Tools of theTrade, Part 2

S-*o, you have the silk evenly stretched on a frame. You've chosen an image to paint. There are 2 basic ways to get ;that image on the silk. You can take the silk off the frame, place it over the drawing, tracing with a pencil. you should secure the drawing to the silk with straight pins or spray the drawing with a temporary adhesive spray so the silk doesn't shift and you get an accurate tracing. Or you can place the drawing under the stretched silk, then trace the image. Trace the image,with this method, with a resist (the stuff that prevents colors from bleeding into each other. let the resist dry, then you can paint when ready. Resists There are 3 types of resists, gutta - a petroleum based product that is squirted onto the silk with a fine tipped bottle; water based resist, the same application but using a water based product; and wax, which must be melted & applied to the silk. I like the water based resists, there are several types.

All but the Magic Sizing are applied by squeezing the resist through a soft bottle with a tiny nib with a small hole in the end. One alternative is water based resist in tube that has the small tip already on it.

Let the resist dry, then you are ready to paint. Just a note on gutta and wax resists, gutta must be removed by dry cleaning. It also requires mineral spirits to thin it so there is an odor. For me, its too much trouble when there are safer alternatives. Wax must be melted in order to go through the silk, unless its cold wax,which can be applied with a brush.Even hot wax is applied with a brush or a tool called a tjaunting, which has a small, brass bowl with a spout. If you choose to use wax, dedicate a brush or two for that purpose since it won't come completely out of the brush, rendering the brush unusable for panting. You have your image on the silk, the resist of your choice applied. Are you ready to paint? Part 3 shows you how.