Fabric paint and dye painted on dupioni silk can create compelling patterns when interacting with the silk's texture.
Silk is a luxuriant, versatile fabric that can be used to create clothes, home furnishings and even works of art. Dupioni is a type of silk that has a rougher texture than traditional silk, but painting on any type of silk takes patience and precision. Learn paint patterns and images on dupioni silk to create extraordinary works of art for family and friends.
Instructions
1. Stretch the dupioni silk fabric over the silk frame. Hold it into place by tacking push pins in the fabric and frame. The silk should be stretched tightly over the frame (see References 1 and 2).
2. Sketch a design. Use a light-colored fabric pencil to sketch a pattern or design onto the dupioni silk. As this type of silk has a rougher texture than traditional silk, work your design around the nubby sections of the fabric (see References 2 and 4).
3. Outline your design in gutta. Gutta is a wax-like substance that resists paint and works to outline shapes and designs on the silk. Pour the gutta into an applicator bottle and trace over the penciled designs on the fabric. Allow to dry for several hours (see Reference 4).
4. Paint the silk. After the gutta is dry, fill in the areas with the silk dye. Use only one brush per color to avoid bleeding the colors on the fabric. Paint the dye on the fabric, starting with small amounts of color and increasing the intensity of the hue in layers according to your taste. As dupioni silk is traditionally a thick silk, more amounts of dye may be needed to achieve the optimum color (see References 1 and 3).
5. Keep the dyed silk stretched over the frame until thoroughly dried (around 48 hours) before unpinning (see Reference 1).
