PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN AND APPLICATION

Lesson 10: Methods of Producing Designs on Textiles: Printing, Dyeing & Painting

Methods of creating different design effects in batik

Painting: The pattern is drawn on the sample. Areas of the patterns which have to be protected from the dye are painted with wax. Ideal ratio of wax is 1 part of paraffin wax & one part of Bees wax (50:50). The sample is then dyed in desired shade & same process is repeated for the second dye.

Marbling:
Marbling can be done in two ways:

1. The whole sample is coated with wax (1:3 ratios of bees & paraffin wax) then dyed in desired shade. It produces a crackled effect on plain white surface.
2. Any abstract irregular design can be created with the help of brush strokes dipped in wax (1:1 ratio of bees & paraffin wax).

Sprinkling: The wax is sprinkled with brush on plain fabric then dyed in desired colour. It produces a dotted pattern. It can be redyed in second colour after sprinkling more wax on the dyed background. Wax ratio of 1:1 is preferred.

Scratching: It requires more of bees wax as crackles are not desired in such patterns.

The fabric is dipped in a solution of wax (3:1 ratio of bees & paraffin wax) or the wax is smoothly applied from both the sides of fabric then after drying a pattern is scratched on wax coated surface with pin or other sharp object. Then the sample is dyed, colour penetrates through the scratches (Fig.10.14).