Lesson 2: Tools of the Trade

You may have read a book about batik that tells you about the Indian Javanese tjap (cap) and the tjanting (canting). Truly the most important tools of batik, but not by far the only ones for the painterly batiks my group has been doing. While we have only been using these tools thus far, some of us are beginning to experiment with new tools and techniques. But first, the basics.

Tjantings (A-C) are pen-like tools that have metal reservoirs, whose job is to hold and keep the melted wax hot. The wax flows through a tiny spout, some straight (A & C) and some curved (B). The wax flow depends on the angle you hold it and the shape and the size of the spout.

Tjanting A is an inexpensive commercial wax pen with a straight spout. The problem with this one is that the straight spout releases the wax too quickly with little control. I've tried flattening the spout with pliers to some benefit, but though it is usable, it is not one I recommend.

Tjantings B have copper reservoirs that retain the heat longer than other metals and curved spouts that allow for greater control of the wax flow. Spout size is measured in millimeters. The size our group uses most often is 1 to 1.5 millimeters and maybe 2 millimeters to fill in larger areas. These tjantings were purchased from Dharma Trading Company, a company who offers a large variety of high quality batik supplies.

Tjanting C is actually used for the process of waxing Ukrainian Easter eggs. While the wax cools very quickly compared to the others, the diameter of the spout is extremely tiny and produces very fine hairs of wax.

Tool D is a tjap, a copper stamp commonly used in the production of repeated patterns in Indian saris. Tjaps usually come in a negative and a positive form, one stamped on the front and the other stamped on the reverse of the fabric to reinforce the resist. Tjaps tend to be expensive and difficult to find as many of them are antiques. Although this tjap is old, it is new to me and as yet, still unused. It is too large for my wax pots, which means I will have to invest in a flat heated skillet.

Natural hair brushes (not synthetic, which melt) are used to fill in large areas of wax resist (while hot) or to add texture (while cooling). The brush does not keep the wax hot for long, so as it cools, the stroke of the brush becomes more apparent. It needs to be heated more frequently than the tjantings. One brush technique I hope to try soon is using the thicker brush shown and striking it against a hard object to create a spatter effect. Totally Jackson Pollack. You can even make forms from sticky frisket to block out shapes and let the spatter define the shape.

Brushes of various sizes are also important for the application of thickened dyes, either in large blocks of color or very painterly like Grasshopper Dana's truly realistic heart! Fantastically ghoulish!

Tools F through H are "freelance" tools, household metal items that retain the heat and create different effects. The pot scrubby (F) can be used for fur, the eye dropper (G) for rough pointillism, and cookie cutters (H) for whimsy.

I've have even carved stamps out of potatoes (which eventually cook) for the background of the Halby Hives logo to the left and floral foam, which is easy to carve but eventually breaks down. There are no limits to the tools you can use. Some work. Some fail. But all of them are a fun process of learning through trial and error.

I've tried many different wax pots with much frustration. Problems with consistency of temperature always seems to be the predominant issue. You do not want to experience change in wax flow when you are deep into a batik. The small wax tray to the left was sufficient for myself alone (another Dharma purchase), but I found that it had to be placed on the highest heat setting. Even better is a simple crock pot, 1 quart is best or 2 to 3 quarts for the many hands reaching into the same pot during batik Fridays.

Lastly is the all important frame that stretches the fabric taut and suspends the fabric above your work surface, preventing dye contamination or bleeding wax. I have used anything and everything for a frame, including paper boxes and egg cartons.

My first major frame purchase was Frame 1, a wooden frame with slots that made it adjustable to your fabric size. While good in theory, the frame agonizingly fell to pieces with consistent regularity.

A better option is to purchase different size stretcher bars for canvases. These can be assembled and disassembled to fit your project. The major problem with wood though is that it soaks up the dye and is a risk of contamination to your fabric.

