Silk painting: Get creative on a whole new surface
Rivers of ink flooded the small canals I had so artfully constructed, and I was elated to see that my first engineering feat had been a success.
Radiant colors bloomed slowly, like a flower opening to the sun, everywhere I touched, and after an hour of labor, I had completed my first hand-painted silk handkerchief.
I was recently presented — after a fortunate mishap — with the opportunity to learn the French Serti technique of silk painting. At first, I was skeptical about how entertaining a pursuit it could be, but decided to try it anyway. I must say that this decision was one of my better ones that week.
I arrived at the UO Craft Center a few minutes early on Monday night and with mild curiosity waited for my class to begin. While I waited, I examined a few of the silk scarves our instructor had painted, all of which were beautiful, and my curiosity grew far past mild. Class commenced, and within minutes I was utterly entranced by this watercolor-esque art form.
Serti silk painting is one of many methods for painting silk. It is considered a French method, but it isn’t clear where the technique originated. It is thought to have originated in the Indonesian islands because the tree that produces gutta, the substance that defines the method, grows naturally on the islands.
In order to paint silk, you need a few things: some kind of resist, dye, a frame, paint brushes and silk. For the Serti method, gutta is used as the resist. The resist is probably the most important aspect of silk painting because it acts as a barrier to keep dye from spreading into areas of the silk where it’s not wanted, which makes it possible to paint designs on the fabric.
Once you have your supplies, you can begin by spreading the silk taut across the wooden frame. When the surface is complete, it’s time to go to town, draw your design on the silk with a vanishing marker, go over your design with gutta and begin painting on the dye.
Serti silk painting reminded me of watercolor painting, except I found it to be much easier. The dye spreads quickly across the silk so you barely have to move your brush at all in order to make brilliantly colored scarves. I had boat loads of fun playing with all of the different color combinations, but would definitely recommend having a basic understanding of the color wheel before attempting this craft.
I came away from my first three-hour silk painting session with a bounce in my step, which is something to be said considering I’d been awake for 16 hours already that day. If you’re looking for a way to lower your blood pressure — as one of my classmates had been — or to just have a little fun, I would definitely recommend giving this craft a shot.
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