I've been searching for good background fabrics forever, with simple, 2 color designs. I've found a few, but I'd like more. So today I did a search online for dying fabric and the first thing that came up was "batik". Cool! So I ordered a whole bunch of dyes and wax and whatnot from Dick Blick and will have some new fabrics in no time! Ok, maybe I'm a little over-ambitious ... if anyone has any batik secrets they'd like to share, I'd love to hear it. Thanks!
7 comments:
I do! I have done the real thing, but I used to do it with kids/adults using crayons! You take all those little crayon pieces kids don't like to use anymore and separate them into color groups in a muffin pan. You know, all the reds in one, blues in another, and so on. Then you pop the muffin pan in an old electric fry pan with a little water in it which makes am impromptu double boiler and easily melts the crayons without burning them. You should also put a little parafin wax in with the crayons to get a good crackle out of them - the crayons are very soft.
OK ten you just paint it on the fabric leaving space in between the part you "crayoned on." Crackle and then drop it in just one color of dye - black.
Iron out the wax between sheets of newspaper and oila.
You get a one step process and VERY colourful results.
I think when I did mine years ago I must have been too ambitious and put too many layers. All I remember is that the colors were not as vivid as I would have liked and that it took FOREVER to iron all the wax out. (I was still left with some pretty stiff pillow cases).
The crayon process sounds pretty cool!
I was seriously into batik fabrics in the 70s. I got the best results from Procion fiber reactive dyes in powder form, mixable with water, and beeswax for the resist. I'm sure the dyes and all are much more advanced now.... another one of my favorite mediums to work in.
Two Sisters..love the colors and the simplicity. I'm paying more attention to negative space. Thanks
Hi Carol, Wow, batik! It was my main medium for 30 years. I have many examples on my main web site: www.JenniferBellingerFineArt.com
Look under Animals and Giclee headings..most of them are batik on silk (using 9-12 dye/wax steps then overpainting with fabric paints. An old book by Donna Meilach is still the best book out there. I believe the title is Batik and Tye Dying. A library is likely to have it. I used Fezan silk dyes (you get the deep, true blacks on silk, not cotton. But for your purposes Procion on cotton will work fine. I used an old electric fondue pot to melt the wax, an electric frypan works, too, or electric wok. You can string a wire across the top to support the brushes (bend the wire zig-zag and that will hold the brushes up. I used cheap bristle brushes from the paint store, plus a tjanting tool. Iron out the wax between layers of newspaper, then dry clean if you want the fabric free of all wax.
Hope you have fun. Feel free to email me with any questions!
You are so ambitious! Have you tried looking at quilt stores for your batiks?
I just love clicking on your blog and seeing your daily paintings! They are like a breath of fresh air, full of energy and light.
I love the colours in this one Carol!
If anyone deserves a " You Make My Day Award " it's you.
I've posted one on my blog with your name because better than hot chocolate with whipped cream, your paintings are joy and candy.
I love the color combinations in this one.
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