All about cold batik

Art, which began to develop along with humanity itself, underwent various metamorphoses: its meanings, principles, and technologies changed. When a person in ancient times applied some kind of pattern to wood, clay, fabric, it did not just serve aesthetic ideals - the action had a sacred meaning. The roots of many artistic techniques lie in paganism. Each flower, curl, geometric figure had its own meaning and was not accidental. Batik, being the art of painting on fabric, also follows this concept.

The very word "batik" has Indonesian roots, and if you translate it literally, you get a "drop of wax." Features of the drawing on the fabric led to this name. To prevent paints from spreading over matter, the craftsmen learned to fix colors using special formulations, the main component of which was wax.

Batik can be hot and cold. The technique of hot painting involves heating the paints and wax before applying to the fabric, cold batik dispenses with preliminary melting. If hot batik appeared a very long time ago, cold batik arose with the development of chemical production. It works special chemical reserve composition, reminiscent of a gel that can harden on the fabric. Since the basis of this composition contains gasoline and glue, cooking it at home is, to put it mildly, unsafe.

In a sense, cold technology is simpler and effortless to perform.

The homeland of batik is Indonesia.In those distant times, when this art was only in its infancy, women already tried their best to decorate their own outfits. To emphasize their belonging to a particular genus, it was necessary to decorate clothes with certain patterns and colors.

And although the choice of dyes was quite limited, the craftsmen created colorful paintings successfully. It must be said that each kind kept its secrets about how it was possible to achieve this or that color, how an interesting pattern was obtained. Features of craftsmanship were passed from older to younger generations. The drawings were very different - ornaments, abstract and plot stories.

The advancement of art involves two paths: inland and in breadth, if you say very simply. This means that the methods have become more complicated, and the technology has become more and more sophisticated - this is a deeper advance. And breadth is an expansion of scale. From Indonesia, batik art was transferred to Japan and China, where it acquired a new development. China made a great contribution to the promotion of batik - he presented silk to the art of painting on fabric, and this combination remains relevant today.

The Japanese came up with the so-called reverse batikwhen the fabric was first stained and then bleached with alkali. Dutch travelers brought batik to Europe, which could give this direction another round of development, but almost ceased the very existence of the art of painting on fabric. The Europeans were quickly fed up with batik and carried away by the English printed technique. But single artisans were able to preserve the unique art of decorating paintings.

Today, batik is not only a hot technique, more in demand, improved over the centuries, but also a cold technique that is truly developing during the growth of the chemical industry.

It’s worth starting with the fabric. Batik always maximally reveals its capabilities, if you have to work on natural fabric. If you are a beginner, then start with batista, crepe de chine, calico. When the hand is already full, you can try your hand on crepe georgette, toilets, as well as crepe chiffon. If you really want to touch the art of painting on silk, then working with natural materials is more responsible, but more pleasant, while artificial silk is very inconvenient.

What you need to know about stretchers.

• Stretcher - This is the frame on which the fabric is pulled to simplify working with it. If small painting is expected, the subframe can be replaced. hoop.
• Medium and large sized works it is preferable to perform on stretchers of soft wood, while the buttons for fixing the material should easily enter into them.
• More convenient sliding stretcherIt does not take up much space and is a universal device. The design consists of four rails interconnected, and the dimensions of the subframe can be adjusted to the size of the work.
• Before stretching, it makes sense to glue the stretcher with masking tape - this will save him from spreading paint.

The main tool is a glass tube, which serves to apply the reserve. It consists of three parts: the long part, spherical and curved nose. The tube is very fragile, it must be protected and washed after each work with any solvent. If a cork is formed inside of a dried reserve composition, it is necessary to very gently clean the curved nose with a wire.

Paints for batik come in two types: heat seal and steam seal. Many professionals prefer to work with paints that require heat treatment, that is, ironing with a hot iron. Contours and paints for batik today are branded Decola, Gamma, Gutta - These are worthy materials for batik.

Reserve is an adhesive semi-fluid component that delimits stained areas on the fabric. There is a transparent reserve, which is then washed off with warm water, and there is a reserve, which is not necessary to wash off: it is fixed on the fabric and becomes part of the work.

The painting itself is performed tasselswhich can be made from synthetic fibers or natural hair squirrels, ponies, columns. After work, be sure to wash them in soapy warm water. You can also use sponges.

The basic principle of cold batik is that first you choose a template that can be easily divided into closed, clearly defined areas of a certain color. Typically, beginners begin to make batik using drawings from children's coloring: it’s perhaps easier and more convenient not to come up with.

Next, the step-by-step algorithm looks like this.

1. The pattern is to be transferred to the fabric, for which masters use a special fabric pencil or a disappearing marker. The figure needs to be fixed under the fabric, draw around the contours.
2. The fabric is fixed on the frame, pulling matter needs to be tight.
3. The reserve is applied to the fabric. The glass tube is filled with reserve, its outline must strictly follow the pattern. Each color needs to be closed - this is a mandatory requirement. Next, wait until the reserve has dried, for the speed of the process, the fabric can be dried with a hairdryer.
4. Before filling the contours, check that they are closed. Take a sponge soaked in clean water (you can add a drop of shampoo to the water), blot the desired area. If water does not go beyond the limits of the circuit, then everything is done correctly.
5. Dyeing occurs with a brush or cotton sponge, application methods are the same in both cases. And to ensure that the paint spreads evenly, the fill area should be soaked with water.
6. Painting dries, after which you remove it from the frame. Sometimes it becomes necessary to correct individual areas. See how the dyes are fixed, usually indicated in the instructions for them. Some paints are fixed with an iron, others with steam, a hairdryer, or even the action of high temperatures in the oven.

After going through all the stages, the work can be considered completed. It remains only to find a place where it will be located and delight others. Although, there is another point - the decor.

One of the most popular design options are rhinestones. The very contour that separated one area from another can be decorated with shiny pebbles. It looks beautiful if such a decoration resonates with the theme. For example, you draw on a fabric night in the forest, a noble wolf, snow and spruce, constellations in the sky. Of course, in this case, rhinestones are appropriate.

For a firm grip on the fabric, they are glued with a hot iron. Sometimes in rhinestones there are small holes and this means that they can be sewn.

For the purpose of decoration, someone likes it more flash the circuit. To do this, silver metallic threads or ordinary floss are taken, and the contours of the elements are stitched with stitch. It is a long and difficult job, but the result can be impressive. In this case, it will not be pure batik, but a mixed technique of its execution.

And yet, in most cases, batik is good in itself in its subtlety, grace, painstaking work and a wonderful result. Handcrafted art, popular at all times, can succumb to anyone who wants to master it. Good luck with your work and inspiration!

What cold batik is, see the next video.