With a small elementy of color and imagination ,  a few colours and a suitable brush, fabric painting opens up endless opportunities for transforming your wardrobe and your home.

You can  create one-of-a-kind pieces of wearable art (t-shirts and denims ) or to design/create  some special covers ( personalized ) , curtains, or a wall hanging / sheets ..thus giving  ur home a new dimension.

Here is the method . .I have created a table cover on order ..custom made as they say ha ha …

Materials Required .

1. Fabric colors ( shine ones )

2. Black Color Acrylic

3. Carbon Sheet

4. Cotton Cloth of your size and color.

5. Glitter.

Corner 1

Corner 2

Corner 3

Corner 4

Center

Method.

1. Stich the edges / border of the fabric by atleast an inch. This gives weight at the end / corners and prevent

the fabric from flying away due to air when laid on the table.

2. Draw the design on paper and then trace it on to the fabric with the help of the carbon sheet.

3. Color the trace with your favourite colors and allow it to try.

4. Border it black to enhance the painting.

5. After drying , you should do reverse to allow the paint to settle into the fabric.

Here ‘s another piece ready )

Bluntly painting the fabric does not gud , though it will still look good , there are different shading options covered under shading topic. You may use many of these shading/ coloring options to paint the fabric addinf an extra glow and niche to your piece of art

Complete 1

Center 2

Cautions during Fabric Painting.

1. Prefer Cotton.

cotton is considered as best fabric for painting. It allows the color to settle in easily since its an absorbent unlike silk fabrics but there are chemical solutions easily available in the market to achieve this. Before begininng you should ideally try painting a small area and see if the fabric spreads.

2. Tight Fabric

Loose fabric and dull the design and not give a proper finish. You may use wooded tightner blocks / rings ones used for knitting purpose to stiff the designated areas.

If a fabric is loosely woven, paint tends to seep through the treads before it’s dry. This tends to reduce the intensity of the colours. A finely woven fabric is also easier to paint detail on than a loosely woven one.

3. Prewash or Not to Prewash?

The reason for prewashing fabric before painting on it is to remove any sizing added during manufacture which may prevent the paint from adhering to the surface. It also gives it a chance to shrink, if it’s going to.
To test whether a piece of fabric really needs prewashing, drop a little bit of water on it.
If it beads up on the surface, it needs washing. If it sinks in, so should paint. If you wash it donot use fabric softner , it reverses the purpose

4. Iron it well

Iron the fabric well and patiently. doing it loosely will hamper the show. Donot iron it with front up , the colors will stick to the hot iron. Do it on the reverse side. If doing from the front , use a layered cloth on the top.

5. Should you add water to acrylic colors.

Adding a tinge of water does no harm and helps smooth flow of colors. Dont add excess water , it will force the colors to spread on the fabric. It should be damp and not soaking tissue

6.  Backdrop sheet

Dont forget to add a newspaper sheet underneath the cloth you paint. It will absorb the excess colors and prevent it from getting applied to the second layer of cloth ( in case of thsrt) or the table where you place it.

7. Manner to paint.

You should insure all the pores of the cloth get filled , you may hold it against the light and see where the pores are open.

Material Required.

1. Tshirt ( 1 black and 1 White ) ( Size as per ur choice )  (So is the color )

2.  Fabric Colors ( Acrylic ) ( prefer one with shine and gloss )

3. Contrast color carbon sheet.

4. Tracing Sheet if Reqd.

Method .

Step 1 : Print the slogan / design you need on the tshirt in a larger size on paper.

You have so many fonts available on the internet today , you may choose one of your size.

Step 2 : Print the design u want on the tee in a similar fashion.

I am using the following :

Tee Black :

‘Human’ in the front.

‘Know Thy User ‘ ‘ Hansen 1971 ‘ in the back

Tee 1 - Black - Front

Tee 1 - Black - Back

Tee White

‘ Defragmenting image’ in the front

Tee 2 - White - Front

‘We all have a monster within’ in the back.

Tee 2 - White - Back

You may also use this. I will upload a set soon in my download section.

