Little secrets of painting on fabric with acrylic paints. What fabric can you paint on?

Painting on fabric involves a huge number of different technologies. This firstly depends on the original paint.

I suggest you consider batik paints and acrylic fabric paints.

Batik is divided into cold (gutta technique) and hot, there is also free painting on dry and wet textiles, knotting technique, shibori technique and kokechi (use of stencils).
High-quality painting on fabric is certainly done by hand and is a completely self-sufficient form of art.

COLD BATIK

In cold batik, when painting fabric, a special substance is used that does not allow paint to pass through. This method is called reservation. First, the drawing is made with this very substance, and those areas of the fabric that have not been processed are painted over with paint. Then the solution is removed, and thus a patterned fabric is obtained.

HOT BATIK

Hot batik usually uses melted wax as a reserve. As a rule, it is used on cotton fabrics. This technique uses “chanting” - an original tool for applying patterns with melted wax. This is a small copper vessel with one or more curved spouts and a bamboo or wooden handle.

FREE PAINTING

The artist's talent is especially evident in free painting; here it is impossible to create a drawing using a ready-made template. The individual uniqueness of the work is created.
Sometimes, before starting free painting on dry fabric, it is first soaked in a strong saline solution so that the paint does not spread. You can do various experiments, adding a reserve or salt effect somewhere, or using alcohol-containing substances to moisten the tissue.
Painting on wet painting is also a type of free painting. Works done “raw” have an unusually beautiful effect of paint smoothly flowing from one to another, which creates the illusion of airiness. You can move a brush with paint directly over the moistened surface of the canvas, forming a pattern yourself, without using ready-made templates for batik. Everything needs to be done quickly, otherwise unsightly smudges will form on the drying fabric.

KNOTTING TECHNIQUE

Knotted batik is an ancient type of fabric design. By the way, novice artists can be recommended to start with this batik technique.
Its meaning is simple - knots are tied on the fabric (randomly or in accordance with a certain pattern) using thread. Some batichists like to create unexpected designs using available materials - buttons, pebbles, round balls. The main thing is that the item is not afraid of high temperature, because if it is tied tightly with threads, it will boil in water with a dye solution.
T-shirts, dresses, tablecloths, and napkins look especially beautiful using the knotted batik technique.

SHIBORI TECHNIQUE

The shibori technique is often called knotted batik. However, there are several differences in this technique.
The fabric here is folded in a certain way, often according to a ready-made solution. This is an ancient Japanese technology that echoes the beloved Japanese technique of origami.

Despite all these batik techniques, there are many additional effects that can be used to add expressiveness and originality to the work, for example, the salt effect, “craquelure”, the use of urea or the unusual effect of alcohol.

ACRYLIC PAINTS

Also a popular type of fabric dyeing is free-form painting with acrylic paints for fabric. These paints are usually used for thick fabrics, leather, suede and textiles in dark and bright colors. The paint is applied with a brush, airbrush, roller through a stencil or using stamps.

AND NOW ABOUT FABRICS

Many fabrics are suitable for batik. The choice depends on the purpose (for clothing or for interior decoration) and on the batik technique (cold or hot, knotted, free painting). A very important rule is that for batik you need to use natural fabrics of a homogeneous composition, since dyes for batik are usually intended for a specific group of fibers. In mixed fabrics, only natural fibers are dyed. This affects the color - the picture turns out faded..
For hot batik, it is better to use textiles made from plant fibers or viscose, since hot wax and subsequent processing can damage the structure of silk fabric. Cotton, linen, viscose, wool are suitable materials for working with wax, and we select the quality of the fabric depending on the purpose.

For cold batik, the best choice is natural silk or thin woolen fabric, such as cashmere, without synthetic impurities. Viscose satin is very good for decorative panels. Thin silk or viscose satin is also good for evening dresses; it is also indispensable for men's clothing.
If we talk about density and thickness, then any fabric that can pass through the reserve composition is suitable for painting fabric in the style of cold batik.
A wide variety of fabrics, leather and suede are suitable for acrylic painting. You just need to select a special acrylic paint for dark textiles for dark fabrics.

