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.