My name is Carrie Wright, and I am a silk painter living in Muncie, Indiana. I've been silk painting for over 15 years. I started this channel to have a central location for all of the video content I've been producing the last few years for other social media outlets. You'll find several time lapse art videos set to music, a few how-to silk painting videos, and whatever seems fun and relevant to the art form. Several videos you'll see on my channel are edited from the Facebook Live sessions I hosted during 2020, so if you see some low quality, that's why!
I have an online course for beginners and curious artists who want to try their hand at silk painting. Please visit my website to purchase this fun and informative course! www.carriewrightsilk.com/courses
You might try using Liquitex Matte or Gloss Medium, depending on the finish you want. The product acts like glue and is a favorite among people who collage. Good luck experimenting!
Hi Want to know you are painting vertically on the silk so how come they are not dripping have you used something to stop flowing and dripping Please reply thanks
I trying to say that you made this thick liquid ok. This thick liquid can we use in silk painting like flowers and some kind of motifs without applying gutta so the dyes are not sprading srounding the area
Does black water base gutta stay on silk after rinsing? I use dye n flow silk paints. Also can you share brand of black ink? I’m not familiar with with inks. Thank you for an insightful video
I don’t use ink. I use dyes for silk painting that require steam setting. The gutta itself does not stay on the silk if you are rinsing as you should after steam setting dyes. However, the black line will remain.
I thought the red labeled Jacquard silk paint was iron finishing, and the green label was the steam finishing. In the first video I watched ,Silk Painting Basic, you said you were using the red label and it had to be steamed. Which is it?
Red label must be steamed and green label must at least be chemically set with a special wash product they make. Neither can be set with ironing as they are dyes, not paints.
Do you powdered pigment? If so, you’ll just have to test. You might have best results by first liquifying the pigment, then adding the liquid to the resist. Good luck!
Thank you for the informative video. Can I employ a finely rolled, hemmed Habotai 8 silk scarf, painted directly without incorporating any non-flowing liquid, and then mount it on canvas in the same manner you demonstrated? Or is it necessary to use a heavier silk for this process?
Thanks for your question. For lighter weight silks like you describe, I find it best to attach a heavier binding at the edge of the silk so that you’re not needing to staple through the silk. Staples can pull and tear lighter silk!
Excellent video! I've found a plastic sandwich baggie makes an excellent makeshift piping bag for those who cannot manage the steadiness required to pour resist from the jar into a small applicator opening; pour the resist into the corner of the baggie, twist it up to form your piping bag shape (not too tightly yet), then snip off a VERY tiny corner of the bag. Use it to transfer resist easily with less chance of drips.
Bleeding black is a common problem! Red label dyes are concentrated. I have best results adding water to dilute the black. Also, I almost never use black straight from the bottle. I mix 2:1:1 black, scarlet, kelly green, then an equal to the total dye amount of water. I keep that mix on hand as my black, then use that mixture in my Resistad. Also, after the resist dries, it’s a good idea to heat set by ironing or with a hair dryer- be sure to keep the drying moving so you don’t scorch your silk! Good luck!
Can other dyes or paints be used to color the resistad? Some that can be heat set instead of steamed... I hope I'm relaying what I'm trying to ask lol..
Only dyes will work, I'm afraid. The binders in silk paints like Dye-na-flow or SetaSilk need to bond directly to the silk surface because the paints are meant to remain in the silk; Resistad is made to be washed out and it will carry a silk paint away with it. When using dye to color your Resistad , the Resistad is basically acting as a dye thickener and carrier. After steaming imparts the color, the thickening agent/dye carrier is washed out leaving behind the color.
If you go to a fabric store and ask them to show you where the twill tape is, it’ll make sense. I’m not sure how to describe it. It’s just called twill tape. As for type of silk, I’d test your silk with a needle poke. If you can poke a sewing needle along the edge, it should handle stitching the tape to it.
Yes, physically stitch, with a sewing machine or by hand. If the silk is strong enough there won’t be a problem. I wouldn’t recommend this for something lightweight like chiffon and such.
I have followed your directions. I am having a problem with the resistad clogging every few inches and not flowing well. Have you ever had this issue? It is frustrating!