Wash clothes painted with acrylic at a temperature not exceeding 40 degrees and using a gentle cycle, preferably by hand; it is also better to wring it by hand. Also, avoid using bleach or brushes.
Batik painting is less finicky and you need to choose the washing mode based on the fabric itself.
If you follow these simple rules, your products will delight you with their brilliance and novelty for a long time!

Do-it-yourself designs on fabric have long ceased to be exotic. Often, aqueous solutions of dyes using various chemicals, heat treatment, etc. are used to dye fabrics. However, at home this is not always convenient. We believe that the most optimal solution for practicing creativity in dyeing fabrics at home, especially for beginners who want to try their hand at this type of creativity, would be to use indelible acrylic-based dyes, which are easy to use, have bright, rich shades and excellent resistance to fading. Combining fabric dyes such as aerosol acrylic paint, water-based spray paint, liners for contour drawings, fabric pastels, for coloring will help create a truly interesting, fashionable design for your clothing, interior items or upholstered furniture. A creative approach will help you turn a faded T-shirt or an ottoman that has lost its original appearance into a real masterpiece of creativity.

How to make a design on a T-shirt?

In the first part of our article, we will tell you how, using simple tools and fabric paints, and even without special skills, you can fantastically change your clothes, giving them a unique, individual style!

Let's consider the process of applying a pattern to fabric using aerosol dyes using the example of an ordinary T-shirt of a uniform color. We will tell you how to add an interesting texture to the fabric of a T-shirt using the so-called “knotting technique”, and how to apply an original design to it using a stencil. Note that these two methods of working with fabric can be used either separately or combined perfectly with each other. The T-shirt can be new or used, it is only important that it is made from natural textiles (cotton, silk, etc.) or, in the case of mixed fabrics, contains no more than 20% synthetics. We recommend washing a new T-shirt before dyeing to remove softening additives.

What do you need to dye a T-shirt at home?

Step_3 Lay the T-shirt horizontally on a level place. Carefully cover the area around the painting with old newspapers or a special covering film, secure the covering material with masking tape.

Step_4 Carefully attach the stencil to the T-shirt using double-sided tape or spray adhesive for temporary fixation. Try to ensure the tightest fit of the stencil to the fabric. Note that it is the aerosol adhesive that ensures maximum adhesion.

Step_5 Before starting work, shake the paint thoroughly in an aerosol can; shake it for at least 30 seconds. Apply the spray paint in smooth, circular motions. For better coloring of the material, it is advisable to apply the paint at least 2 times, allowing the previous layer to dry for 10 minutes.

Step_7 Just like in the “knot technique”, you can apply patterns, ornaments or inscriptions in the form of clear, dense lines to the drawing created using a stencil, using colored liners containing water-based textile paint.

Now that you've learned the basics of working with fabric dyes at home using a simple T-shirt as an example, you can start experimenting with your clothes to give them an unusual, dressy look. We are sure that your imagination, coupled with the almost limitless possibilities of a multi-color palette of fabric paints, will certainly create interesting examples of creative thought.

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Visitors to this page most often choose from the online store:

The fashion for creative pictures and catchy inscriptions on T-shirts never goes away. It changes and popularizes: now cartoon characters, now comic book characters, now life-affirming phrases, now quotes from famous people, but the essence remains the same - something unusual that attracts attention to the clothes. An excellent alternative to the repeatedly reproduced version of the print on things from the mass market will be do-it-yourself drawings on T-shirts. This is an opportunity to choose a foundation of any quality and color, and express your individuality. A T-shirt that is hand-painted can become the owner’s business card or an excellent gift for a significant event.

How to make a print with acrylic paints?

