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Author: Li_Newton, Contributing Editor
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| TIPS AND TROUBLE SHOOTING
This is just the tip of the iceberg as to what can be done with silk painting. There will be a follow up article covering more advanced techniques. At this point I will share some tips, short cuts and quick fixes for boo- boo's. Silk painting is not a medium for perfectionists ! Unwanted staining, accidental drips of dye or alcohol onto dry dye, and bleeding from broken lines in the gutta barrier are common. Sometimes the painting is perfect going into the steamer and has bleeds or smudges after because it came in contact with the water by accident. 1.) Be patient ! Allow the gutta lines to set and dry before adding dye. ( Anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes depending on room temperature and humidity. ) If you are layering gutta texture on top of dye and then adding more dye, the underpainting must be dry before you add the gutta on top or the barrier will not hold. 2.) Silk brushes load heavily. I always keep a paper towel beside me where I tap the brush before touching the silk to release excess dye. This is especially important when doing fine line work. 3.) Keep a gutta applicator, alcohol, Q- tips and a blow dryer handy for quick response if there is a leak in the gutta barrier. 4.) Before applying dye, hold your painting up to the light to check for breaks in the gutta. Make sure all starts and stops are connected and sealed. You may want to check for breaks by adding water or alcohol inside the design. If it bleeds through stop, let the silk dry, then repair the leaks. 5.) If dye does break through the barrier you must act quickly. Repair the line immediately on both sides of the silk. Surround the bleed with alcohol so it does not continue to run. The alcohol will also push the dye back to the offending gutta. Using cotton swabs or Q- tips pick up as much dye as you possibly can. Continue to wet the dye with alcohol as you are picking up color with the cotton swab. You may never get all of the renegade dye out but you can get it to a point where it can be disguised by your background color. 6.) After an alcohol intervention, you may notice a dull patch on the surface once the silk is dry. Further applications of dye may not blend evenly over these areas. To make the surface more uniform, apply a wash of 50- 50 alcohol and water over the area to be dyed. Let that whole area dry. When you apply the new dye, be careful to smooth out any rough area by rubbing your brush back and forth. 7.) Bleeds into previously dyed areas are a bit scarier. If you see a leak intruding onto a painted ground, hit it with a blow dryer immediately to stop it in it's tracks. Repair the gutta line on both sides. Pick up the offending dye with alcohol. 8.) Be flexible ! If the damage is too great, you may need to change the design color to cover up or incorporate the leak. Minor flaws can be camoflaged by adding additional texture such as salt or alcohol. Some of my best discoveries have been made through happy accidents. 9.) THE MOST IMPORTANT TIP....Experiment, make mistakes, make discoveries and HAVE FUN !!! |
| THE FINISHING PROCESS- STEAM FIXING
Once a painting is finished, it must be heat set to bond the dye to the fabric. The dyes I use require steam setting. Once the dyes are set, the silks can be washed and dry cleaned. During the steaming process, the heat and moisture penetrate the dyes to create a concentrated dye bath, which bonds the dyes to the silk. After the silks are steamed they should be rinsed with Synthrapol ( soap ) to remove any excess dye. Do not panic when you see dark dye flowing into the sink. The rinsing just removes any dye that didn't bond. Keep rinsing until the water flows clear. Towel dry and allow to dry flat. To remove all of the resist ( gutta or wax ) the silk should be dry cleaned. You can buy a professional stove top steamer or you can assemble one yourself using a large pot, a can and a pie tin. Of course you cannot steam as many if using a homemade steamer but if you are just experimenting, it's the best way to go. |
| PREPARING SILK FOR STEAMING IN A....SPAGHETTI POT
You will need: Absorbent paper. I use unwaxed butcher paper. DO NOT USE NEWSPAPER. Tape Metal basket or pan that will fit into pressure cooker. Trivet or cup to raise the pan. Foil Large kitchen pot 1.) Lay down a sheet of paper slightly larger than the silk. Put the silk down flat, then lay on another sheet of paper. It is important the silk not touch itself during steaming or it will bleed. 2.) Roll the silk length wise then roll that into bundle and tape. 3.) Place that bundle on pan or pie tin and cover with foil. Make sure no moisture can get in. 4.) Place tin on top of can in pot ( huh ? ) and add 2- 4 " of water. Make sure that the silk is high enough up that the boiling water will not spill into the pie tin. 5.) Cover pot with tight lid. Bring water to boil then lower to medium heat. Some artists only steam 30 minutes but I always steam at least two hours, esp. when I have a large load. A homemade steamer can probably handle a maximum of 3 small scarves. A professional stovetop steamer can hold 6- 8 yards of silk. 6.) VERY IMPORTANT ***** Remove the lid away from your face and body to avoid steam burns. The bundle will be very HOT. Unwrap and wash out. |
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