Plastic options are available in Frames 3 & 4, though Frame 3 severely limits the size and shape of your batik. My favorite frame by far is Frame 4, purchased from ProChemical & Dye. The plastic frame is adjustable and has sharp claws that snag and hold the fabric. The only down side is its large, cumbersome size that dominates our Friday night table space.

Don't feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of the quantity of tools. Simply start with a tjanting, a crockpot, and a box. That is all you need. The rest will come along when your skills and confidence emerge. Batik is only a game that you win with practice.

Through the Stages 4: Art of the Grasshoppers

Since I cannot really call the friends who join me for batik every Friday night students anymore, it seemed natural to start calling them Grasshoppers. I was reminded last night where that particular reference came from, and remembering brought me great joy in recalling how much I enjoyed watching David Carradine in Kung Fu. Now I am sure I will have to go check for it on Netflix.

I am proud of my Grasshoppers. They have become so self-sufficient that I rarely have to look over their shoulders anymore. In fact, sometimes I have to prompt them by asking "Where do you think you might be going next with this?" When someone new joins the group, I sometimes forget that I need to explain anything at all.

I want to share with you some of the work of a few of my Grasshoppers. These batiks are the ones they are currently working on and at different stages of the process. The most recent addition to our group is Rita whose tree frog has come a long way without much advice from me, and, unbelievably, she has accomplished this much in only two nights. Every beginner has the inevitable accidental blobs of wax on the fabric before they gain confidence from their practice with the tjanting tool.

The Grasshopper who has been with me the longest is Dianne B. She has even gone so far as to take a "Fundamentals of Dying" class with me at Pro Chemical & Dye, and along the way has learned as much from my mistakes as I have from hers. (Like, who knew bleach could go bad?? Not me!) Dianne has been working on these gorgeous zebras and is now agonizing on the finer details of shading and contrast.

Grasshopper Mary is working on her third duck image, a Merganser. She has sworn that she is moving on from ducks after this, only to find out she has been researching more ducks. Mary has gotten horribly hooked on batik and is already planning out her own studio, building a light table, and acquiring her own supplies. LOVE it when that happens!

Grasshopper Tamara shows no fear. Her very first batik was an ambitiously jaunty image of Walt Whitman, and despite some major disasters, she played around and experimented with different processes until it became as beautiful as Walt's poetry. This is still by far one of my favorite batiks of my Grasshoppers. Currently she is finishing up an image of Sally from Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas. The picture shown has just come from the final dye bath and still contains the wax resist.

Another ambitious first project was completed by Gail, a vivacious Grasshopper with tons of spirit and adventure. Sadly last year, she lost all three of her greyhounds to illnesses, so it seems fitting that her first project was of her greyhounds. Beautiful use of color, texture, contrast, and composition. Her next project is going to be a scarf, but I am eager for her to begin the image of her cat's face. The detail in that image has encouraged me to seek out new methods of applying the wax to the fabric to get different textures and detail. You will see some of those in my next blog about the tools of batik.

Last, but not least (sorry Dana, Mom, and Lynn), is Grasshopper Diane H. whose husband is keeping us "well rounded" with his wonderful desserts. Diane has started working on a Mexican Oaxacan bull after just finishing a fabulous Oaxacan Eagle. This image is going to challenge her with the magnitude of its fine detail, but I know she is up to it. As the abilities of my Grasshoppers mature, they brave greater complexity in their image choices.

I am almost finished painting my batik. I have a few areas I want to redye in order to assure the vibrancy remains after I wash out the dye and boil out the wax. The next stage is to rewax the areas I want to protect from the final dye bath and leaving the hard outlines seen in my inspiration image. Before I move onto the dye bath though, I have to address what I am going to do for the background. I know I want it to be dark so that the other colors POP, but I am still struggling with how much detail, the technique, and the colors. I will have it all figured out by next Friday, I am sure, after many sleepless nights. At least it is almost out of its "Ugly Phase." Stay tuned.

