how does she do it?

Silk absorbs color like no other fiber, so painting a beautiful picture on a piece of white silk is more than fun.

To paint a picture on silk, I first wash the silk to remove any sizing that may prevent it from accepting dye evenly. After the silk is dried, it’s ready to be stretched.

I stretch the silk on a frame such as a saw horse, a one-by-four, or a C-clamp. Pulling the silk tautly, I tack down its corners with stainless steel push pins placed an inch apart, then the center, and finally the rest of the fabric.

If I’m painting an outlined design on the fabric, I draw the design with gutta (rubber cement) or a water-soluble resist to keep the dye from spreading across the lines.

I paint the silk as if with water colors, then leave it to dry, or blow-dry it, depending on the desired effect. The longer it takes to dry, the more the colors meld. The weather is always a factor in silk painting: humidity adds to the moisture on the silk, while dry weather quickens the drying time and results in less blending of adjacent colors.

I often use salt and alcohol for special effects, and humidity affects the outcome.

After the painted silk has dried, I sandwich it in newsprint around a tube, then place it in a steamer for ninety minutes to six hours, depending on the amount of silk I’m steaming.

After steaming, I wash the silk, then roll it in a towel or a large piece of flannel to remove moisture. Then I iron it dry. Now the silk is ready for use, and for other design enhancements such as stenciling, stamping, embroidery, or beading.

Return to How Does She Do It?