Jean O'Dwyer: Textile Techniques - Batik and Fabric Painting

Batik

To create a batik you need the following materials:

White cotton calico fabric
Wooden frame/stretcher and pins

Wax pot and wax

Tjanting tool / old brushes

Batik cloth dyes
Buckets
Clothes line
Iron
Newsprint

It is best to always create a clear and detailed design before beginning to batik and fabric paint. This will act as a guide when waxing and painting and can help confirm colours choices which must all be clearly defined before beginning the textile work.

An example of preliminary design work

After transferring the design onto the fabric it must be stretched using pins or thumb tacks on a wooden stretcher. The fabric should be taut, without sagging and not so tight that it doesn't distort the drawing. If the fabric is saggy the wax will stick to the underneath surface or table.

Old paint brushes and or/a tjanting tool are used to apply the melted wax, directly from the wax pots, to the areas they wish to keep white before the first dip, or to protect particular areas colours when doing subsequent dips. When applying wax use a piece of card held under the waxing tool to avoid getting unwanted spills and drips on the piece. Also make sure it fully saturates the fabric, if it doesn't it will affect the design. This can be easily checked by looking at the reverse of the piece. If the fabric is even slightly wet this will cool the wax and stop proper application.

When the final dip is complete and dry, wax the entire composition. The wax leaves a stain or waxy residue on the fabric which gives the piece a uniform texture. Various effects and textures can be achieved by etching into the wax or cracking the wax before dying.

Use cold water dyes. These are fairly simple to mix but follow the instructions on the packet as the technique can vary from brand to brand. Mixed dye can last indefinitely if stored correctly, for example in plastic water bottle containers. They also come in a variety of colours but can also be mixed in order to create different colours.

Mix the dye in buckets or large basins. Create tester strips to identify colours and tones and attach to the buckets in order to avoid confusion of colours. Deeper shades can be achieved by leaving the fabric to soak longer.

When the correct depth of colour is achieved rinse the fabric until it runs clear. This will stop the dying process which will avoid the colour changing and also minimise mess from drips. Leave the cloth to dry on a cloths line or use a hair dryer before the next waxing.

An example of the variety of tones which can be achieved using the one dye.

Iron the wax off the piece when completely finished. Place it between sheets of newsprint when waxing as this absorbs the excess wax. Ironing the fabric also smooths out the wrinkles which occur because of the process.

Fabric Painting

Fabric painting uses specialist paint. It is very potent and needs to be diluted with water. Various hues, tones and colour densities can be achieved. It can be treated like paint and mixed in order to achieve different colours. Prepare the fabric as you would for batik. Outline areas and perimeters in wax to avoid the fabric paint "bleeding".