The Sewing Place

Painting on silk

Catllar

Painting on silk
« on: August 29, 2020, 13:28:56 PM »
Anyone on here keen on this?

I'm asking because I have a big fringed dance shawl made from silk . The body of the shawl is plain and I feel it could do with something, but not embroidery - it already weighs a ton - the fly in the ointment is that it is strong dark red colour so what would work that would show up against this background?

 I've done silk painting before many moons ago but always on a white silk ground, never experienced it on a dark background and as the thing cost me several hundred euros I don't want to take a chance and muff it up!

Any inspiration please - would a simple serti outline design work do you think?
If life gives you lemons, add to gin and tonic !

BrendaP

Re: Painting on silk
« Reply #1 on: August 29, 2020, 14:39:14 PM »
I had to look up 'serti' - it's what I'd call gutta or resist.

I don't think that you would really see much in the way of colour change with silk paints on dark red, but if you are skilled enough to do it neatly a metallic serti/gutta could work.

Another possible option is to use acrylic paint, but that will make the fabric feel a bit stiffer.  I have a shirt with an iris/flag flower painted on it - found in a charity shop it was someone's holiday souvenir from Thailand.  It's been through the washing machine quite a few time and the painting is still as good as new.
« Last Edit: August 29, 2020, 17:49:16 PM by BrendaP »
Brenda.  My machines are: Corona, a 1953 Singer 201K-3, Caroline, a 1940 Singer 201K-3, Thirza, 1949 Singer 221K, Azilia, 1957 Singer 201K-MK2 and Vera, a Husqvarna 350 SewEasy about 20 years old. Also Bernina 1150 overlocker and Elna 444 Coverstitcher.
http://paternoster.orpheusweb.co.

Lowena

Re: Painting on silk
« Reply #2 on: August 29, 2020, 14:50:45 PM »
I've only done it on a white background
Triumph of hope over experience :D

Iminei

Re: Painting on silk
« Reply #3 on: August 29, 2020, 15:15:42 PM »
Could you not applique some white silk in a shape and paint on that ... or rather do it the other way round, paint on the white silk, and applique it onto the shawl ... say a Japanese crane or something similar?
The Imperfect Perfectionist sews again

Efemera

Re: Painting on silk
« Reply #4 on: August 29, 2020, 15:45:34 PM »
Metallic gutta and black silk paint would do the trick.
« Last Edit: August 29, 2020, 19:31:05 PM by Efemera »

BriarRose

Re: Painting on silk
« Reply #5 on: August 29, 2020, 17:25:10 PM »
I've only used silk dye for painting and that wouldn't cover the original color. You could make a design by using some kind of bleach to disperse the existing dye, maybe within a gutta boundary. 
It's just fabric. We can out-think it.

Catllar

Re: Painting on silk
« Reply #6 on: August 29, 2020, 19:59:01 PM »
Hmmm, lots of ideas but I'll think on some more. Not going down the appliqué route - it already weighs a ton without adding more, the acrylic paint is tempting - just need to find another deep red silk scrap to practice on - don't want to ruin what is a beautiful shawl !!
If life gives you lemons, add to gin and tonic !

BrendaP

Re: Painting on silk
« Reply #7 on: August 29, 2020, 22:50:04 PM »
@Catllar Skilled use of acrylic paint on cheap poly cotton.
   [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]  
Brenda.  My machines are: Corona, a 1953 Singer 201K-3, Caroline, a 1940 Singer 201K-3, Thirza, 1949 Singer 221K, Azilia, 1957 Singer 201K-MK2 and Vera, a Husqvarna 350 SewEasy about 20 years old. Also Bernina 1150 overlocker and Elna 444 Coverstitcher.
http://paternoster.orpheusweb.co.

Catllar

Re: Painting on silk
« Reply #8 on: August 29, 2020, 22:55:50 PM »
That looks amazing. Thank you.
If life gives you lemons, add to gin and tonic !

BriarRose

Re: Painting on silk
« Reply #9 on: August 30, 2020, 16:32:47 PM »
A problem with acrylic paint on silk is the stiffening effect and the loss of the supple flow that makes silk so appealing. It's okay if one is going to hang the item on the wall, but on a garment, the painted area will move as a chunk and not in a continued flow with the rest of the garment.
It's just fabric. We can out-think it.

elisep

Re: Painting on silk
« Reply #10 on: August 31, 2020, 12:22:18 PM »
I agree with BriarRose - acrylic paint will change the hand of the silk too much. Especially as its a dance shawl?

I would be inclined to try discharging it - provided there is somewhere on the garment (seam or hem maybe?) that you can test out the colour remover to see what results you get. I have had good results with Jacquard's Discharge Paste/DeColourant on some commercially dyed silks. The results vary depending on the colour and what it was dyed with, so you definitely need to test it first. It's a paste so could be painted or stencilled on for an interesting design, you then iron it to remove the colour. Some colours won't discharge fully to white, some won't discharge at all.
You can also get a colour remover that you put the whole piece in and boil to remove the colour, called Thiox (Dharma Trading sell this as Dyehouse Colour Remover) however, you could get different results on the fringing to the silk, as there's a good chance the fringe was dyed with a different type of dye, and is probably a different fibre as well (not silk I assume).

My other thoughts are that a design stencilled on in gold or silver would be lovely. Rather than using gutta or acrylic paint I really like Jacquard's Lumiere fabric paint, it doesn't leave as much of a hand on the fabric and is much thinner than gutta. If you heat set it with the iron it will be wash fast. Also cheaper to cover a large area than metallic gutta.

In my mind I could see something like a gold damask design stencilled around the edges of the shawl might look nice, and only around the edges, wouldn't change the hand of the fabric too much?
Stash Busting 2023
Used: 4 metres

Catllar

Re: Painting on silk
« Reply #11 on: August 31, 2020, 18:19:42 PM »
That's a point - the hand is really important in a dance shawl as part of the choreography is achieved using the sound the shawl makes and somehow clunk thud isn't so appealing. Never even considered discharge and I 'don't have anywhere on it to try anything at all - it's all hand rolled  and stitched hems and then the macrame is punched through that. I think I'll give up on the idea  - I really don't want to ruin the thing - it wasn't cheap.

Thanks for all your inputs, you may just have saved me from making a big mistake!!! :facepalm:
If life gives you lemons, add to gin and tonic !