The art of drawing on silk or "batik" attracts the attention of needlewomen. To successfully master the technique of drawing on silk, you will need patience, attention and special equipment.
Preparing to paint on silk
If you are going to paint on silk, start by pulling it on a special frame that you can buy in specialized stores. Do not pull the fabric too tight, as this can deform the fibers of the fabric, after washing, they will not return to their place and the pattern will become defective.
After stretching the fabric, draw the pattern onto the fabric with a simple pencil, sketch pencil, or a special felt-tip pen that disappears after washing. Do not try to make too complex a drawing, it is best for the first time to take an image of a flower without particularly small details. Such a flower can be placed in the corner of a scarf by adding a frame to it. A drawing can be drawn from scratch, or you can outline an existing one by placing it under the stretched fabric.
Next, you need to circle the drawing with an outline (this is a special type of paint that you also need to buy in a theme store). Each company has a contour of its own texture and density, so before applying it to fabric, practice on paper. A good contour does not blur, squeezes out rather quickly and dries in a short time. It is better to lay out the outline of the drawing from the upper left corner so as not to smear the drawing in the future. The contour serves to separate the details of the drawing from each other, therefore it is very important that there are no breaks in the lines laid out by the contour. Wait until the contour is completely dry, then look at the lumen of the fabric, so you can soon see breaks in the contour line, if any. Correct the contour if necessary.
Silk dyeing
The next step is paint application.
Do not use contrasting colors for batik, the drawing may turn out to be too harsh and careless
Don't use multiple colors. Use two or three colors of paint (special for batik), if you need soft transitions, dilute the color with water, it is most convenient to do this on a palette. It is very important to paint the background evenly so that the paint does not have time to dry out with ugly stains, you need to work very quickly. In this case, a sponge can be used instead of a brush. After that, go to the main drawing. The paint is applied with a brush, you need to take very little of it, since the contour can release the paint outside. Once you've finished your drawing, try sprinkling salt crystals over it for an interesting effect.
Wash the fabric to remove excess fabric.
After your drawing is dry, remove it from the frame and iron it. Each area must be ironed for at least three minutes (more details are written on the tubes of paint). Never iron the fabric with an iron without a layer, use old newspapers. Take your time, iron everything very carefully, then after washing the pattern from the fabric will not disappear. After ironing, wash the fabric with rinse or shampoo, do not rub the fabric in the process.
