contents

An Invitation to Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Part 1 surface design fundamentals

Chapter 1 Setting Up Your Work Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Chapter 2 Exploring Your Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Chapter 3 Selecting Your Fabric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Chapter 4 Painting the Base . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Chapter 5 Adding Texture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Part 2 Surface Design Techniques

Chapter 6 Stamping and Relief Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Chapter 7 Stenciling Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Chapter 8 Nature Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Chapter 9 Monotype, Collagraph, and Gelatin Prints . . . . . . . . . . 102
Chapter 10 Silk-Screen Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Chapter 11 Working with Resists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Chapter 12 Image Transfer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Chapter 13 Marbling Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Chapter 14 Fold and Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Chapter 15 Drawing on Fabric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Chapter 16 All That Glitters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .262
Chapter 17 Sewing: As Accent, Embellishment, and Texture . . . . . . 274

Part 3 a designers notebook

Inspiration and Recordkeeping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .288
Basic Color Theory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .292
Composition 101 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .301

Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Reading List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309

v
49

Add ing T e x t ur e/ Basic Techniques for Achieving Texture
Basic Techniques for
Achieving Texture
There are many ways to achieve the effect of
textured fabric. As you explore the options,
youll no doubt discover a variety of common
materials that you can use to create all kinds
of effects. Let your own ingenuity take over
to discover new tools and even newer ways to
usethem. Here are some suggestions to get
youstarted.
Bubble wrap, of any size; the smaller the
bubbles, the better
Rubber bands
Scraps of burlap, or any other coarsely
woven fabric
Rubbing plates, available from art suppliers
such as Dick Blick (Cedar Canyon is one
brand); you may also find rubbing plates in
the cake-decorating aisle of craft stores
Plastic doilies or plastic lace
Plastic needlepoint canvas
Yarn or string
Corrugated cardboard
Crumpled plastic sheeting or plastic dry-
cleaning bags
Crumpled aluminum foil
Plastic mesh bag (such as an onions bag)
50
Paints
You can use heavy-body, transparent, or
opaque textile paints for textural effects, or
use acrylic paints mixed with the appropriate
textile medium. (See Comparing Textile Paints,
page18.)
Applicators
As well as the items suggested at left, youll
need a palette (a smooth surface to hold the
paint) and a brayer to pick up the paint from
the surface and apply it to the fabric. Smooth
and easy to clean, the best palette is Plexiglas,
available at shops that sell mirrors and glass,
as well as at building-supply, hardware, and
home-improvement stores. My favorite brayer
is a 4-inch-wide Rollrite Multi-Purpose foam
brayer, but do experiment to find the brayer
that works best for you.
Project: Play with Texture
Supplies Needed
Work surface covered with plastic sheeting
Rubber bands in a variety of sizes
Prewashed fabric measuring about 18" 22" (or
fat quarter size)
Painters masking tape
Paint
Plastic spoons, for scooping out the paint
(optional)
Plexiglas sheet, about 11" 13" (or other smooth,
flat palette)
Brayer, for rolling out paint
step 1. Place an assortment of rubber bands step 1
on your work surface, and lay your fabric on
top of it. Tape the fabric down.

step 2. Put a dollop of paint on the sheet of

Plexiglas, then load the brayer with paint. The
paint should evenly coat the brayer, but take
care not to pick up too much paint. Dip into
the paint using an up-and-down, or pouncing,
motion while simultaneously rolling forward.
Your goal is to spread the paint evenly on
the brayer, not to spread the paint over the
Plexiglas.
step 2

step 3. Roll the paint-laden brayer over the

fabric. Avoid landing the brayer too suddenly
on the fabric; this results in a sharp line where
you make contact. For a softer look, use some
finesse and go at the fabric with a smooth
motion, striving to apply the paint gradu-
ally and evenly throughout. I think of this
as hitting the floor running. If you have a
tendency to load on too much paint, roll out
the brayer on another piece of fabric first. Its step 3
a good idea to wipe paint off the edges of the
brayer before printing, to keep the edge of the
print clean.

step 4. Get some visual distance from your

piece before you go too far. After applying some
paint, hang your piece up, and step back to
take a good look at it. Youll find that a small
amount of texture goes a long way, so take your
time. You can always add more, but its difficult
to take paint away!

step 5. Allow to dry, then heat-set according to Try this!

manufacturers directions, at the appropriate
Use multiple colors. Roll out several colors
heat setting for your fabric.
on the Plexiglas at once. Unless you want
gray or brown, dont let more than a couple
ofcolors mix.

