ART ON SILK

Silk painting is one of the most famous art form and a great way to express the unique fashion style in the form of clothes. It is a colorful, gorgeous and popular art form practiced worldwide. As the surface of the silk seems to reflect the color, the final look gets more bright and vibrant. Painting on Silk is a form of art and it requires different techniques and experiments. Applying dyes to the silk makes the flow of color naturally and allows it to spread softly in result creating a beautiful masterpiece. Though painting on Silk is an easy technique but it requires confidence, practice and time. One of the most exciting aspects of painting on silk is the opportunity to create strikingly vivid textures and colors. The key to a successful creation is having the right knowledge and supplies to create your very own unique styles and develop new designs.  

ABOUT THE MATERIAL: SILK

Silk is a natural protein fiber, some form of which can be woven into textiles. Silk is also called the “Queen of fabrics”. It is diverse and beautiful. The best-known silk is obtained cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm. It is an elastic material that lasts for many years. For its quality, they soon triumphed, being a very expensive and luxurious material. It is highly valued because it possesses many excellent properties. It can be washed, painted, ironed, cleaned, and still always retain its beauty.
Image via dharmatrading.com
Gutta serti technique is the most commonly used ancient technique to paint on silk.  The Serti technique is where designs are outlined with gutta or water based resists, which are applied to white silk that has been pre washed, dried and stretched. Once the gutta has dried, it acts as a barrier for dye or paint, keeping the colour within the outlined ares of the design and allowing it to achieve sharp borders. After the dyes or paint has been properly set, the clear gutta is removed and a defining line the colour of the original fabric remains. These techniques are time consuming but the medium is said to lend itself to capturing the shifting qualities of light found in nature.

HOW IT’S DONE: 

Image via dharmatrading.com
Steps to follow for hand-painting on silk:
Step 1: Prewashing your silk
Step 2: Preparing your design
Step 3: Making a Stretcher Frame
Step 4: Stretching your silk
Step 5: Applying gutta or resist
Step 6: Applying dyes or paints
Step 7: Setting/Fixing the color
Step 8: Removing clear gutta or clear water-based resist

BASIC SUPPLIES REQUIRED TO PAINT ON SILK ARE

1. Silk material
2. Dyes – Steam fixed dyes and Iron fixed dyes
3. Gutta
4. Pipette
5. Frames
6. Masking Tape
7. Silk Pins
8. Brushed
9. Palette
10. Water dish
11. Embroiderers pen
12.Applicator (Alcohol)
13. Gutta Applicator Sharpie Pencil
Silk paintings are often done on scarves, fabric, wall hangings, curtains, tapestries, sheets and other accessories.
Serti paintings on silk is an art form to embrace and try !!
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