A durable design at home can be applied using cold or hot batik, fabric markers, aerosol cans, or decals, but the most reliable and popular is acrylic. There are several ways to apply a print with acrylic paints:

• Copying a drawing from paper. This method does not require special artistic talent, only accuracy. The drawing can be done by hand or printed on a printer. All outlines should be dark in color, visible through the fabric of the T-shirt. For convenience, it is better to glue the finished drawing onto thick cardboard, stretch the T-shirt evenly over it and secure it at the edges with pins. Next, you need to carefully trace the contours using a simple pencil or felt-tip pens on the fabric, and start filling in with color;

• Drawing on fabric by hand. This is a technique for those who are confident in their abilities, which gives more room for imagination. You can pre-draw the outlines, or you can immediately start working with paints, creating a work of art on your T-shirt. The method is more suitable for light materials, and for those cases where some carelessness in the drawing is acceptable;

• Stencil application. The simplest way that guarantees a good result. Drawing with a stencil is convenient because the picture can be copied many times on T-shirts, for example, for the whole family, a school KVN team, a uniform for competitions, or just a group of like-minded people who want to be recognized in the crowd. To make the picture look more interesting, you can layer stencils of different sizes on top of each other, change the angle of inclination and colors;

• Screen printing. Designed for complex patterns of several colors. It is applied using special paint and screen printing mesh, roller and other tools. This method is not suitable for beginners.

Stencil painting

Of all these methods, stencil painting is the most common. It is simple to implement, time-saving and satisfactory in results.

To complete the painting you will need: a cotton T-shirt, a stencil or cardboard for it, acrylic paints, a small paint roller, a tray for diluting paints, gloves, scissors or a stationery knife, masking tape, an iron.

The procedure is performed step by step:

• Wash. Many people want to skip this point, but it is necessary to complete it. Acrylic paints work best on cotton items, and cotton tends to shrink when washed. The drawing will not decrease along with the size of the T-shirt, it will be deformed, and the work will be ruined along with the T-shirt and the freely translated materials.

After washing, the T-shirt should be dried well and ironed so that the base for the design is as even as possible;

• Stencil preparation. While the T-shirt is drying, there is time to apply the design to thin cardboard. You need to cut out the contours very carefully, without jagged edges, otherwise the edge of the design on the fabric will turn out uneven. For the first attempt, you can buy a stencil in a store or glue a printout from the Internet onto cardboard;

• Preparation of the working surface. A flat, hard surface, such as a desk or coffee table, is suitable for drawing. All the necessary tools are placed nearby, on the side of the working hand. Acrylic is difficult to wash off, so it is better to cover the table with old newspapers and start the creative process in old clothes;

• Preparing the T-shirt. A clean, ironed item should be placed on a work surface, straightened so that there are no folds or unevenness. It is recommended to place a thick layer of paper or cardboard inside so that the acrylic does not print on both sides of the T-shirt, if this is not the idea. Next, a stencil is applied to the T-shirt. To keep it in place during painting, the edges need to be glued with paper tape;

• Dilution of paints. To prevent the acrylic from starting to dry out ahead of time, pour the desired color into the tray or mix it from several different ones immediately before application. In order for the paint to lay evenly, the roller must be evenly saturated with acrylic. To do this, dip it several times in the tray until it becomes slightly heavier, and then make a test stroke on a sheet of paper. If the layer is dense, you can start painting;

• Drawing. With confident movements horizontally and vertically, “roll” the stencil with a roller. You can go beyond the edges of the drawing, but not beyond the edges of the paper; It wouldn't hurt to apply a second coat of paint. When it dries a little, you can remove the stencil and leave the drawing until completely dry;

• Thermal impact. The paint will adhere better if you iron the fresh print with a hot iron through a thin cotton towel. After this, the T-shirt can be worn and washed. It is recommended to do this the first few times in cold water on your hands, and the subsequent times in the machine with other things.

How to create an abstraction?

You can liven up a boring old T-shirt with an unusual space print. You don't need to draw planet stencils for this, all you need is a T-shirt, acrylic, gloves, bleach in a spray bottle and a few brushes.

If the T-shirt is new, you need to wash and dry it first. The old one should be clean and ironed. It is better to apply abstraction on fabrics of bright or dark colors; on white and light colors it will not look so impressive.

