Home Forums Explore Media Watercolor Watercolor Studio Project Discussion: Batik Watercolor

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  • #983795
    KathyJB
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        A new project has been announced in the WetCanvas! project system!

        Title: Batik Watercolor
        Project Leader: KathyJB
        Relative Difficulty: Easy
        Type Restrictions: Painting
        Medium: Watercolor paints
        Subject: Abstract
        Days open for signups: Always
        Maximum participants allowed: Unlimited

        Description:

        If you would like to learn a new technique that works well in watercolor and get some unusual results as you paint along please join my Batik Watercolor Project.

        I have included basic instrusctions here to get you started as well as links of examples in the forum that you will hopefully find informative as you try the simple technique of waxing and painting.

        Supplies needed are beeswax and paraffin wax. Also needed is plain white paper or plain news print. And an old iron. The mixture of the two waxes determines the flexibility of the wax when it cools and will also determine whether it will crackle and leave a batic like effect or a clear resist without any color seeping thru the area we just painted. I use beewax and tea-lite wax. I use a tealite to heat my beeswax in a wax warmer. when the tealite burns down the wick I pour the melted wax into the beeswax and my mixture stays warmed and ready to apply. I use the wax warmer (it is used for fragrant wax to scent a room) but you can use a fry pan or a hot plate as long as it has a temperature setting of 200 degrees. You can use empty tea-lite containers for your wax mixture or a mini muffin pan. All you need now is a paint brush or two that you dont mind sacrificing to the wax god (smile) and your paint and paper. Hope to see you there.

        Instructions:
        I lay a watercolor wash just like I would if I were begining a watercolor painting but my next layer will be a glaze of hot wax. Let the paint dry. Next we will paint in this case the snowman or rather negative paint him and some faded trees on the opposite side of the snowman.
        After I have painted over a color I want to save, I paint the rest of my painting. It can be as simple as a dragon fly or as complex as Alans cityscapes. Repeat a layer of wax over any color you want to save. Sometimes I paint the entire image with wax. After I have completed the painting of the image I removed the painting from the board and begin to fold it like a fan …. some of the wax will crinkle and crack. Keep folding and then fold two or three times so you have a small wadded square. Let it set with a rubberband around it a little while to create texture on the paper. After you take off the band and open it up you will see where the wet paint has run and scored into the paper. This creates some wonderfull effects. In the case of the mandalla with the deep blue (see link) I painted indigo and let it seep into places where the wax didn’t cover the art work. I then painted wax on a few more areas and repeated the folding technique.
        Its up to you as to how many times you repeat the process.
        After I am satisfied with my resist process I set my iron to medium.

        I layer white computer paper on a slab of smooth wood. I place the painting on the layer of paper and cover it with 0ne or two sheets of paper
        I then iron slowly and let the wax melt and sink into the overlay of paper… it takes a while to lift the wax off the painting and I remove the paper several times and replace it so I am not getting wax on the iron, When all the wax is gone your painting is finished.

        So thats it.
        Hope you’ll stay and join me in my first project and discussion,
        please ask questions, PM me or email me at [email protected]
        Thanks for staying with me this far,
        Kathy

        Additional Information:

        For more information on the project: Click here!

        Remember, in order to help keep the discussions on projects organized, you should post your questions, suggestions, and comments on submitted work here in this thread. By doing this, we allow other non-project efforts to not get “pushed down” by a swarm of project-related threads.

        Kat



        Light the candles

        #1020302
        KathyJB
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            Thanks gudrun and Alan for joining!!!
            I am learning as I go also just only about 2 weeks or so ahead of you both.
            I am looking forward to observing what your style will add to the process and the final outcome.
            Welcome both of you!!!
            Kathy

            Kat



            Light the candles

            #1020303
            KathyJB
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                Regarding this entry –> https://www.wetcanvas.com//Community/Projects/image_viewer.php?entry_id=31561

                Hi Jim I like this and thanks for starting the project off with a smashing painting…I like your inturpretation of the process.
                And my mind wanders when I think of the images in this painting
                Kathy

                Kat



                Light the candles

                #1020329
                Alan Cross
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                    Good job Jim I am not suprized you beat everyone with a painting lol….
                    Alan :)

                    My Web Site[/url]
                    Our wedding photo's

                    #1020354
                    Sue Galos
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                        Hi Kathy, if I can get the materials together, I’m going to give this a try. Do you mix the 2 waxes, or use different ones on different layers? I used to do batik years ago, sosomewhere I should still have some of the equipment – a tjanting tool for people that work in a linear way would be useful.

