Silk Painting
by Maria Nerius, Craft Concierge

Supplies Needed

• Silk Painting

• Brushes *

• Resist **

• Small plastic bottle with fine metal tip

• Stretching frame

• Aluminum tacks

• Design or pattern

• Pencil or vanishing ink pen

• Silk fabric or item ***

* Chinese or Japanese round stroking brushes are usually used for silk painting as this type of brush holds a lot of paint. You can also use other types of round brushes and if you need to paint a large area, you an use a flat brush.

** These instructions are for using water-based resist, which will be removed in the final steps of silk painting. If you use a colored water-based resist, you must heat set the resist BEFORE you paint.

*** You can paint a piece of silk fabric or use any of the convenient silk blanks like ties, scarves, and other pre-made accessories.

General Instructions - (read all instructions BEFORE attempting silk painting!)

1. Pre-wash your silk and iron on silk setting. With a pencil or vanishing ink pen, lightly draw your pattern or design onto the silk.

2. Stretch silk fabric or item on a wood frame using aluminum tacks (which will not rust). To apply your resist and to paint your silk, it must be raised above your work table. You can use an old picture frame or find stretch wood frames at your local art and craft store.

3. Pour clear resist into small plastic bottle and place fine metal tip onto the tip of the plastic bottle. You need fine lines for most designs. If your design allows for thicker lines, you don't need the fine metal tip. Outline your design with the resist. Keep in mind that clear resist is usually removed in the final steps of silk painting, while colored water-based resists are left on the silk fabric. You must heat set a colored water-based resist with an iron before any silk paint is applied to the silk item.

4. Using your darkest colors first, paint your design. Dip bush tip into silk paint (brush should be full, but not dripping) and gently stroke on the paint. It's important to work a small area at a time. You can't go back once the paint has dried. If you try to fill in an area you missed, silk painting for the most part is wet on wet. You don't go back over dry areas. There are some interesting techniques that can be learned going wet into dry, but these instructions are for the beginner

5. Once finished with your design, you will need to "set" the silk paint. You can use a chemical fixative or steam your silk. Detailed instructions for this process can be found at www.dharmatrading.com