The process of applying a pattern begins with preparing the working surface, in this case the floor. You should position yourself away from the walls so as not to splatter them with paint, and carefully cover the creative area with newspapers. Then you can start working on the working materials.

First of all, you need to dilute a small amount of bleach with water in a container with a spray bottle, prepare brushes and bottles with paint of your preferred colors.

From an arm's length distance, apply the bleach solution to the T-shirt, wait until it changes color and dries. Then, having opened the paints, alternately dipping the brush into different colors, sprinkle them on the T-shirt. It is more convenient to work on very small details with a toothbrush, spraying a fine layer of paint directly over the fabric.

If desired, you can repeat the procedure with the second side of the product after the print on the front side is completely dry.

Drawing using knot technique

The knot technique is essentially a type of batik. The main difference from traditional painting on fabric is that not a special adhesive solution is used as a reserve (a substance that separates one colored fragment from another, preventing the paints from mixing), but threads, ropes and strands.

With the help of threads, knots of different sizes are fixed on the fabric, which are dipped into the paint. As a result, the paint fills only the fragment that is separated by the threads and spreads out in beautiful “rays” along the creases in the fabric.

Making knots is quite simple. There are no templates or special rules; the fabric can be folded and tied at your discretion. The main thing is to decide how large or small the colored fragments will be, and carefully separate one from the other using thread or string.

It is better to take white threads so that they do not fade during dyeing. Of course, this can provide an additional element of decor, but it can also ruin the whole idea.

In addition to threads, buttons and pebbles are often used to fill one or another piece of fabric to make the paint more interesting.

Nodular staining is performed in stages.

Preparation

The first stage is the selection of fabric and its preliminary preparation. Batik is applied to cotton, silk or wool products; Preferred color is white. Depending on your design, you can apply splashes, stripes, stains, or designs to the T-shirt before tying the knots.

Formation of nodes

The second stage is the most important. This determines how the drawing will turn out in the end. After twisting the fabric in a certain way and tying knots, you can get circles, flowers, stripes, or you can make them arbitrarily, and then the pattern will be unpredictable and original.

Filling nodes with color

The third stage involves choosing a coloring method. The most reliable way is to lower the knots one by one in a container with boiling colored water. This method guarantees the penetration of paint into all layers of fabric and gives the effect of flowing one color into another.

The fastest way is to use spray paint. For a lasting effect, it is enough to just spray it on the texture of the fabric for a few seconds, but there is a risk that the knot will not be completely painted over.

The longest and most expensive method in terms of materials, but also the most beautiful as a result, is using pure paint. If you want smooth and soft transitions, you need to wet the knot before dipping it into the paint. If a bright, rich pattern is your priority, the T-shirt fabric can be left dry. So, to paint a T-shirt with pure paint, first of all, decide on the colors of your future T-shirt, put them in molds and dilute them with a small amount of warm water.

It is important to maintain the proportions of paint and water. If the paint ratio is higher, the color of the design on the T-shirt will be more saturated. But at the same time, you do not need to make the solution very thick, otherwise it will lead to coarsening of the tissue. The solution should also not be too watery, as this will lead to loss of color when the T-shirt dries.

Then we proceed directly to dyeing the T-shirt. We take a syringe, fill it with a solution and begin to squeeze the solution onto a T-shirt.

The more knots and colors are used, the more interesting the print will be.

Fixing the paint

When the product has dried, it should be ironed through a thin fabric without a pattern, so the paint will adhere better and last longer.

The fifth stage is final. It is optional, but nevertheless, you should not skip it. The knotting technique requires the use of a large amount of dye, which may begin to wash out during the first wash. To prevent this from happening, a day after the paint has been fixed, the T-shirt should be moistened and rinsed in running water, washing away the excess amount of acrylic. After this, the product is ready to be worn and washed along with other items.

