Froissage Materials: Best Paper, Ink and Tools to Use

Good froissage materials cost very little, but the choices you make change the result more than in most techniques. The same crumple on tissue paper and on watercolour paper produces two completely different pictures. This guide covers paper, colour, tools and a few extras, from cheapest to best.

If you just want to start, the short list is: medium drawing paper, a bottle of ink or a watercolour set, a wide brush and a fine pen. The step-by-step froissage guide uses exactly that.

Paper: the most important choice

Crumpling breaks the paper’s fibres along each crease. Thin papers break into many fine facets; thick papers resist and form a few broad folds. Paper weight is given in grams per square metre (gsm).

Paper	Approx. weight	Creases	Takes water	Best for
Tissue or tracing paper	20-60 gsm	Very fine, dense	Poorly, tears	Collage layers, dry media
Printer / copy paper	75-90 gsm	Sharp, dense	Moderately	Practice, classrooms
Drawing / cartridge paper	100-150 gsm	Clear, medium	Well	Most froissage
Light watercolour paper	about 190 gsm	Softer, fewer	Very well	Wet techniques
Heavy watercolour paper	300 gsm	Broad, few	Excellent	Subtle relief
Kraft or brown paper	70-120 gsm	Strong, leathery	Moderately	Warm-toned works
Book pages, newspaper	varies	Fine	Poorly	Printed backgrounds

Practical tips:

• Start in the middle. 100-120 gsm drawing paper handles both crumpling and a wet wash.
• Smooth versus textured. Smooth papers show crisper creases; rough papers blur them.
• Printed paper. Ladislav Novák often worked on or with printed material, and Jiří Kolář crumpled reproductions. Old book pages, maps and magazine pages add a second layer of meaning. See froissage collage.
• Permanence. For work you want to keep, choose paper labelled acid-free. The Library of Congress recommends acid- and lignin-free materials for storing works on paper because acids build up as paper ages.

Colour: what settles in the creases

The crease pattern only becomes visible when something darkens or lightens it. Options, roughly from most to least common:

• Diluted ink. Indian ink or drawing ink thinned with water. Strong contrast, permanent once dry. Artlist.cz describes Novák drawing in the creases in ink combined with watercolour.
• Liquid watercolour or watercolour ink. Bright, transparent, easy to blend. Some brands fade in light, so check lightfastness ratings for permanent work.
• Pan or tube watercolour. Fine for classrooms; mix a generous pool first so you can cover the sheet in one pass.
• Tea, coffee or walnut ink. Free or cheap, give a warm sepia tone, and are popular for “antique” effects. Not lightfast.
• Dry media. Graphite, charcoal, soft pastel or wax crayon rubbed over the flattened sheet colour the ridges and leave the creases pale, the reverse of a wash.
• Acrylic. Usable if heavily diluted, but it can seal the paper and stop later washes soaking in.

For layering and colour effects, see froissage with ink and watercolour.

Tools

• Wide soft brush. A flat or mop brush 2-3 cm wide lays a wash quickly without scrubbing.
• Fine brush, pen or brush pen. For drawing out the image. Waterproof fineliners let you add a wash on top later.
• White gel pen or white gouache. For highlights on dark washes.
• Spray bottle. Damp paper creases differently, and a light mist helps colour spread along the folds.
• Paper towels. For blotting puddles and lifting colour.
• Heavy books or a board. For flattening the finished piece.

Extras for mixed media

• Glue stick or PVA for mounting crumpled sheets on card.
• Scissors and magazines for collage elements.
• Coloured pencils for detail.
• Gold leaf pens or metallic paint to pick out ridges.

Budget and classroom version

For a class of 30, you need little more than a ream of copy paper, a few bottles of washable ink or liquid watercolour, cheap wide brushes and fine markers. Look for paints carrying a safety certification for children, such as the AP seal from the Art and Creative Materials Institute in the United States or the equivalent in your country. The froissage for kids guide covers safe set-ups for younger children.

Wax crayons and resist materials

Wax crayons and oil pastels are worth adding to the froissage kit because they behave differently from ink and watercolour: they repel water. Anything drawn in wax before crumpling stays bright when a watery wash goes over it, while the wash sinks into the bare paper and into the broken fibres along the creases.

This makes three things possible:

• Paper batik. Draw a design in wax crayon, pressing hard, crumple and flatten the sheet, then brush on a dark diluted wash. The creases fill with colour and the wax stays clean, producing the crackled look of batik cloth. Brown kraft paper or a paper bag opened flat is the classic support. Our guide to paper batik with crumpled paper covers the method and the textile tradition behind the name.
• Reserved highlights. A few strokes of white or pale yellow crayon applied before washing become highlights on ridges, windows in a night scene or the whites of a creature’s eyes.
• Finishing on top. On a dry froissage, oil pastel picks up the raised ridges and skips the creases, which is a quick way to emphasise relief.

For resist work, ordinary school wax crayons are enough. Press firmly: a thin layer of wax lets the wash through. Use a thinner, more watery wash than usual so it slides off the waxed areas, and dab off any excess with a damp sponge.

Materials for keeping and displaying

If a piece turns out well, protect it: acid-free paper and mounting board, lightfast colours and framing away from direct sunlight. Our guide on how to display froissage art explains the details, and froissage technique mistakes covers material problems such as tearing and muddy colour.