Direct Method silk painting is so simple that even a child can do it. The method is great for beginners, so they can practice painting before moving on to more difficult methods.
Steps
Step 1. Spread the silk on a loom
Make sure the fabric is flat, and that it is neither too tight nor too loose. If it stays too slow it will create ripples in which the colors can accumulate, while if it is too tight it could damage it.
Step 2. Spray the silk with a mixture of water and denatured alcohol (two parts alcohol to one part distilled water)
Wet the silk with this mixture: it will allow the paint to spread and dry out forming soft edges, and it will give you more time to paint because it allows the dye to dry more slowly. This technique is called wet on wet.
Step 3. Apply the first layer of dye while the silk is still wet
In this example, red is the main color, and a simple stripe pattern is used for the background. Notice how the lines have a soft, fuzzy edge.
Step 4. Add a darker color (such as a darker shade of the main color) to give more dimension to the design while the silk is still wet
As a general rule, always start with light shades and continue with darker colors. Since the colors in silk painting are transparent, once you apply the dark color it will be difficult to lighten it. To get white spaces you don't have to put any color in that spot.
Step 5. Let the first layer of paint dry
You may notice that some of the color separates (in our example, an orange shade or halo close to red, even though only various shades of red were used). It happens to some colors, especially with the wet-on-wet technique.
Step 6. Add a darker shade of the main color to the dry silk
This is called the wet-on-dry technique. The new color will dry with well-defined edges, and if the color used is slightly darker you will also get a dark outline.
Step 7. Add decorative touches such as simple stitches
Step 8. Soften too sharp lines by spraying some of the water and alcohol mixture again
You can also put some salt on the silk as you spray so as to get a more variegated effect as you see in the image.
Step 9. Paint other details with the darker shade of the main color, again using the wet-on-dry technique
The color applied on top of the previous salty layer will react to the salt and create other curved patterns and jagged edges.
Step 10. Wait until the silk is completely dry before putting on the scarf
Advice
- If you use French dyes, the preferred method for fixing is the one with the special steam stoves done for a few hours. Do a search with "Stoves for steam fixing of painted silk".
- When you use the direct method, the dyes must be dry before you can use the garment, otherwise the colors could fade and any humidity could leave stains. Handle the silk carefully until the dye is dry, or you could ruin the design.