Master class on painting at home

Applying a design to things with your own hands is a labor-intensive process, but not difficult. The classic version on a white T-shirt is done as follows: applying a pattern according to a template, drawing an outline, filling with color, fixing the paint with an iron.

Here people asked about the features of acrylic paint and where to buy it. I thought that it wouldn’t hurt to tell more about the technology of applying it to fabric, and decided to put the story in a separate topic.

Acrylic paints are water-based paints that consist of three key components - water, dye and acrylic emulsion. This type of paint is characterized by the brightness of the colors, and most importantly (when applying a design to clothing, this is important first of all) - resistance to aggressive conditions. That is, having properly made a design on the fabric, you can hardly worry about it. It will not peel off, crumble, wrinkle, and will generally remain as good as new for a long time, because acrylic tolerates temperature changes, mechanical stress, and is not susceptible to moisture.

Fixing the paint on the fabric and acquiring the properties described above occurs as follows: after exposure to air, the water base gradually begins to evaporate, leaving on the surface only the pigment and the elastic acrylic polymer that holds it. Naturally, the thinner the layer of paint applied, the faster it dries, so it will be faster and better to make several “light” passes over one area than to apply one thick layer and languish for long hours waiting.

Now directly about the application technique and the required minimum. Since the topic of T-shirts has been raised in the last few days, we will continue it. First, you need to choose a plain T-shirt on which the design will be applied, and then decide on the type of paint: if you are going to apply the image through a stencil, it is more convenient to use aerosol cans, since they will produce a more uniform layer. And if someone intends to paint directly on fabric, it is better to pay attention to brushes of different sizes, acrylic paints in tubes or jars, as well as a thinner, which cannot be avoided, since thick paint will not be able to provide sufficiently thin and straight lines.

Well, after the drawing has completely dried (a thin layer usually sets in about the same time as watercolor), it needs to be fixed with an iron (it’s hard for me to say about the temperature... you need it not too hot, but not just warm :), putting Between the pattern and the sole is a sheet of thick paper or fabric, so as not to accidentally ruin your work.

That's basically all I know about it, I hope it helps someone ;). As for “where to buy”, I would recommend to Muscovites the Peredviznik store (peredvignik.ru), where they seem to have quite competent consultants who will always answer the question. Unfortunately, I can’t help the rest, because I simply don’t know.

What girl doesn't dream of updating her wardrobe on a budget? And it’s even better if this update is original and unique. This is where fabric paint comes to your aid. If you know how to draw, then it will not be difficult to create bright and special wardrobe or interior items from boring monochromatic items.

How fabrics are painted

A fairly large number of different technologies are used for painting fabrics. Fabric painting techniques include batik, shibori, koketi, knotting, and free-form painting. The batik technique has two options - cold and hot. The hot batik method is different in that instead of a special substance, molten wax is used to reserve the pattern, which is applied with a special tool. In the knotting technique, the fabric is tied into knots and boiled in a dye solution. The shibori technique is similar to the knotting technique, but differs in that the fabric is folded in a certain way rather than tied. It's somewhat similar to origami. And the koketi technique involves the use of stencils.

Free painting technique

Free painting allows you to create completely unique things. It is this technique that helps to reveal all artistic talents. It can be performed both on wet material and on dry fabric.

Painting fabrics with acrylic paints is most often done at home. They are easy to attach and easy to apply. It is better to use dense material. It can be leather, suede or thick textiles, dark or bright colors. Acrylic fabric paint can be applied using brushes, airbrush, roller or stamps.

What colors are there?

The quality of your drawing, as well as the quality of the entire product as a whole, will largely depend on whether the paint for the fabric is chosen correctly. To ensure that the image applied to the fabric does not wash off or fade, the paint should be fixed with an iron or steam.

Fixing with steam requires quite expensive equipment, so at home they use paint that is fixed with an iron. There are separate paints for silk; they are water-based and, unlike textile ones, liquid. These paints spread too easily. That is why, before using them, you should outline the drawing with a special outline that does not allow paint to pass through.

Textile paint is applied in a dense layer and does not require the use of special contours, since it does not spread.