                        Sue

                        Crazy Cat Lady
                        Visit my website:www.suegalos.com
                        blog: sarniasue.blogspot.com

                        #1020304
                        KathyJB
                        Default

                            Hi Sue,
                            Yes yos you mix about 2/3 beeswax to 1/3 pariffin in the real reciepe but I play with that mix alot.
                            I used a tjanting for the first time last week … boy what a thing that is… I have more control with a brush tho hence the project. If you fing your tools do show some work with the tjanting as that is what i intend to use as i get more proficient at this method.
                            Thanks Sue love your pointers and expect more:)
                            Kathy

                            Kat



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                            #1020332
                            artman42
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                                Thanks Alan.cant wait too see your Paintings and Thankyou Kathy, ,,,,

                                Jim and heres my blog http://perkinsart.blogspot.com/ and new website
                                www.freewebs.com/waterj

                                #1020305
                                KathyJB
                                Default

                                    Regarding this entry –> https://www.wetcanvas.com//Community/Projects/image_viewer.php?entry_id=31665

                                    Well here is the first one of mine for this project… had some fun with this … doing it for a gift for my brother for christmas
                                    Comments?
                                    Kathy

                                    Kat



                                    Light the candles

                                    #1020330
                                    Alan Cross
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                                        Regarding this entry –> https://www.wetcanvas.com//Community/Projects/image_viewer.php?entry_id=31665

                                        Good one Kathy I dont’ have the wax yet so I am still in a holding pattern…
                                        Alan :)

                                        My Web Site[/url]
                                        Our wedding photo's

                                        #1020306
                                        KathyJB
                                        Default

                                            Thank you Alan,
                                            Do you have candle wax?
                                            Can use that if your want to give it a whirl… parifin or white candle wax works well if you dont krinkle or fold the paper where as the beeswax is more giving and folds with it somewhat,
                                            So glad your involved and commenting… your support is appreciated
                                            Kathy

                                            Kat



                                            Light the candles

                                            #1020333
                                            artman42
                                            Default

                                                Regarding this entry –> https://www.wetcanvas.com//Community/Projects/image_viewer.php?entry_id=31665

                                                I like the Color and Compostion,

                                                Jim and heres my blog http://perkinsart.blogspot.com/ and new website
                                                www.freewebs.com/waterj

                                                #1020307
                                                KathyJB
                                                Default

                                                    Regarding this entry –> https://www.wetcanvas.com//Community/Projects/image_viewer.php?entry_id=31665

                                                    Many thanks Jim!!!
                                                    Kathy

                                                    Kat



                                                    Light the candles

                                                    #1020308
                                                    KathyJB
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                                                        Regarding this entry –> https://www.wetcanvas.com//Community/Projects/image_viewer.php?entry_id=32078

                                                        Well this method sure has it surprises what do you think?
                                                        Kathy

                                                        Kat



                                                        Light the candles

                                                        #1020309
                                                        KathyJB
                                                        Default

                                                            Welcome Zyffyr, As you can see accidents are also welcome here (smile) I was painting a petroglyph but the mix of wax I used didnt hold my shapes as well. I am however still happy with the design just not the contrasting values.
                                                            welcome andnhappy painting!!!
                                                            Kathy

                                                            Kat



                                                            Light the candles

                                                            #1020355
                                                            cmwynn
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                                                                I have put off this intriguing project until I visit my daughter at Christmas. The smoke alarms at the home where I live are very sensitive and have gone off just with candles. My daughter bought me some soy wax, supposedly very flexible. Have you tried this? It is used to make candles in containers, I guess because it isn’t strong enough to make free-standing candles. Is flexible good? Sounds like it, but I’ll know better if all goes as planned this week. Looks like fun.
                                                                Connie

                                                                Criticisms and comments always welcome.
                                                                Connie

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