File spoon-archives/puptcrit.archive/puptcrit_2002/puptcrit.0207, message 10


Subject: Re: PUPT: Painting Silk
Date: Wed, 03 Jul 2002 18:33:47 +0000


<html><div style='background-color:'><DIV>
<P>thanks!!! <BR><BR></P></DIV>
<DIV></DIV><BR><BR><BR>Ken Berman 
<DIV></DIV>Dramaton Theater 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>From: HobgoblinH-AT-aol.com 
<DIV></DIV>>Reply-To: puptcrit-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu 
<DIV></DIV>>To: puptcrit-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu 
<DIV></DIV>>Subject: Re: PUPT: Painting Silk 
<DIV></DIV>>Date: Tue, 2 Jul 2002 22:40:08 EDT 
<DIV></DIV>> 
<DIV></DIV>><<2. How do I control the color and prevent bleeding? I don't mind the color 
<DIV></DIV>>bleeding through to the other side, but I do not want it to bleed out of the 
<DIV></DIV>>lines of the drawing?>> 
<DIV></DIV>> 
<DIV></DIV>><< an easy way to do the lines is with black gutta resist made for silk 
<DIV></DIV>> painting. it will keep the dye from spreading outside the lines. >> 
<DIV></DIV>> 
<DIV></DIV>>Right, although I favor white or transparent gutta. It's cheaper on the 
<DIV></DIV>>whole. You have to make sure that your lines close, or the very slightest 
<DIV></DIV>>break in the line will allow the dye to ooze into the next cell. To get it 
<DIV></DIV>>out of the fabric, dry clean it. However, it does not have to be removed. To 
<DIV></DIV>>some extent, within a drawn gutta cell, you have to count on bleeding to get 
<DIV></DIV>>a good even spread of color, so you might want to paint the cell with a wash 
<DIV></DIV>>of about 50-50 distilled water and alcohol (rubbing alcohol) to ensure quick, 
<DIV></DIV>>even spread. Fill the cell fairly quickly, using either a soft brush or a 
<DIV></DIV>>foam brush, and when you are through, put it immediately into a bowl of the 
<DIV></DIV>>alcohol-water mix to keep it from drying; it will dry quickly. 
<DIV></DIV>> 
<DIV></DIV>>You also need to invest in a small bottle of gutta solvent, a few drops of 
<DIV></DIV>>which will revive gutta when it becomes gummy in its container. Besides that, 
<DIV></DIV>>you need to buy a resist applicator bottle to ensure good control of the 
<DIV></DIV>>gutta lines. 
<DIV></DIV>> 
<DIV></DIV>>I do not advise that you deal with wax, as it is dangerous, fairly complex, 
<DIV></DIV>>fairly expensive (beeswax is needed in quantity) and hard to get really sharp 
<DIV></DIV>>controlled lines with, no matter how great a djanting you buy. Gutta can be 
<DIV></DIV>>controlled much more easily. specialty training is needed to struggle with 
<DIV></DIV>>the wax question, and it really is more of a specialty. 
<DIV></DIV>> 
<DIV></DIV>><<3. What is the best way to strectch the silk to paint without wrinkles 
<DIV></DIV>>getting in the way?>> 
<DIV></DIV>> 
<DIV></DIV>><<TO DIV < like frame wooden a on thumbtacks or pins push use it... stretch>>artist canvas stretcher bars...>> 
<DIV></DIV>> 
<DIV></DIV>>One of the questions I needed answered really quickly at this point was: Do I 
<DIV></DIV>>need to glue/nail/staple the stretcher bars, or should I leave them just 
<DIV></DIV>>fitted together? The answer is, they are easier to work with if you can 
<DIV></DIV>>disassemble the frame when you're through with it. 
<DIV></DIV>> 
<DIV></DIV>>Suggest push pins, as they are easier to get out. Dharma sells stainless 
<DIV></DIV>>steel pushpins, which are best, but unless you plan to do this a lot, 
<DIV></DIV>>brightly colored pushpins are easier to find before you step on them. 
<DIV></DIV>> 
<DIV></DIV>><<1. What kind of paint/marker/dye do I use?>> 
<DIV></DIV>>I prefer Pebeo Soie steam set silk dyes. Tinfix also has a good reputation, 
<DIV></DIV>>and is set the same way. A little goes a very long way, so you don't need to 
<DIV></DIV>>spend buckets of money. A simple 3.5 oz bottle will do more than you can 
<DIV></DIV>>expect. Dilute it with distilled water in a paper cup. I would advise 
<DIV></DIV>>stocking up on a few basics rather than becoming addicted to the wide range 
<DIV></DIV>>of delicate shades offered. For a start, 
<DIV></DIV>> 
<DIV></DIV>>jet black 80 
<DIV></DIV>>red poppy07 or pomegranate 15 
<DIV></DIV>>primary yellow 01 
<DIV></DIV>>cobalt blue 24 (VERY intense) 
<DIV></DIV>>a brown of some kind such as chestnut 55 
<DIV></DIV>>jade 33 
<DIV></DIV>>possibly a purple like violet 21 
<DIV></DIV>> 
<DIV></DIV>>Mix your own in small amounts then test a patch of the fabric. 
<DIV></DIV>> 
<DIV></DIV>>And speaking of fabric, I advise you not buy the 5 mm habotai if scenery is 
<DIV></DIV>>your intent. If you want a disappearing scrim, then 5 may be what you want. 
<DIV></DIV>>8 is very lightweight even for a scarf fabric. I plan to buy 10 mm next time, 
<DIV></DIV>>because the scenery I've made is beginning to show some slight wear and tear 
<DIV></DIV>>at the edges after dozens of shows. It is very transparent from inside the 
<DIV></DIV>>stage, but very satisfactorily opaque from the audience side. It is easier to 
<DIV></DIV>>see through dark colors, much harder to see through lighter colors like tan, 
<DIV></DIV>>yellow, like that. 
<DIV></DIV>> 
<DIV></DIV>>The bad news is the steamer issue. Steamers are expensive. In fact, they are 
<DIV></DIV>>the largest expense you face. Down here, we make our own. If you still want 
<DIV></DIV>>to try this technique, there are three options: 
<DIV></DIV>>1. Buy the expensive thing, preferably vertical, not horizontal. 
<DIV></DIV>>2. Learn the on-the-stovetop method using a large pot and great care 
<DIV></DIV>>3. Make your own out of easily obtained hardware for $100 or less 
<DIV></DIV>> 
<DIV></DIV>>I cannot choose for you, but if you want to build one, I'll tell you how. 
<DIV></DIV>>There was no way I could afford the vertical on in the catalogues. 
<DIV></DIV>> 
<DIV></DIV>>Suggest you buy the book "Silk Painting: The Artist's Guide to Gutta and Wax 
<DIV></DIV>>Resist Techniques" by Susan Moyer. It will tell you and show you virtually 
<DIV></DIV>>everything you need to know. You may also want to find Susan Moyer's 
<DIV></DIV>>susanlouise-AT-moyer.com. Her prices for dyes are somewhat lower than Dharma. 
<DIV></DIV>>But really, the dyes are comparatively cheap. 
<DIV></DIV>> 
<DIV></DIV>>Alice 
<DIV></DIV>> 
<DIV></DIV>> 
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