Drama

Step 3 : Trace the design onto the thsrt and color it . Allow it to dry . Dont forget to add a second layer of color if the color is light and specially for white. A black outline defines the structure for sure.

Step 4. After it has dried , u need to iron it either on the reverse side of the painting for the colors to set in another idea is to place a cloth over it and iron in the front order.

Here are the final pictures .

(Click on images for larger view)

Materials Needed

1. Glass Sheet ( Square or rectangular as per the size of painting )
You may also take Transparency sheets made of plastic.
Atleast they won’t break , but give the same effect as on glass.
2. Glass colors ( Solvent Based – they last longer )
3. Kerosene / Thinner – Used for thinning the colors
4. Aluminuim Foil
5. Black Oil Paint
6. Brush ( Not of plastic bristles )
7. M-Seal / Silver Glass Outliner / Black Glass Outliner ( Comes along with colors )
8. soft Piece of Cloth to wipe off.
9. Talcum Powder

Glass Colors are basically of 1 types water-based or oil-based. While the oil-based paints are more glossy,
a beginner can start off with a water-based paint as they are easier to handle.They can also be
opaque or translucent.
While the former is better suited for conventional patterns like figures and still-life,
the later gives an enchanting, shimmering quality to the paintings, you may use any  but it is advisable not to use both varieties in the same painting. Each has its own texture and these do not gel.

Glass liners are available, conveniently packaged into tubes.  A golden liner should be used when you paint delicate media ,  but a black liner is recommended. It gives a clear definition to the outlines making the paintings stand out.

Steps

1. Clean the glass piece with kerosene, there should not be any dust particles on it , else it will hinder the smooth flow of colors.

2. Choose a pattern. For a glass painting, a pattern must be clean lined.

3.  Once a pattern is selected, copy it on to a piece of paper of the same size as the piece of glass.
The pattern must be drawn exactly on the center of the sheet.

4.  First a traced design is placed on the table and the plain glass is above the design, so that the design is clearly seen through the glass.    Refer post on velvet     painting., The design should be inn perfect alignment with the piece of paper.

Outline

There are two ways to trace the ouline , the first way is to directly use a black outliner ( easier ) the second is to use M-seal.
The edges might break after some time.

5a. Trace out the outline carefully on the glass with the glass-liner, squeezing the tube from the bottom.

5b. Mix the two coloured pastes of the mseal in equal proportion to get a wax finish. With the help of talcum powder roll the dough (Mseal Mixture)
into thin and even strings. This string is stuck with glue over the glass on the outline of the trace which is kept under the glass and allowed to dry.
When it dries colour it with black glass paint.

6. Take care not to smudge any part of the the traced pattern while working upon another part of the drawing.

If this happens accidentally, you may use kerosene / acetone (nail polish remover ) to undo it.

7. Once the whole pattern has been traced, leave it to dry for about 3-4 hours. It may also be dried with hot air to hasten up the drying process.
You may use the convenient hair dryer for it. , Be careful here since the colors may also spill , due to air pressure.

8. After the glass painting pattern has dried completely, start filling it in with glass colors of your choice.
Use one-directional strokes to fill in the paint. You should ideally not move your brush , but the colors , much like the opposite way of painting.
Avoid spilling, do not take two much paint.

Before you start painting the colour, test your shades on the corner of the glass  or a transparency trail sheet , and wipe it off with the thinner.
The colour choice should be perfect  because the stained glass paint gets dried up fast and the correction cannot be done easily.
While painting, the colour blending should be done quickly and carefully.

9.  Use fine-tipped brushes to fill out the corners and areas near the outlines. If bubbles appear , break them with brush before they dry out.

10. Avoid painting the second layer just after the first one , generally second layer should be avoided.

11. If you are using multi colored section ( for e.g a 2 colored leaf ) , allow the first color to dry first completely, then paint the second half.
Else 2 colors may flow beneath each other on the edges , destroying the aura of the painting.