Steam cured paints

Fabric paint that requires steam curing is classified as professional paint. And it would be more correct to say that this is not paint, but a dye. It penetrates deep into the fabric fibers and changes their color without affecting the texture or other characteristics of the fabric being painted. In other words, if you dyed a thin and soft canvas, then at the end of the work it remains the same. An undoubted advantage is the fact that before steaming you can change or correct the pattern. This is very convenient for novice craftsmen, as it allows you to correct a mistake. If you want to get a certain color in your work, then remember that when the paint dries, it fades, but after steaming it regains its brightness, and its contrast becomes more expressive. Such paints are usually used for natural fabrics. They can be mixed and diluted with water. Among the budget options for such dyes, we can note the paints of the Russian manufacturer “Batik-Hobby”.

Iron-on paints

Acrylic fabric paint is fixed with an iron. It's polymer. Its essence is to envelop fabric fibers. This leads to densification of the dyed fabric and loss of elasticity. When painting on fabric with acrylic paints, you can dilute them with water, but this will significantly reduce the degree of adhesion to the fibers. These paints can also be mixed with each other. But the resulting shades often have a dirty appearance.

They also deteriorate greatly when stored for long periods of time. An important feature is that acrylic fabric paint is indelible after it dries. Also, these paints have strong fluidity and can flow where they shouldn’t. Although their fluidity is significantly reduced if one layer is applied on top of the other. This allows you to create beautiful drawings.

Fabric dyes from different manufacturers

Paints from the Russian manufacturer "Batik-Acrylic" are more budget-friendly, but they change the hardness of the fabrics too much. A more gentle option for the canvas would be paints from foreign manufacturers. All of them are marked "Silk" and are used for silk painting. If you find a “Textile” mark on the paint, this indicates that these materials are intended for dense fabrics. Decola paints from a Russian manufacturer are well suited for screen painting. All of the above options are fixed to the fabric by ironing. The temperature and duration of the procedure will depend largely on the type of tissue.

Using scrap materials

Painting on fabric with acrylic paints can be done even by those who do not know how to draw at all. You can decorate your things or interior items using simple geometric shapes. They can be applied with stamps or a brush. To ensure that the stripes or edges of the figures are even, use regular tape or tape.

Using this technique, you can create original pillows with geometric patterns or decorate, for example, a kitchen towel.

To make the stripes, take some masking tape and apply it, leaving equal or different distances between the stripes. Paint these spaces with your chosen colors. After the paint has dried, peel off the adhesive tape.

How to decorate a T-shirt

To paint a T-shirt using acrylic paints, you must first place thick cardboard between the front and back of it. This should be done so that the paint does not print onto the side of the back while painting. In addition, the fabric should be fixed so that it does not move during operation. Start by transferring the design onto the fabric. After the drawing is transferred, start coloring.

If the paint is too thick, it should be thinned. You can use plain water, but paint diluted in this way does not last very long. Therefore, acrylic paints should be diluted with a special thinner. The better the fabric is saturated with paint, the longer the design will last. After working with paints is completed, you need to leave the product to dry for a day. Then iron the dyed area with a cotton cloth for five minutes. The temperature should match the fabric. The product can be washed after forty-eight hours.

How to care for a painted product

Despite the fact that fabric paint is indelible, you should follow certain rules in caring for painted items. Any products that have been painted with acrylic paints must be washed at a temperature not exceeding forty degrees. It is better to wash and wring out the product by hand. But if you still prefer a washing machine, then set the delicate wash mode and do not use an intensive spin. Also, do not use brushes or bleaching agents. In the case of fabric dyeing using the batik technique, care is somewhat simpler. The temperature in this case should be selected based on the type of fabric.

If you follow all the rules when working with paints, and also fulfill all the conditions when caring for painted things, then such products will serve you for a long time. The higher quality the paints and the better they are matched to the type of fabric, the more fun and easier it is to paint. Since the color palette is simply huge, you can create completely unique things using a large number of shades.