Wolfgang Paalen developed the fumage technique by using smoke from a candle to create images.
Fumage involves passing a flame beneath or near a surface so that soot leaves unpredictable marks. Paalen developed the method in the 1930s and used candle smoke to produce atmospheric, partly accidental forms. He then incorporated the resulting patterns into paintings rather than treating the smoke marks as finished images by themselves.
The technique suited Surrealism’s interest in chance, automatism and images that emerge without fully controlled drawing. Max Ernst later used a related method called decalcomania, in which paint is pressed between surfaces and then separated to create unexpected textures. These techniques are sometimes confused because both encourage chance effects, but fumage specifically depends on soot or smoke. Paalen was born in Austria, became active in the Paris Surrealist circle, and later played an important role in the Mexican art scene.