Step 1: Making a stretching frame
We sell an
adjustable
silk stretching system but there are also other options for stretching silk.
Canvas stretcher bars work very well. They are sold at most art supply stores
in different lengths, in pairs. Make sure that the inside measurements of the
bars, assembled, are at least 2-3 inches larger (on each side) than the silk
scarf. For small pieces, you could use a picture frame as a stretcher, or you
could build your own frame with wood. You could also cut out a frame from a
cardboard box, again, 2-3 inches larger than your silk (on each side).
Step 2: Preparing your silk
Pre-wash your silk in the sink or a bucket
with a gentle soap (a drop of dish detergent would be fine). Rinse, dry and
when still slightly damp, press with an iron, set to the silk setting. With a
pencil, lightly draw your design onto the silk. The resist technique (known as
the Serti Technique) lends itself well to designs with enclosed areas where the
color will be contained within the resist lines.
Step 3: Stretching your silk
Attach small safety pins connected to
rubber bands
to the edges of the silk, every 4 — 6 inches; the rubber band then goes around a
push pin which pins into your frame. This creates a suspended "trampoline"
effect. The goal here is to create just the right amount of tension so that the
silk remains taut while you are painting. Your piece will have a tendency to
sag a bit once it becomes wet with paint; the rubber bands should be a short
enough length to maintain the tension as the silk begins to sag but long enough
so that the silk is not stretched to the point of tearing. If need be, you can
link rubber bands together for extended lengths. The frame needs to be
suspended a few inches above your table; this can be done by placing an upside
down plastic cup or container underneath each corner of your frame.
Step 4: Applying your resist
Pour some of your clear resist into the
applicator
bottle (the top part snaps out and then back in again–be sure it snaps
completely back in). Screw on the metal tip to the applicator. Using even
pressure and a steady hand and holding the applicator bottle vertically with the
tip touching the silk, draw on your resist lines. Be sure that there are no
breaks or gaps in the line (or paint will escape!). Let the resist dry (you can
speed up the drying time with a blow dryer or
Heat Gun).
Step 5: Applying your color!
Now you are ready to paint. Enclosed in
your kit are
Dye-na-Flow
primary colors. You can use these colors just as they are or mix them to
achieve other colors (red + yellow = orange, red + blue = purple, blue + yellow
= green). To achieve pastel shades, thin your colors with water.
Dip your brush into the color and apply the
paint sparingly to the center of an outlined area by touching the brush to the
silk; let the paint move to the resist line — do not apply the paint too close
to the resist (if it becomes too saturated the resist line may begin to
dissolve!) If there is a gap in your resist line that you didn’t notice and the
paint starts escaping, you can stop the movement by drying it quickly with a
hair dryer. When painting large areas (e.g., background), work quickly,
applying wet to wet to avoid unwanted separation lines.
Also included in your kit is a jar of
silk salt.
Interesting textured effects can be achieved by sprinkling on the dry salt onto
the wet painted silk. Let dry completely before brushing off the salt. Try
it!
Allow to dry 24 hours before heat-setting the
paints with an iron, 2-3 minutes on each area of your piece, face down on your
ironing board with a press cloth between the silk and your iron. You may also
want a protective cloth on the ironing board as well.
Step 6: Rinsing out the resist
Rinse out the resist lines in warm water.
Hang to dry, then iron lightly while still slightly damp. Voila!
