Where did the art of silk painting come from?
In China and other parts of the Far East, the traditional art of painting on silk predates painting on paper, a ‘new’ and cheaper invention that began to come into popular use a trifling 2,000 years ago. The question most often asked by newbies to the medium is how to use silk paints.
Do you have to stretch silk to paint?
Stretch it out Whichever silk painting method you go for, you need to use prewashed silk. You should also stretch it before you begin. If you don’t do this, the dye or paint could collect in little pools in the crinkles of the silk and spoil the final result.
What kind of effect can silk paint have?
When silk paint or dye is applied to the fabric it will, if left to its own devices, produce a watercolour-like effect. If you want a crisper, harder-edged effect, you’ll need to control where the colour goes.
How can I transfer my drawing to silk?
To transfer your drawing, tape it to a window, then tape the silk over it and gently trace the lines. (If you are lucky enough to have a lightbox, you can use that instead.) You could also try using a special silk-painting marker to sketch your design directly onto the fabric.
What to look for in a silk painting?
Paintings on silk have vibrant colors and fine levels of detail that are seldom found in traditional oils on canvas. You may also want your home to be enriched by images of gracious women wearing silk gowns or looking seductively from behind fans or diaphanous veils.
What is the closing technique in silk painting?
The Serti (closing or fence) technique is the silk painting technique where designs are outlined with gutta or water-based resists, which are applied to white silk that has been pre-washed, dried and stretched (on a stretcher).
How long does it take for silk paint to dry?
Allow to dry 24 hours before heat-setting the paints with an iron. Iron each area of your piece for 2-3 minutes, face down on your ironing board with a press cloth between the silk and iron. You may want a protective cloth on the ironing board as well.
What’s the best way to paint with silk dye?
Let the resist dry before painting (you can speed up the drying time with a blow dryer or heat gun ). Dip your brush into the color and apply the dye or paint sparingly to the center of an outlined area by touching the brush to the silk.
