the interior areas of stamped designs and then re-coloring with Radiant Pearls and other colorants, not to mention discharge processes with silks and other fabrics.
In our approach, we use the bleach to prepare the art surface before any imagery is added - trying various black papers, all of which give us a different result.
When working with bleach, it is very important to understand that you must deactivate it (stop the bleaching action) chemically or it will destroy the fibers in papers or fabrics. You can prove this to yourself in a very dramatic fashion: Fold a paper towel into a plastic container of some kind (something like a Tupperware dish). Pour some straight bleach onto the towel to soak it, and let it dry overnight (outside or in a well-ventilated place). 24 hours later, pour a little more bleach on the towel and watch it disintegrate right before your eyes! Paper towel is made of cheesy fibers and this is an extreme example, but you get the picture!
Bleaching action can be neutralized with a solution of household vinegar and water: one part vinegar to two parts water. This should be applied in the same way as you applied the bleach - as soon as the paper is the color you prefer. This is also an excellent method of color control. The paper will change color right before your eyes - getting lighter and lighter. So when it is the color you like, you can “freeze” it there by applying your neutralizing solution.
Inks and Bleach on Handmade Paper
Leaves Stamp by Rubber Stampede
Every dark paper will give you a different color when bleached, so that is one way to create variety. As we mentioned, the longer the bleach stays active, the lighter the result, and, finally, the bleach solution can be diluted with water to create different levels of color in the same time period. (The rock is to hold them down while they dry outside in the sun.)
The illustration above shows samples of the many colors we obtained with different types of black paper, different times, and varied strengths of bleach solution.
