Tarashikomi

Tarashikomi (meaning "dripping in") is a Japanese painting technique, in which a second layer of paint is applied before the first layer is dry. This effect creates a dripping form for fine details such as ripples in water or flower petals on a tree. Japanese paintings in the past were usually done on paper (or silk) with watercolors. The paintings in the Tomb of Kyushu are some of the earliest Japanese art, painted on the tomb’s walls between the fifth and seventh centuries AD. Silk and paper came from China, and in the seventh century was used primarily for writing; however, it began to be used for art during the eighth century. Silk was most common for hanging scroll paintings, while paper was used for calligraphy on handscrolls. Nikawa (animal glue) was used for paint; the glue was made from cowhide or other animal skins.^[1]