12. Once the color is done , allow the painting to dry completely.

After its done , there are 2 ways to finalize the painting , you may crush a silver foil and put it behind it as shown ,
You may also draw a second border and color the remaining portion with black oil paint. ( This should be done if light colors are used for painting.)

Emboss painting can be done on Silver Foil ( hard ) , here we will learn to do it on Cloth.
Embossing actually implied to embellish or engrave thru colors.
You need to produce a deep impression of your art , this is done thru Emboss powder which engraves
in reverse on ironing.

Materials required

1. Emboss powder required ( Will post the mixture proportion soon )
2. Velvet Cloth
3. Oil Paint / Fabric Colors with shimmer
4. Plastic Brush ( Normal brush will not be used here )

Shimmery Oil Colors / Fabric Colors with Shine

After-Ironing the painting has risen

Method :

1.Take the velvet Cloth and make sure there are no dust particles on it.
2.Mix the emboss powder in white paint and carve ur design on it.
3.Leave to dry.
4.After it has dried , its time for the effect.
5.Take a moiost piece of cloth ( good quantity of water should be present   in the cloth. )
6.Keep it on the back side of the velvet cloth and iron it.
7.The design should rise from the front.
8. Make sure you iron all the parts of the design .
9. You may now paint it with oil paint or shimmery  fabric paint.

Partially Colored Emboss Painting

For kids you dont want to do the emboss powder procedure they can try readymade kits available  in the market
All you need it to iron and paint ( Step 5 onwards )
The mixture preparation is the most important step, not getting that right shall mess up the entire painting
and it will not rise , hence all the aura of the painting shall die

Final Painting..

Final image

A stocking, sometimes referred to as hose, is a close-fitting, variously elastic  garment covering the foot. Stockings vary in color and trasparency.

Materials Required.

1. Multi Colored Stockings (Depending upon the Color of Flower you need )

2. Green colored Stocking for leaves.

3. Thin Wire for petals

4. Median Wire for Buds and Pollens

5. Green Tape

6. Thread ( color of Stockings )

7. Gauge Box

8. Cotton

Process :

We will make 8 types of Flowers that are listed in a tabular manner below .

The flowers will comprise of petals , leaves and bud/pollen.

Petal Types :

1. Simple Petal of Size 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 .

2. Top Curled Petal ( Curled on the top )

3. Curled Petal ( Curled completely)

4. Curled and Pulled ( Combination of 1 and 3 )

1.

Here is what a gauge box looks like. You need to twirl the wire around the gauge box to take a measurement and then close the wire end by winding around each other.

Gauge Box of for Size 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

Above its shown how the wire is rounded across the gauge box to make petals of equal size.

Creation of Buds and Pollens :

To create a Pollen or a Bud , take a median wire ( thicker than one used for petals ) and create a loop at the top ( U shaped ).

To create a Pollen , place the pollen in the loop and tie it with a thread to the wire.

To create a Bud , place some cotton over the loop and cover it with stockings ( left over from petals) and tie it with thread to the wire as shown.

Making Petals :

Take  a thin wire and cut out several pieces of approximately 6″ length from it. Keep it aside.
Now take one of the 6″ piece wire and fold it to get an oval shape.
Make it look like a heart shaped petal, by dipping the centre of the oval a bit and pulling on either sides with your hands.
You may create “Top Curled” by rolling the wire over median wire in the center only.
You may creadte “Curled and Pulled ” by rolling the entire wire over the median wire. Then remove the petal wire from the median wire and straigten it by pulling.
You may create “Curled ” as per the previous procedure but donot pull this time.

Creating Leaves also has the same procedure ( refer heart shaped ) you need to dip at the center this time.

Top Curled

Heart shaped Petal

Curled and Straigtened Petal

Normal Petals Size 1 and 2

Leaf

Make three petals like this or as shown in the table (Refer below).

Now take the stockings and pull it over the petal tightly and tie at the end using thread. Cut off the excess stocking. Cover the three petals with the stockings similarly.

Single Petal after Covered with Stocking

Covering the Petal Wire with Stocking

Attaching the petal to the bud

To attach the bud to the petal , tilt the bud a little in the opposite direction and attach the bud / pollen.

