fabric painting question

[Bonnie in Ok]

I have seen on here where some have done fabric painting and I am looking for advice on how to paint with the effect of a water color effect and what would be recommended for the type paint. I want it to be colorfast so that it can be washed. Thanks!

[micajah]

Bonnie,

Colored Pencils work good. Sherry Rogers Harrison uses the Inktense brand but I believe she also uses a medium to make her colors more vibrant. Irena Blum also uses colored pencils. I'm not sure of her brand but I think it is one of the less expensive ones. I bought Inktense pencils at Michaels with one of their coupons. I find that the colors will run once you add water to the area you colored. I have yet to find a" resist" to paint onto the area I don't want to have the color bleed on. My aim was to use them to write on labels with but the color smudged a lot! If I weren't so cheap, I could buy some resist from Sherry.....

On a more positive note, once wet then dry, they do not wash out or fade.

Please post what you decide to use.

Debbie

[Bonnie in Ok]

Thanks Debbie for the information these sound like usable options and will have to look into them. Wonder what others will have to say on this subject.

[chrisquilter]

If you use a fabric medium to wet the colored pencils, it will run less then with water.  The medium also makes the color "permanent".  I would not use this on a quilt that will be washed a lot though.  I use this combo in art quilts all the time.  I have never washed any of them.

 

I also have painted fabric with Seta Color paint, transparent not opaque, thinned with the fabric medium.  This will also give you a watercolor effect.  Don't thin it with water because if you you use too much water it will cause the color to separate.  Ask me how I know . I have used a little water when I was painting a sky along with the textile medium.  You need to heat set Seta Color.  You  can get these paints at Dick Blick or probably on Amazon and at good art stores.http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=seta+color+paint&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Aseta+color+paint 

 

I took a class from Irena Bloom and I bought Derwent colored pencils. The color saturated ones, not watercolor pencils.  When we were finished coloring, I think we then went over the areas with textile medium.  .http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=textile+medium

 

Hope this helps!

[Heritage Keepsakes]

I was only looking to do this technique this week!

I've seen it demonstrated a couple of times at Houston and here at AQC in Melbourne. Both times, with different people recommending , they used the (Derwent) Inktense pencils or blocks. If you use the blocks, you grate a little bit of the coloured stick and mix the gratings with the textile medium and then just paint it on. I watched the process intently from start to finish (and tried it myself) and both times they recommended not using water anywhere near it. Only to mix the Inktense with the fabric medium. The reason being, adding water tends to make it harder to control where the colour goes once applied. It tends to feather and bleed a little. Jo Sonja fabric medium is good to use and obtain. Try yourself though, with water and without on a test piece first. That way you'll know the look your wanting and whether the look compliments the project it's going on. I believe though, if you add water, you decrease it's chances of remaining colourfast.

If at all possible, pre wash any fabric you intend to use them on. That way the ink has betting chances of permanency once applied. With the textile medium added though, the ink shouldn't be going anywhere.

I've also tried the Shiva (I think they're called Shiva) sticks, and while they gave good colour, it tended to make the fabric area where applied really stiff. Hope this helps.