What is batik? Batik is a generalized name for a variety of methods of hand-painting on fabric. Batik has combined the features and artistic techniques of many fine arts, such as graphics, watercolor, stained glass, pastel, mosaic and others. Interestingly, the considerable simplification of painting techniques in comparison with traditional techniques and the variety of special tools allow for painting various details of clothing, furnishings, pictures on silk, even those who have never been involved in decorating fabrics. textiles.
Tools and materials for batik
You don’t need a lot of tools for batik. You probably have some at home.
Brush is the most important working tool of an artist, which largely determines the quality and the final result of the work.
Paints. The choice of specialized paints for painting on silk is quite large. Dyes can be divided by the method of dilution. For example, some paints are diluted only with alcohol, while others are diluted with water. Here there are no special recommendations. The only thing to note is that quality paints diluted with water have no unpleasant smell, are characterized by color purity and high light stability. Paints can also be classified by the way of fixing. For example, some paints are fixed with an iron, others with hot air, moisture or steam.
The spray can, or airbrush, is mainly used in freehand painting to apply dye to silk, as well as in stencil and airbrush painting.
A paint container is used to make up the desired color. This can be all kinds of small yogurt jars or disposable cups.
The palette and pipettes, in turn, make it easier to take paint from the containers and mix them.
The fabric must be made of natural fibers. On synthetic material, paints don’t stick or don’t stick at all. For the first experiments and for training it is better to use thin cotton fabrics: madapolam, marquisette, cambric. White sheets, calico and calico are used for “hot” and knotted batik. It is better to switch to natural silk when you have sufficiently mastered the technique of painting.
Sliding frames and stretchers are some of the most necessary items in fabric painting. The first small works can be done on a large embroidery frame. Gradually you can switch to wooden stretchers with a border on the outer edge. They are quite suitable for painting: the painted fabric can not be removed from them, and immediately inserted into the frame.
Reserving compound, or reserve, is a compound used to create a line that serves as a barrier to the dye during the painting process. Areas coated with the reserving compound stop absorbing dye and retain the fabric’s original color. This quality of the reserve allows you to create on a given pattern closed spaces, different in color and tone. In some cases, gold, silver or color reserve compositions are used to obtain a special effect.
Wax is used in hot batik as a reserving agent. It serves as a barrier for the dye and allows you to create multi-layered compositions. The wax is applied to the fabric in liquid form using, as a rule, a stiff brush or chanting. It is used to create craquelizing on the fabric. To obtain liquid wax, all you need to do is melt wax candles.
Chanting is a tool for applying liquid wax to fabric.
The glass tube is a tool that is used for quality application of the reservation line on the fabric according to a predetermined pattern in the technique of cold batik. The tube is made of glass, has a bent end and a reservoir in the lower third. The reservoir is placed in the tube and blown out using a squirt with a soft tip.
The thinner of the reserving compound makes it possible to get the right consistency of the contouring compound to fit the particular type of silk. Remember, the thinner the fabric, the thicker the contouring compound should be, and conversely, a dense fabric requires a more fluid compound.
The pattern is a clear and final drawing of the composition, which is later transferred to the fabric. Make sure that the pattern is drawn in a single line, as there should be no corrections later when transferring the composition to the fabric. You must also control the boundaries of the composition so that the paints do not flow beyond the marked boundaries during painting, unless this is intended as one of the effects.
Soft pencil in batik is used to transfer the composition to the fabric.
Fen. A hair dryer is often used in batik. It can be used to speed up the drying process of the paint.
Three-pronged buttons and pins are used when pulling the fabric over the frame.
Alcohol is used to dilute paints, it improves their flowability on silk. The fact is that alcohol is absorbed by the fabric faster than water, and therefore evaporates faster. Therefore, by using alcohol, you can improve the flowability of paints on those fabrics that need it.
Paper towels or paper towels may be necessary for cleaning or drying brushes, and they will also protect the work from unwanted smudges.