Through the Stages 3: The Ugly Phase

There is always a stage in batik when you look at it and say "This looks so awful... why should I even bother to continue?" While I don't think my current batik is terrible right now, exactly, I am certainly not in LOVE with it. This is what I call the "Ugly Phase".

I spent last Friday adding more of the dye colors to my composition. While some colors seem to work together, others do not seem to be quite as harmonious.

At this stage I begin to doubt... "Did I make the right color choices?"... "Should I have applied that technique differently?"... "OMG, is that too dark?"... "What the hell am I going to do for the background?" Really, this is piss-poor planning on my part. My husband always complains that I throw myself into my art without having a firm plan or path to achieving it. I tend to wing it.

I guess I think of the process of batik as being more instinctive. There is no right or wrong... just choices to be made. That is one of the things I love about my Friday night batikers. Initially they would ask me, "What do I do next?" and I would give them a list of options. Then they would make a decision and learn from it. Now, instead of asking me what to do, they actually present me with their own options that I may have not even considered... and now I learn from them as well.

Anyway, I put a wash of periwinkle on the background so that I can wax out some of the rain in this color. The intention is for the background to become much darker (blocking out the periwinkle I don't need) so that the bright colors in the rest of the image will pop. "Popping" is what gets the batik out of its "Ugly Phase." The introduction of dramatic contrast between dark and color will give the final image its luminescence, like that of a stained glass window in the sunlight. Sadly, that stage comes much later, and until then, I will have to continue living with my doubts and trusting my instincts.

Lesson 1: Highs and Woes of Fabric Choice

The first thing to understand about choosing the proper fabric for batik is to understand a little something about the dyes and the dying process.

1. Types of Dye Processes:
There are basically three major types of dye; acid dyes which require hot water to bond the dye to the fibers, silk dyes which require either steam or chemicals for bonding, and ProMX cold water FRD dyes which require chemicals to affix the colors. Basically, Batik requires a non-heat activated dye, or in this case, a fiber reactive dye (FRD). Any heat process will weaken or melt the wax that blocks the dye and is not a suitable process for batik. For batik, cold water FRD dyes are the obvious option. Typically, FRDs bond with silk or plant fibers.

2. Types of Fibers:
The next thing to understand are the major types of fibers: synthetic, silk, plant (cellulose), and animal (protein).

Inappropriate Fibers for Batik:
Synthetic fibers I do not know much about except that each fiber requires a different process; rayon uses dispersion dyes and nylon requires acid, dispersion, and pigment dyes. YAWN, I am bored already.

Examples of the major protein fibers requiring a heat dying process are wool, angora, mohair, cashmere, silk, soy, leather, and suede.

Fibers Appropriate for Batik:
Silk is wonderful in that it responds to both heat (more brilliant) and chemical dying processes (less brilliant). It is neither a synthetic, cellulose, or protein fiber. It is unique by itself. Last year, I picked up a bolt of beautiful unbleached rough silk at a garage sale with a history that enthralled and inspired me. The seller's father had brought back the silk from Japan during WWII for her mom. The silk's origin and ancient history expresses itself beautifully in an antique color palette. Without revealing my finished pieces to soon and too fast, I will someday soon post my Arts and Crafts inspired William Morris silk pelicans and my Royal Peon silk peacock.

Cellulose fibers include cotton, linen, hemp, ramie, bamboo, rayon, and muslin. My first naive MISTAKE was in believing that these fibers would all yield the same or similar results to each other. I LOVED the idea of using bamboo. The initial colors were brilliant... lovely... and then they washed out to a pale representation of what they could have been. (see Mermaid and the Fish, left) Again, I fell back onto my magic markers to brighten my results.

After that, I decided that maybe I needed to better investigate my materials. I ordered a swatch-sampler package of over 50 different cellulose fibers from Dharma Trading Company. I handcarved the work "Batik" out of florist foam and industriously stamped it on each swatch (with the Dharma fabric code). I subjected all the samples to a single dye bath and was amazed at the huge variations in depth and vibrancy of color (more recent tests to the right).

