Silk Painting Techniques
Notes on uses and character of cold wax product - a work in progress.
Your comments are invited.
What is it? UnGutta is a textile resist medium made of fine wax particles suspended in a creamy medium. The medium dissolves in hot water releasing the wax particles from the fabric. I have used it on cotton, rayon challis and especially silk. It ought to work on any fiber when it can penetrate completely through to the back. It might be necessary to dry clean residual wax when it is used on heavy fabric. It is non-toxic and does not erode when you paint washes over it as other water-soluble resists do. It also does not pick up dye color when it is dry.
Application: When the UnGutta is applied to cloth it is white. When it dries it turns a golden beeswax color. The heavier the application, the wider the line, or the damper your environment, the longer it will take for the UnGutta to dry. It is intended for use a a barrier on the cloth between colors. This only works when the resist is dry. In addition to the needle nose applicator bottle, the resist may also be applied with stiff bristle brushes. Be sure to rinse them in hot water promptly after use to remove the wax. It is also possible to do crude stamping and probably stenciling to apply the resist. Whatever color of fabric or art is under the UnGutta will be preserved by it when you paint further. This can be done in several layers, imitating batik. If you paint directly over large waxed areas, color will bead up on top of the wax. If not wiped away it will penetrate the wax for a dew -like effect. I find that the minimum effective size of a barrier line is wider than working with solvent guttas, so I work in larger scale designs where the detail size increases accordingly.
Solution: The UnGutta varies in moisture content from heavy cream to sour cream consistancy. If it is too thin and runny for your fabric, china silk for example, spread some UnGutta on a plate and allow the moisture to evaporate from it. You may also thicken it with sodium alginate gel. Add about 10%. It will cause drying to take longer. To thin the UnGutta for heavier fabrics like rayon or cotton add water or liquid dye as a colorant.
Coloring the Ungutta: Be sure to use dyes according to manufacturers’ curing instructions. Procion H, for example requires baking soda as a catalyst, so you need to add a tiny bit of it to the liquid dye which you add to the resist. Because of the gold tint when the UnGutta is dry, colors will appear darker then the final result. Everybody wants a good black gutta. I have found that the blacks in Procion dyes are too fugitive and requre too much dye to make a good mix that does not get too thin or spread when steamed. Brown works great. News of any good results creating black UnGutta would be appreciated.
Steaming: Art using UnGutta should be steamed between layers of paper rather than muslin, because the wax will melt and transfer onto the paper, which is disposable. I always use newspapers and I have never had a problem (as I did with solvent gutta) with newsprint transfering to my art. When chemical set, the UnGutta was partially released from the fabric by the chemicals. The one time I tried this it did not seem to affect the art adversely. If you try this please let me know what happens.
Removing the resist: I recommend using a bucket or dishpan in the sink to rinse your fabric because the wax particles float. They will appear at the top of the container as small white particles and scum which will flood away with overflow of water. Use the hottest water you can to release the wax. If you rinse directly in the sink, you will have to pull your fabric up past the surface scum therby redepositing wax on the fabric.
Storage: Keep Ungutta and waxed work away from excessive heat , cold and sunlight. After all painting is finished it is ok to dry your work with heat or sun, because the wax work no longer affects the art.
Please send your questions and answers and comments to
Email Joy-Lily
at fiberjoy@dnai.com
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You can purchase Ungutta from Joy-Lily at
fiberjoy@dnai.com
Prices
Ungutta is available in:
6 oz. Trial size needle nose applicator bottle $5.00
9 oz. Regular size plus applicator bottle 7.50
18 oz. Refill size plus applicator bottle 14.00
2 oz. Applicator bottles, each (ship .35) 1.25
6 oz. Applicator bottles, (ship .65) 2.00
Please add $3 per bottle of UnGutta for shipping.
Shipping for extra applicator bottles is included when you place an order
for UnGutta.