Instructions
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Painting with Jacquard Silk Colors is a fun and easy way to create beautiful,
professional looking handpainted silk clothing and art. Use them to create gorgeous and
unique scarves, clothing, wall hangings, pillows and more.
Because they are true dyes Jacquard Silk Colors do not stiffen the fabric at all and
the natural luster of the silk shines through. All 20 colors can be blended to create
an infinite variety of brilliant colors or diluted with water to create soft pastels.
Jacquard Silk Colors flow freely on silk fabric. The three most common silk painting methods
differ by how they control the flow of the dye. In the serti method a resist is used
to draw lines that stop the flow of dye. The antifusant method coats the fabric with
a substance that inhibits the flow of dye. And finally, the watercolor method allows
the dye to flow freely.
The most common method is the serti method which we will describe first. Afterwords we
will describe how the other two methods differ.
Materials:
- silk scarf or fabric
- plastic cups or ice cube tray for blending colors
- brushes
- silk pins or tacks to stretch fabric
- paper towels
- resist
(Gutta,
Water Based or
Permanent Metallic Resist)
- Jacquard Silk Colors
- water
- stretcher
Prepare & Stretch the Fabric
Prewash to remove oils or dirt using Synthrapol
or liquid detergent. Allow to air dry.
Before painting, the silk must be stretched tightly and suspended above the work surface.
Inexpensive canvas stretcher bars are readily available at art stores & frame shops.
Buy stretcher bars 1-2" larger than the silk you will be painting. Embroidery hoops are
ideal for small projects and many art stores sell frames specifcally made for stretching
fabric. Adjust the frame to fit your fabric and attach the silk with stainless steel push
pins or silk tacks. Begin in one corner and work your way around the frame, pulling it taut
as you go.
Apply the Resist
In the serti technique, lines are drawn with gutta on the fabric and the dyes are applied
within these lines. When painted on, the dyes will flow and spread on the silk until it
reaches the resist lines. THe gutta resist acts as a boundary between colors much like
lead in a stained glass window. These islands of color can be blended, highlighted or
accented with other colors. (See watercolor technique below)
- Pour the resist into the dispenser bottle, replace the plastic insert
and screw on the metal tip.
- If you are using a pattern, center the pattern on your work space and
place the stretched fabric on top of the pattern. Most silks are light enough that the
pattern lines will be visible through the fabric. Trace the pattern with the gutta, or
trace lightly with a pencil and then go over the pencil lines with the gutta.
- Hold the gutta bottle like a pencil. Gently squeeze the bottle until
the resist begins to flow. It is a good idea to practice on a separate piece of silk
or paper until you get the feeling of drawing smooth, flowing, continuous lines.
- Begin drawing your pattern. Move steadily, but not so quickly that
you leave gaps in your lines. All lines must be connected or the dye will bleed through
the gaps in the gutta line.
- Once you've completed the design, carefully examine the lines. Make sure
the gutta has penetrated through to the back. Thin gutta with gutta solvent if necessary.
Go back and fill in any gaps let gutta dry completely, usually 30 minutes. You can use
a hair dryer to speed drying time.
Mix and Apply the Dye
Although Jacquard Silk Colors are available in 20 shades, most colors of the the spectrum
may be mixed from three primary colors: yellow, magenta and cyan. Using the colors full
strength will yield the brighest shades. For pastels, the dyes can be mixed with water.
If your water is hard, use distilled water. Remember that colors will appear darker when wet.
- Pour a small amount of each color you are planning to use into plastic cups or an ice
cube tray. If you are mixing colors, be sure to mix enough color to complete your project
as it is sometimes difficult to recreate exact shades later.
- Dip your brush gently into a color. Touch the brush to the fabric about 1/2" from
the gutta line. The dye will migrate the rest of the way. Paint all areas inside the gutta
lines. For large areas, work quickly painting the color from corner to corner. Always work
wet to wet. Never go over a dry area.
- Let dry 24 hours before steaming.
Setting the Dye
Jacquard "Red Label" Silk Colors are set by steaming. For steaming
instructions see the following:
Other Methods of Application
Antifusant Method
Instead of resist lines this method uses an antifusant that is spread on the fabric
to inhibit the flow of the dye. Jacquard
No Flow is an
excellent antifusant for silk. Spread the antifusant liberally and evenly on the
silk with a wide brush or sponge. Let dry. When painting dyes on the treated fabric
us a "dry" brush -ie. remove excess dye from the brush by dabbing it on
a paper towel before painting. A build up of dye on the fabric will enhance spreading.
Watercolor Method
One of the most exciting methods of painting on silk simply involves letting the
dyes spread and mix on the fabric. Beautiful free form watercolor effects are produced
when silk is dampened and bunched on a sheet of plastic or plexiglass without stretching,
allowing dye to flow into the folds producing a dramatic, textured appearance. Silk may
also be stretched on a frame for the watercolor technique but will not have the textured
appearance since there are no folds for the dye to flow into.
Salt Technique
A beautiful starburst effect can be achieved by sprinkling Jacquard
Silk Salt on wet dye in any of the above methods. Jacquard Silk Salt is an "exploded
crystal" salt which produces a stunning and dramatic burst of color. Sea salt, table salt,
kosher salt, rock salt and salt pellets for water softeners may also be used for different
effects. Salt should be sprinkled on very wet dye and left on until the dye is dry for best
results.
