The Vale London
Lion Toile is a combination of botanical and animal illustrations with accents of marbling. Originally pen drawings, the lion and the botanical illustrations are highly-detailed drawings that translate well to the medium of digital printing. Each colour is created using the ancient Asian technique of marbling.
Marbling is the art of aqueous surface design to create patterns similar to smooth marble or other kinds of stone. The patterns are created by floating paint in various colours over a thick solution called size. A pre-prepared piece of fabric or paper is then placed on top of the design to transfer onto its surface. The colours that are poured onto the size can be manipulated to create different patterns and designs.
In modern day England there are only a handful of professional marblers left. Paper Marbling is a technique that has been developed by many different cultures across the globe for many years. Dating back to 12th Century Japan, the technique was brought through the middle east and into Europe in the 17th century and is still used today in modern applications.