Silk Painting How to

A resist is anything that prevents dye from reaching the fabric; it resists the dye.

In classical silk painting techniques, resists are used to guide the flow of the dyes through the silk fiber. This allows the artist to set up hard lines between different color sections in the image - much like the lead solder in a stained glass window.

There are a variety of resists and each can produce good results. Much will depend on the artist’s personal style and desired end result.

The success of applying the gutta/resist will be determined by several things:

• Density and weight of the silk (momme).
• Method of application and the size of the applicator tip used to apply the gutta.
• Viscosity of the gutta (thick or thin).
• Air quality (humid or dry air) in the studio.
• Practice and a steady hand of the artist.

Types of Gutta and Other Resists include:

Solvent Based Gutta

Water-Soluble Gutta-like Resists

Black and Colored Gutta

Metallic Gutta

Resistad

Hot Wax, Cold Wax, Soy Wax

Sodium Alginate

See Application Tools for more info about how to apply resists.