Step 1: Supplies
NOTE 27 May, 2015: Setacolor Opaque has now been discontinued. Lumiere/Neopaque is still readily available.
- Setacolor or Lumiere/Neopaque fabric paints (Lumiere is a little more viscous, something that is a matter of personal preference). Be sure to note that the paint opacity you choose depends on the color of your fabric. You can use translucent paints on light colored fabrics, but use opaque paints for medium to dark colored fabrics. I purchase my paints on the Dharma Trading website.
- Saral Paper or a Prismacolor colored pencil in a shade that will stand out against your fabric (regular 2B pencil will work for light colored fabrics- be aware though- all pencils marks will show if you don't paint over them as they can't be erased on fabric).
- Fabric Pen or White Chalk pencil
- Pins
- Plastic Wrap (optional)
- Print of your design (actual size) with markings to show the center on vertical and horizontal axis.
- Light table: you don't need a light table if you are using Saral Paper, but you will for the pencil transfer method.
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| Lumiere/Neopaque Page on the Dharma Trading site. |
2: Mark your design and your fabric (non permanent mark, ie chalk or fabric pen) vertically along the center. Line up your markings using the light table or by eye and pin design. For pencil transfer method, place the right side of fabric facing up with design underneath, facing the wrong side of the fabric. Pin securely so it wont shift during tracing. Be careful- it will not be easy to correct mistakes, if at all. If you are tracing using Saral paper, place the fabric face-down on the dusty side of the Saral paper, then, pin your design onto the back side of the fabric facing up, like a fabric sandwich with fabric as the cheese. Trace directly over the design with pen in order to press the design into the fabric. (Shown in photo: pinning for pencil transfer method)
3: The design, fully transferred. Some fabrics react to paint better than others- cotton lawn is ok if it has silk in it, smooth silks are ideal. Glazed cottons work well. There are a variety of fabrics that work and many that don't. Be sure to test a sample with some paint before committing. If you're making your own clothing (good for you!) it's easiest to do this before pieces are assembled. If you're working on pre-made garment, it will be a little more challenging but still perfectly possible :) You can use thick foam core inside the shirt to protect the back from paint.
4: Before you paint, pin your project to a foam core board or tape if large to the work surface. This will keep the fabric flat and prevent it from shifting. I put plastic wrap around the foam core if the fabric is thin enough paint can seep through. I try to avoid using thin fabrics, however (unlike this example). The fabric should be perfectly flat without bubbles, but be careful not to stretch it out of shape. As you paint, place paper towels over dry areas you are not immediately working on to protect them from splatter or accidents. If you get paint somewhere by accident, unlike painting on a canvas you will not be able to easily fix it. If you're working with a t-shirt, cut the board to fit inside and lay in between the front and back of the shirt.
5: If your piece is very large like this 60" reproduction of a Kano piece, use masking tape to fix your material in a slightly taught, perfectly flat position directly to a table. Beware if your fabric is lightweight enough for paint to bleed through if becomes too watery. However, the paint should wash off the surface with warm soapy water.
6: You can approach fabric painting in much the same way as any other more traditional painting. Here for instance I have made a monochromatic layer to lay out my values over which color will be applied (expect for the ability to cover mistakes that happen in fabric areas that are to remain unpainted. Take it slow.). Layering paint like this tends to make the fabric stiff- something to consider if you are planning on wearing it rather than hang it on the wall like this Kano piece.
7: Here you can see how fabric paint can be layered and treated as a normal paint. The character of fabric paint is somewhere between acrylics and gouache, in my personal opinion. Closer to gouache in most respects. It takes to water thinning very well, it's cast may shift as it dries, it dries quickly. But it has the good qualities of acrylic to temper it. I use regular natural bristle acrylic paint brushes on this piece.
8: Finally, iron finished painting to permanently set paint. 5 minutes of high heat on painted surfaces will set fabric paints into a permanent water-fastness. To protect fabric and painting, I place a lightweight cotton pressing cloth between the painting and the iron surface. Personally, I never let the iron rest directly on the work. The 5 minutes it takes to set the paint may well scorch your material if it is touching iron surface directly.
Voilà!
