Through the Stages 1: Initial Wax

While I really hope to impart in this blog is the story of the trials and errors in discovering the process of batik and to convey what I have learned to those who want to know. But, I also want to show the progression of my current project as it goes through its stages each week.

Using an enlarged image of my initial sketch of a gothic girl sharing the shelter of an umbrella from the rain with a crow, I traced the image onto a piece of unbleached 100% mercerized cotton using a light table. Fabric choice, as you will learn in my next post, plays an important role in the final appearance.

Using my tjanting tool and a hot wax mixture, I traced my pencil outline. While these lines will eventually be black, they will at this stage prevent any dyes from bleeding between sections of color.

This image of a girl amongst peacocks served as my initial inspiration. I hope to carry through the surreal colors and heavy black lines that I love about this picture. My image, however, has a lot more far away details that will make this style difficult to achieve. I also still have many decisions to make about my color palette before I start the dying process this Friday with my friends. Color has always been a stage of uncertainty and insecurity for me. Sometimes you have to dive in, and just commit.

Batik Beginnings: How it all Started

Several years ago, I decided I wanted to try the process of batik. Batik is the art of using wax resist on fabric to control the absorption of dyes into the fabric. Most people look at batik as a way to create colorful repeating textile patterns using stamps and tjantings, commonly used for Indian saris and quilting panels. I wanted to take it to the next level. I wanted to discover how to create an original art piece through a process of painting and manipulating dyes.

I started reading what books I could find. I watched videos online. Most informative was the documentation of the process on the Dharma Trading Company website. Through trial and error, I have finally evolved a process that works best (this I will share in my later posts).

My first adventure in batik was ambitious. I wanted to paint a vineyard overlooking the vibrant fields of Tuscany. I fearlessly threw myself into a process that sounded easier than it actually was. Hours later, after much swearing and tantrums as blobs of wax landed and dyes bled in places where they shouldn't, I gave up and hid it away, eventually to be rediscovered months later.

Batik is not a perfect medium. You will always get unexpected results. Then you learn to cheat.

When I returned to the Tuscany batik, I doggedly finished it despite my growing fears that I was wasting my time. I collected old newspapers and paper bags, and ruined my iron through the process of ironing out the wax, but it was done, and it turned out... okay.

Through much positive support of a much maligned husband, I was encouraged not to give up, so I took out my basket of art markers and fixed it. I cheated but who cares. My final result was much improved and worthy of framing.

I put away all my supplies and did not touch them again until about a year later.