3. Where to buy your fabric:
I've bought my fabrics from many places; the GOOD, Dharma Trading Company; the BAD, popularized commercial chain fabric stores; the BEST, seek out specialized fabric stores in your area who buy high-quality lots and know their fabrics like they are best friends (for me, Feminine Touch Fabrics, Syracuse).

4. How to prepare your fabrics:
It is recommended to pre-wash the fabric to remove any dirt, grease, and starch.

Pre-washing in Synthrapol or detergent helps remove invisible lubricants, fingerprints, dirt, oils, silk worm gum, and other impurities that can interfere with the dye absorption and cause uneven results. It is especially important for tub dyeing when you want an even, consistent dye job.

Not pre-washing is one of the biggest causes of "splotchy" results. Even PFD (prepared for dyeing) fabrics should be pre-washed.

Do I pre-wash my fabrics? LOL. Only when I remember. If you should though, a WISE thing to do is to clip the corners off the fabric to remind you that the fabric has been pre-washed.

5. Texture of the fabric:
Who would have thought that texture could have such a big effect on results? Well, I guess I should have!!!

Fabrics with heavy texture, such as linens (top left), seem to have more difficulty holding the wax, maybe because heavy fibers extend in multiple directions and prohibits the wax from absorbing equally. Maybe because its thickness is greater than that of other fabrics, such as cotton, silk, or muslin. Linen seems to want to bleed more.

You need to choose your fabric to suit the style of your design. A batik that requires clean, sharp lines benefits from thinner fabrics with finer texture (bottom left), such as cotton.

Do not discount linen though. The dyes spread beautifully for a watercolor technique or soft blends on an interestingly patterned surface. Its harsher texture can even create drama. (see Geisha, right)

I have so much to learn, and am eager to do so. If you should play around with batik, I hope you will share what you learn. Challenge yourselves! And have fun!

Through the Stages 2: Beginning Dye Stage

I wholly intended to begin my first instructional blog discussing the highs and woes of fabric choices, but I have to write about my wonderful Friday night batik group.

First, my Birthday:
I gotta say... I LOVE MY FRIDAY NIGHT FRIENDS!!! For my 45th birthday, they encouraged me to dye my hair, and in a fit of pique, I did it blue rather than pink. I did a terrible disservice to Dana who made me this gorgeous goth hair piece that would have popped on pink... but pink will come again... eventually.

Tamara made me an awesome pound cake (and I gained a few too) with, unfortunately, non-alcoholic whipped cream. Didn't need it though. It was delish. And Lynn brought a sumptuous lemon cream pie!! Yuum!

Diane H. brought me flowers and cake a week earlier, and although I tried to convince her that my b'day was the next week, and then again the next week thereafter, and so on, I could not get her to continue her lovely generosity.

My BFF, Dianne B. gave me the most sentimental card that lets me know how much our relationship is cherished.

Mary, who gifts me every day with her humor, her dog, and her endless zeal for adventure, has been an inspiration to me... a very cherished gift indeed.

My mom also gave me a beautiful card, accurately encapturing our relationship, that made me cry when I was sober enough to read it in its entirety.

And extra special appreciation to my VBFF, my husband, who despite protests, got me an I-pad3 and will suffer many days helping me learn how to use it.

I want to share with you these people who make the learning process of batik easier for me. I learn from their mistakes and through their obvious mistake in trusting blindly in my advice. I learn from them as they learn from me! And we have fun all the while!

We had a large group this Friday, so I bowed out of dying my image much and helped others, including another newbie. I love seeing their projects come to completion. You have done well grasshoppers.

I am thrilled with the vibrancy of color and depth I have gotten from the new natural cotton fabric that I am trying with my image. Already today, I am heating my wax and eager to take the next steps.

Stay tuned.