Tie with the help of thread as shown. You may attach the other petals and complete the flower.

A variety of flowers can be made using different combination of petals and bud / pollens.

A bouquet can be created in the end. You should cover the stem wires with green tape in the end.

Given below are different petals :

Curled and Pulled

Heart shaped

Plain Petals

Leaves

Velvet is a soft fabric, such as silk, rayon, or nylon, having a smooth, dense pile and a plain underside. It has a very silky and soft-to-touch look and is used as a base for exclusive decorative paintingsVelvet’s knitted counterpart is velour. Velvet was very expensive and was considered to be among the luxury goods together with silk. Corduroy and velveteen were considered the “poor man’s velvet” when they were first produced.

Velvet is difficult to clean, but in modern times, dry cleaning is used.

Panne is a type of finish for velvet which gives it a special shiny look, similar to many velours.

Velvet is made, ideally, from silk. Cotton can also be used, though this often results in a slightly less luxurious fabric. More recently, synthetic velvets have been developed, mostly polyester, nylon, viscose, acetate and mixtures of different synthetics, or synthetics and natural fibres (eg. viscose and silk). Velvet can also be made from fibres such as linen, mohair and wool. A cloth made by the Kuba people of the Democratic Republic of Congo from raffia is often referred to as “Kuba velvet”.

A small percentage of lycra is used sometimes to give stretch.

Materials Required :

1. Velvet Cloth

2. Fabric Colors

3. Carbon Sheet ( Brown Color ) ( Contrast to the Velvet Cloth color )

4. Pencil / Pen

5. Bush  ( Size 000 and 001 )

6. Sparkles Tube or Silver / Golden Paint ( depending on your choice )

7. Thick Board to place underneath the cloth

8. White Fabric color

Instructions :

Acquire the right kind of paint for your velvet. You need to use professional grade acrylic paint designed for use on fabric.

Know that velvet is a very difficult medium to paint on.

Conduct a test on a small piece of the fabric to make sure the paint is compatible with your technique.

All fabric absorbs paint differently, and this can determine the way that color spreads on it.

Be aware that a loose fabric weave will allow maximum penetration of color into the fibers.

Be sure to protect the fabric and the work surface by inserting a piece of plastic, cardboard or parchment under the material while you paint.

This will ensure that the fabric does not accidentally stick to the surface you are working on.

Process :Step 1 : Clean the velvet

Pre-wash new fabric. This will ensure that you eliminate any problems with sizing, which can cause the paint to loosen.

If this happens, the paint will not hold firmly to the fabric.

Check if there are any hair or dust particles settled, this will hinder when you paint.

Step 2 : Trace the Design / Pattern

This is a very interesting way to draw on the velvet.

Step : 2.1 : Draw the design on a A4 ( size as per your wish ) with a black pencil.

Step : 2.2:  Trace the design on a Tracing paper ( Translucent Sheet ) ( Optional )

Step : 2.3 :  Place the tracing paper on the velvet cloth with the carbon sheet in between

Order :

Step : 2.4 : Trace the entire design on the velvet cloth

Step : 2.5 : Remove the tracing paper , carbon and now you have the design on the cloth

Its time for you to paint.

Step 3 : Coloring

Step : 3.1 : Velvet being a highly absorbent material, any color that you apply will be soaked by the fabric.

One should therefore apply a base of white paint to the cloth before you start to paint.

Apply thick coat of white paint on areas which you want to color.

Leave the remaining ones as it is.

Step :  3.2 : When done as shown above. Allow it to dry. Now color as you want to.

When it has dried use the sparkles / Silver / Golden color to draw the borders.

They are not jaw-dropping I know but I aspire to improve.This is something which I always wanted to do in life but never got the time and motivation. Taking out time out of a busy schedule is sometimes taxing… but you gotto do what you gotto do.

So here I am. Painting my world with all the colors I can. And that’s the beauty of painting which arrests me like a charm everytime I think of it.

Hope you like it.

- Jyoti