Silk Painting: The Artist's Guide to Gutta and Wax Resist Techniques

This work provides a complete course in an increasingly popular medium. Originating in Russia and migrating to America in the 1960s, the gutta resist method gave artists a new way to draw and paint on fabric using brilliant colour and without destroying the natural drape of the cloth (resists used prior to the gutta method stiffened the fabric). Following a short history of this revolutionary method, the artist covers the essentials of the silk painting art including the materials required (dyes, silks, applicators and brushes) and the basic palette of fabric dyes. Then, through a series of step-by-step lessons, she demonstrates the procedures of the gutta method. Beginning with how to draw and design using gutta, Moyer describes the direct method, the salt crystal method, the droplet method, the alcohol method and the faux batik method of application. The book concludes with methods for fixing the dyes permanently with steaming and dry cleaning.