Create different grains. Change direction as

you roll on the paint, angling the roller this
way and that to achieve a variety of grains.

51

Add ing T e x t ur e/ Basic Techniques for Achieving Texture

Exploring the Possibilities:

Texture
Vary the material a, b, c. Experiment with a variety of
materials, including those listed on page 50 or others you
discover.

Move around d. Change the position of the material

youre using to achieve texture, striving for some incon-
sistency and/or overlapping images.

Use fabric crayons or Paintstiks e. Instead of rolling on

paint, rub over the area with fabric crayons or Shiva
Paintstiks. You can use the flat end or break off a piece,
so you can use the side. (See pages 249 and 251 for more
information on using crayons and Paintstiks.)

Rubber bandwrapped brayer f. Create a wonderful, bark-

like texture by wrapping a soft brayer with rubber bands
before rolling on the paint. This can be a little tricky, but
its well worth the trouble.

Afterthought g. Spread paint with a brayer on an art

piece that has already been quilted. Take care that only
the raised areas of the fabric get painted, while the areas
with stitching do not. Youll have to experiment with
different rollers and how much pressure to use. This
technique can add lovely highlights and contrast to a
piece that might seem too monochromatic.

More or less paint. Notice how different the paint looks

when the brayer is loaded compared to areas where the
paint is almost gone. Use that difference to your advan-
tage. Youll find that it adds dimension to the texture.

52

a b

c d

e f

53
63

a b

c d

e f

75

a b

c d

e f

87

93
Project: Making a Leaf Print
step 1
Supplies Needed
Work surface covered with plastic sheeting
Leaves of all shapes and sizes
Newspaper sheets, cut to size
Paint and paint palette
Foam brushes, cosmetic sponges, a brayer, and/
or a homemade dauber
Prewashed fabric (see page 28)
Sponge brayer for rubbing (optional) step 2
Damp towel for wiping your hands (this can be
amessy operation!)

step 1. On your plastic-covered work surface,

place a leaf on a piece of newspaper, if desired,
and apply paint to it with a brush, sponge,
brayer, or dauber.

step 2. Carefully pick up the leaf and place it

paint side down on your fabric, making sure
that none of its edges roll under. step 3
step 3. Put a piece of newspaper on top of the
leaf, then rub on it with your hands or a soft
sponge brayer to smooth the paint onto the
fabric.

step 4. Carefully lift off the newspaper. (It will

more than likely have paint on it, so be careful
where you put it down. I usually crumple it up
right away and throw it in the trash so I dont
have any accidents.) Carefully lift off the leaf. I
like to wipe it clean with a damp rag right away step 4
so I can use it again.

step 5. Use the same leaf to make additional

prints. Most leaves will last through many
printings.

step 6. Allow the paint to dry and then heat-

set (see page 22), if necessary.

95

a b

c d

e f

97

103

 W o r k i n g w i th R esi sts / Serti Technique

170

step 8 The Crackle Effect

To achieve the traditional batik crackle, remove
the wax-laden fabric from your stretching frame
after the last application of wax and paint.
Crunch the fabric up with your hands as much or
as little as you want. Lay it out flat on your work
surface, then paint over the entire surface with a
thin or medium-body dark-colored textile paint
that has been thinned with water. (You can also
use india ink, acrylic inks, or artist acrylic paints
that have been thinned with textile medium for
this step.)
step 8 Some artists get great results by putting the
finished piece in the freezer before crunching.
This gives it a stronger crackle, as the frozen,
hard wax tends to crack with sharper lines.

step 9a

step 9b

185
195

217