● Courses
● Handmade Paper
● Papermaking Equipment, Pulp & Fibre
● Commissions & Collaborations
Paper Making Process
 
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Courses
Nirupama Academy of Handmade Paper offers courses that are of interest to artists, art lovers, and teachers of arts & craft. The Academy has excellent resources and facilities for all aspects of papermaking. Classes are conducted by master craftsmen and established artists throughout the year. Hands-on-training is provided in the areas of bookbinding, hand papermaking and intaglio printmaking.
Our Papermaking unit includes a 5 kg Hollander Beater for the professional processing of fibres, a Screw Press and an Intaglio Press which is used for calendaring paper. In addition, we have moulds & deckles, vats of various sizes, electric blender and other equipment for processing plant fibre.
The Bookbinding unit includes fully equipped hand bindery and screen printing sections.
The Intaglio Printmaking unit includes an Intaglio Press and other related equipment.
Requests for specific courses and enquiry about course fees are welcome. You can also contact us to reserve a place for any of the courses listed below. Places are limited; please try to reserve a place as soon as you can.
Please note:
- Basic, Intermediate and Specialized Courses are offered as Weekend Courses while the Advanced Course is generally offered as an intensive week-long class.
- Each class begins with a demonstration followed by an opportunity for participants to get hands-on experience in making an item that they can take home at the end of the class.
- The Academy will provide all the materials you need.
- A lunch break of half an hour is included in the schedule.
Weekend Courses
| Course Title |
Days & Time |
Course Description |
| Paper Making Basics |
April 25 & 26, 2009
10am to 4pm |
This course is an introduction to the basic techniques involved in Hand Papermaking from Cotton Rag Pulp. The various basic techniques include Preparation of Pulp, Sheet Formation and Couching, Pressing and Drying of newly made papers. |
| Paper Making Intermediate |
- |
In addition to learning more about the art of paper making, this course introduces various surface designing techniques involved in Hand Papermaking. These include Layering and Embedding. |
| Specialized Courses |
| Plant Papers |
- |
In this class participants will learn to create unique Handmade Papers from Plant Parts. Processes for preparing Pulp from Plant Parts will be taught. |
| Book Binding |
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Incorporating various Bookbinding Techniques and Sewing Patterns, participants will make a set of Hand-stitched books. |
| Intaglio Printmaking |
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Participants will learn different techniques involved in making an image using the intaglio printing method. These include Plate Making, Inking, Wiping, Printing and Drying. |
| Collagraph Printmaking |
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Collagraph is a print taken from a collaged plate. This course will explore making plates using different types of materials such as paper, fabric, cord, feathers, string, etc. The plate is then inked up and printed onto paper by using intaglio press, creating rich textures and an embossed surface. |
Note: No previous experience is required for any of the above courses.
Advanced Papermaking Course
This course is for participants who have prior experience of hand paper making. The class is a direct extension of the Basic and Intermediate levels of Papermaking. Opportunity is provided for reviewing and practicing the skills learned at the basic levels while the main objective of the course is to expand on them by learning new and advanced skills. Advanced Hand Papermaking techniques such as Watermarking, Stenciling and Paper Casting are taught in this course. Creative applications like Shaped Paper are also a part of the course.
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Commissions & Collaborations
As part of the workshop’s services, Nirupama Academy of Handmade Paper undertakes collaborative projects with artists, craft-persons and organisations.
Artists and Designers can make use of our workshop facilities on a rental basis and can also
hire technical support from Nirupama Academy to create distinctive handmade papers as well
as to create single copy or Limited Edition Artist’s Book. The master papermakers at our Academy can partner with Artists and Designers in producing papers suitable for this purpose, and provide advice or assistance in formatting and binding such Limited Edition Artist’s Book.
One of the major services that we provide consists of the design and manufacture of exclusive made-to-order Paper Stationeries and related products. Individual as well as corporate orders
are accepted. Products are designed according to the specific requirements of the client and
are made to satisfy a range of budgets. Please browse through our ‘Products’ page for more information.
