Batik Painting

Today I decided to try my hand at Batik Painting. I wanted to create a watercolour effect for my cushion designs. Taking some cotton cloth I started to think of colour and layout. I first wet the cloth and then tested the area a few times. I noticed the more you added water the more the paint spread out.  The Batik I used left a transparent look on the cloth.. again adding to the washed out look I wanted....next I took the hot wax and apllied it to the parts I wanted to keep orginal colour.. I did a lake, sky, trees and loch design, a dead flower design and also a more mould like effect to make the image of algae under a microscope. This was in keeping with the pond life idea I have.. I love my fresh water shrimp and will keep him after my assignment!

This is the tool used for holding the hot wax for drawing resist 

To make a batik, selected areas of the cloth are blocked out by brushing or drawing hot wax over them, and the cloth is then dyed. The parts covered in wax resist the dye and remain the original colour. This process of waxing and dyeing can be repeated to create more elaborate and colourful designs.

flower and lake painted

lake after wax with more colours added

shrimp after wax too

stitches added for effect and tests (by hand only)

I'm going to highlight with embroidery thread