Drawing and Painting

Ms. Voigt

Silk painting is a hybrid art form that fuses the styles of Chinese ink painting, Indonesian

batiks, and Japanese Kimono art.

Chinese Silk Painting, Song Dynasty

The Chinese

have used

silk as a support

for painting for over 2,500 years!

Chinese Silk Painting, 403 BCE

What is Silk?

What is Silk?Silk is a natural protein fiber that can be made

into textiles. It is obtained from cocoons made by the larvae of the mulberry silkworm

Each cocoon yields 1000 yards of silk filament – several

filaments are combined to make silk yarn

Silk has been highly sought after for

centuries due to its luxurious feel, elegant luster, and beautiful

drape.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/Silkwormheadsm.jpg

http://www.aurorasilk.com/fibers/images/035.JPG

•Silk has a beautiful drape and a rich feel

•Silk is the strongest natural fiber – for its weight, it is stronger than steel

•Silk can absorb 30x its weight in water

•Silk is warmer than wool in the winter and keeps the body cool in the summer

1. Silk Habotai Fabrics

Also known as "china silk" this is the classic silk fabric you see used in a variety of projects. Habotai silk fabric has a soft, lustrous, and supple hand. It has a smooth surface and lends itself to most painting techniques.

2. Crepe de Chine Fabrics

Has a slightly crinkled texture with a gentle, graceful drape and very soft hand. Usually, Crepe de Chine has a more Matte finish. It comes in various weights and colors.

3. CharmeuseThis is the Rolls-Royce of silks. It has a muted crepe on one side and shimmery satin on the other. It has a firm, soft, supple hand and a luxuriously heavy drape. Dyes and paints show an intensity of color and richness on this fiber. Charmeuse enhances all types of painting techniques.

Types of silk

Dyes vs. PaintsThe difference:

* Dyes, when set, actually chemically bond with the fiber. As a result, the 'hand' of the fiber is unchanged and the silk maintains it's natural silkiness.

*Paints are pigments suspended in a medium; when applied, they sit on top of the fibers and change the feel of the fiber. The silk will lose some of its silkiness when paints are applied.

Transparent dyes and transparent "flowable" silk paints work best on white silks.

Gutta Resist

A resist is a substance that halts the spreading of dye or paint as an outline, or preserves the

original color of the fabric in a shape or design.

Techniques and Steps

Step 1: The drawingCreate a drawing

Transfer design onto silk

Step 2: Apply ResistApply the gutta resist over each line of

your drawingYou should experiment creating different

thicknesses of line help ensure an

interesting design Step 3: Apply Ink

Apply ink with a paintbrush being careful to stay within your gutta resist lines. The ink will spread and blend on its

own and create interesting effects!

Step 4: Special Techniques

Try adding salt to get sunburst effects and unique textures

Practice wet on wet techniques to achieve tie dye effects

After you have stretched your silk, follow these steps:

Linda Clemow

ELISSA WELLIKSON JEANETTE KUVIN OREN

GUS BUTCHER

SUSANNE SLADE

KAVITA SINGH

LINDA BULHUIS

DANIEL JEAN- BAPTISTE

Examples of Student Art: