Art Textiles Techniques - Resist Materials

Transfer Paints

These are painted onto paper and then heat pressed onto polyester fabric. They are very vibrant colours. In this sample, bits of thread, string and confetti were put on the fabric before the sublimation paper was put over the top and then heat pressed to give a resist effect.

Silk Painting

This is another resist technique. The resist can be hot wax but usually something called 'gutta' is used. This comes in lots of different colours including gold and black, and a clear version too. It is important to create closed shapes with the gutta and to make sure that the gutta is completely dry before applying the silk paint. Drops of silk paint should be put into a palette. They can be mixed with each other and with water if so wished.

The paint should then be CAREFULLY dropped into the middle of one of the closed shapes. It will spread towards the edges. More can be added if necessary but take care not to add too much.

When dry, the colour can be fixed using an iron.

PVA Printing

Pva can be used as a resist. The consistency has to be just right. Too thin and there will be blobs everywhere, too thick and it will not create good lines. A small bottle with a spout is the best thing to use. Add just a few drops of water if the PVA is too thick. Once the dye has been fixed with an iron, the pva can be washed out in a tray of hot water.

Paste Resist

Instead of using wax, a paste resist can be applied that is made of flour and water. The best way to apply this is using a bottle with a nozzle or and icing bag. The paste takes a lot longer to harden than the wax and does not give such clean lines but on the plus side it is easier to control and there is no danger of getting burnt. The colour was applied on this sample using inks.

Batik Wax Brushed On

In this sample the wax was applied with a brush. The lines are thicker and the edges not as clean.