Printmakers can make use of the facilities available in our intaglio printmaking unit on a rental basis. Artists can also hire technical support from the Academy during any stage of the intaglio printing process.
We welcome your commission or project ideas. Please contact us to discuss possible projects.
Artist’s Book
The Artist’s Book is a work of art where an artist uses the book form as the primary device to express her/his ideas and feelings. The concept of the book as a carrier of visual, textual, tactile and texturalinformation is explored in an Artist’s Book. Such a book is a culmination of diverse, multidisciplinary art forms and communicates intimately with the reader. They can be in theform of scrolls, fold-outs or as loose sheets kept in a box.
Intaglio Printing
In the Intaglio Printing method, an image is incised into a metal plate, either by cutting with tools or by the action of acid. Printing ink is driven into the incision and then wiped clean from the surface. Next, damp printing paper is placed on top of the metal plate and run through an intaglio press, where the pressure forces the paper into the incisions to lift out the ink.
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Handmade Paper
Nirupama Academy of Handmade Paper manufactures and retails neutral sized handmade papers suitable for drawing, painting, printing and also for book art and for making gift items.
Papers are made from cotton rags, denim, plant fibres, and other such recycled materials. Hence they are wood free and eco-friendly. Our products are manufactured keeping in mind your concern for the environment.
Our handmade papers can be personalized with watermark of your choice.
We also manufacture Neutral Sized Handmade Paper that is suitable for archival purposes. Similar in characteristic to acid-free papers, neutral sized papers do not deteriorate or turn yellow with age. This kind of paper is thus the best choice for documents that need to be preserved for a long time. Academic institutions requiring paper for printing certificates and other individuals/institutions requiring such paper can place their orders with us. Since the scale of production is limited in our Academy, each paper is thoroughly inspected by master papermakers in our unit prior to reaching the customers, unlike other papermaking units in India. The quality of our papers is thus guaranteed.
We produce deckled edge paper of five different sizes. The sizes are: 6.5 x 8.5 in, 8 x 10.5 in,
9 x 16 in, 15 x 17.5 in, 23 x 27 in.
Please contact us for the prices of particular papers listed below:
Cotton Rag
Blue Jean
Ramie
Bananna
Jute
Sun Hemp
Watermark
It is a recognizable image or pattern, barely noticeable except when viewed by transmitted light, caused by thickness variations in the paper.
Deckle Edges
The wavy, feathered or ragged edges of a sheet of handmade paper on four sides caused by the deckle frame where pulp thins towards the edges of the mould.
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Papermaking Equipment
Nirupama Academy is keen to popularise the art of hand papermaking among people of various disciplines. For that the Academy has introduced Papermaking Kit. This kit provides the beginning papermaker with all the basic supplies needed for making paper by hand. Each kit contains a 6.5” x 8.5” mould & deckle, 12 felts, enough cotton rag paper, and an instruction leaflet.
Prepared Pulps (wet and ready to use)
In our Hollander beater we can custom beat any of the following pulps; Cotton Rag, Denim/Blue Jean, Jute, recycled handmade paper and Banana fibre. We can also add pigment as per your preference. These prepared pulps sold by us are ready to be made into paper. Simply add water to the pulp of your choice, mix well, and you can make paper! However it may be faster to re-pulp using a hand blender. The pulp can be stored in the refrigerator for many weeks.
We do our best to ensure superior quality supplies. All our fibres and colours are processed to a high standard to minimize bleed, staining and impurities. All plant fibres come cooked and cleaned.
Pulp in Sheet Form
The Academy supplies Cotton rag, Denim/Blue jean, and various Plant fibres in sheet form. When ordering, please keep in mind that on average, 1 kg of pulp will make between 100 – 120 sheets of A/4 size.
Fibres
Nirupama Academy of Handmade Paper also supplies cooked and processed Banana, Ramie, Jute and Sun Hemp fibre.
Please contact us for prices as the costs may vary depending on a number of factors. Please also note that specific requirements should be ordered well in advance.
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