I have indeed had this issue. It can be caused by a few different things. Your Resistad is either old or not mixed well enough yet. Rather than continuing in frustration, take the time to empty your applicator bottle into your main container, completely clean your applicator, and before adding the same resist back in, stir and stir and stir the main resist again. Another issue- air bubbles in your bottle. Be sure to let your mixed resist sit for about an hour- I know it is a pain to wait- then gently stir it before putting it into your applicator bottle. Resistad is always bubbly when it is first mixed and thus will cause issues. Do not overfill your bottle! Try for about 2/3 full. Too full can cause a lack of proper pressure and stop up your tip. Last, your mix might be a tinge too thick. Even a teaspoon of water added can make a big difference. If your mix is consistently not wanting to come out, likely this is the issue. Drain the bottle back into your main container, thin your mix and try again! Good luck!
Thanks for your question! I’ve used both, and also a hair drier, which is my favorite. I am impatient and don’t like bothering with taking the silk off the frame to iron it!
Thank you! I have an online course for beginners on my website: www.carriewrightsilk.com/courses Scroll down past the in-studio classes to find the online course. If you have access to all the supplies where you live, you can choose the online teaching course.
Thank you so much for this video! This really helped me get the correct consistency for my first big silk dying project and my first time using this product.
I always test the final mix on a piece of silk so I can be sure it penetrates through to the other side, but does not spread too much. That also gives me a clue what the final color will be. To get darker colored lines you might skip the water and just add dye, or some colors may turn out rather pastel. If the silk has a lot of gum in it and the resist is not penetrating well, I add a surfactant like Synthropol or PTD. Also, I've had Jacquard and Lumi resists get moldy over a few months, so I always add some alcohol, which prevents mold. Thanks for the video on using Resistad, when my Lumi and Jacquard run out, that looks like the best option.
Thanks for your info! I do not always add water depending on the color I’m after, but specifically with Jacquard Red Label black dye I do. The dye is so concentrated that I have a problem with the line bleeding out if I don’t dilute.
Hey:)Thanks for this video! I recently bought this gutta, mixed it thoroughly with water even waited for an hour before applying to my silk but there were many small lumps in the mixture. Even after washing there were small dots in my lines. Can you suggest something to get rid of those micro lumps?
Hmmm, I’ve not personally experience this, so am not certain. I do start slowly mixing less liquid than I think I’ll need in the end since you can always add, but not subtract easily. So I’m wondering if you’re not mixing long enough or vigorously enough? Could there be dust or some such in your mixing vessel? Maybe try using distilled water? I dunno!
Thanks for your question! It will indeed wash out, and it has never turned rubbery on me! I absolutely love this product and use it exclusively for my gutta needs now. You can mix the concentrate to YOUR desired consistency using either water or any dye color you want. Dyes will be left behind and return the silk to its original hand after steaming and washing!
Thank you for making this! I love leaving my silks free hanging. I want anyone who comes along to look and know they're painted silk. But not everyone likes that look, so I've been working out and finding different ways to mount the paintings.
Hello! Just commented on your fantastic steaming video! I have a question about washing the silk after steaming - does the resist come out during the wash? Should I hand wash to make sure it comes out? I watched a video where she said she takes her silks to a dry cleaner after? Any help would be great! Thanks!
Thanks for watching! I use Jacquard’s Resistad, which does wash out after steaming. I usually hand wash using Synthropol, which is a mild textile detergent specifically designed for fiber artists and dye. It helps to suspend excess dye during the last wash to greatly reduce back bleeding. Larger yardages I paint I throw in the machine on gentle. Resistad is the only water based- and therefore washable- Resist I’ve found that doesn’t turn gummy and stick to the silk while steaming!
This video is fantastic - also, you are hilarious! Love this content! My question is this: I live in NYC in a small apartment and I am trying to steam set a 20” x 20” square scarf - is it possible, once you have wrapped the scarf in paper, to fold the wrapped paper/silk so I could have it fit in a tall soup pot? I just don’t think I have the room or money to create that steam cooker machine. Hehe. Bravo and thanks!
Oh of course! Thanks for your compliment! Glad you’re enjoying it! Go to Jacquard products website and search for steam setting dyes. They have a great how-to on their website for steaming in a pot. Also, I’m finishing up a beginner’s silk painting course that will launch on my website soon, and I do steam in a pot in that series! Stay tuned and go sign up at my website to be notified if you’re interested!
