So earlier I posted pictures of the large scale ink and gouache painting I had done, combining Chinese and Indian style idioms. I did the ink first, mounting the rice paper to a larger and firmer piece of rice paper using a rice-paste method which flattens and smooths out the lot of it, which can wrinkle quite a bit in the painting process. I then applied the gouache, hoping that it would be sturdy enough to take the application.
It wasn't, especially after I changed plans midway (from rainbow patterns to pure silver). The piece was left warped and wrinkled. So, not to be defeated so easily, I looked up methods normally used to flatten warped watercolor pieces, figuring that, though the rice paper was thinner, the ink was indelible. The only worrisome bit was the gouache.
The actual process was relatively simple. I got a large sponge and dampened the back of the piece, working from the inside out like I do to apply adhesives or whichever. I then sandwiched the painting between a couple layers of scrap newsprint on either side. I then put all of that between two pieces of hardboard and stuck a giant box of books on top of it. It did wonders. Some of the lake bits are still not perfectly flat, but I think that owes more to the layers of paint. Everywhere else is as flat as when I first mounted it.
Success.
Some comparison shots:
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