Silk Painting Watercolour Technique 

It definitely is, Pat. I keep a record of the colours used, where they are used, and where necessary, a diagram as to colour and silk salt placement. Truly helps if one wants to do the design again. Thanks for your interest. Enjoy!🙏🏾

Thank you for your kind words Poupon Crazy Cat. You can view more of my work on my website:- www.claradesigns.com and at my Instagram -@claradesignsart. Enjoy!🖌✨

Thanks for your interest Mia! I do hope that you can try it out! All the best!

That is correct Karin. I do hope that you try it and enjoy the surprises that you can get. All the best!

Obrigado pelas suas amáveis palavras, Helena Affonso. Desejando-lhe sucesso em seus esforços!

Thanks for your interest in my work Leena. More to come. Check out my instagram at claradesignsart. ENJOY!

@@claraapplewhaitedesigns7463 done dear clara

Thanks for your kind words Preetie Singh. ❤️🖌

Thank you Judi for your kind remarks. I am preparing to do more videos soon.👌🏾🖌

@@claramitchell746 Can't wait to see more... Love your videos

You are quite welcome! Keep experimenting! 🖌✨

Thanks for your input. I shall try the Jacquard silk colours some time. I much prefer to use the silk salt. I too, have tried table salt, and there is too much more time spent scraping, than I would like. ( Hard on my fingertips.) Check out my website at www.claradesigns.com to see more examples of the watercolour silk technique. You may also check out my Instagram @claradesignsart. Hope this helps. More coming soon.

@@claraapplewhaitedesigns7463 To scrape off the salt I use a piece of laminated card stock with rounded edges, or something like a credit card would work, to scrape it into a pile. Then I use a drafting table brush to sweep it up onto the card stock. I sometimes go over the silk with my fingers to make sure I got it all.

That is a possible method, in case any of my students wish to try it, but the iodine in table salt is a bit if a worry. It should be scraped off the silk, as soon as the silk is dry. 👍🏽 Great tip!

what kind of salt do you use.

@@eliza4355 I use Jacquard Silk Salt most of the time. If I want a finer pattern, I have used margarita salt or table salt. Some people use rock salt. Sea salt gets great patterns, but I lost them in the steaming because it has too many other minerals in it that attracted moisture.

Thanks for you kind words!🖌✨

First of all, I use Dye-Na-Flow paints, which react the same way as silk dyes. The salt used, must be silk salt, not table salt. The reaction is a chemical reaction of the salt, which pulls the paint or dye into the salt crystals. The technique is wet-on-wet. Thank you so much for your interest and for subscribing! I’ll post more soon!🖌

Good Morning Janet, thanks for your interest. The hooks I use are called Chinese suspension hooks, which I purchase from Dharma Trading in California. I do put together the screens myself. I use artist's stretchers, and I stick them together, at the corners, with wood glue. I purchased my stretchers from my local art store, Jerry's Art Supplies, here in New Jersey. Hope this helps.

Thanks for your kind words. Hope the videos help.🖌

I tried kosher salt, big grains, but it didn't work.🤔

Thank you for your kind words. I am not certain where you’re located, but I am in New Jersey, USA, and purchase my tools from Dharma Trading, in California. They do have a website, and are quite helpful when you call. They also ship internationally. I use bamboo Sumi brushes, all sizes. I choose to use Dye-Na-Flow silk paints, because they are vivid and ‘heat-set’ with a HOT iron. (You may also use them with Seta silk colour, as they are also ‘heat-set’ with a HOT iron.) Hope this helps. All the best! You may also check out my website:- www.claradesigns.com, as well as my Instagram page @claradesignsart Do enjoy!🖌✨

@@claramitchell746 hi clara... can you plsease mention website link from where you brought these colors

Thanks for your questions Janet Sammons and @partnertuff. The frames I use are wooden stretchers that artists use. These can be purchased at any art store. (Some people also use PVC pipes as their frames.) The silk paints I use, are called Dye-Na-Flow Silk Paints, which I purchase at the art stores, as well as Dharma Trading, which is based in California. This company is really suited to artists, and they ship internationally. Hope this helps.

Good Afternoon Uzma Baig, Sorry for the slight delay in my response. Sadly, I am not familiar with these particular silk paints, but it may be that you are layering the paint on too thick. Whenever I want black, for example, to appear very dark, I do apply a second coat, knowing that those ares will be a bit more stiff than other parts of the design. What I have done in the past, to avoid this, is to design smaller areas of the dark colours. I do hope that this helps. Enjoy!

Is water ok to make it thin?

@@UzmaBaig Good Morning Uzma, By all means, you may use some water, but remember to measure the amount that you add to your silk paint. NB. Too much water + silk paint = very light wash colour, and so on. ( It is a good idea to use pipettes to apply amounts of silk paint and water, and make a chart, which you can use again in the future.) I make recipes for the lighter colours that I use. NB. Do experiment with the silk paints/dyes that you use, as to the result when water is added, as well as, the depth of colour. Definitely, make your own colour chart. A wonderful tool indeed! Hope this helps.

@@claraapplewhaitedesigns7463 thank you so much for your quick response and very professional tips... ♥️ May God bless you!

@@UzmaBaig Uzma, You are so very welcome. Keep enjoying silk painting. More videos to come.

Thanks for the question Marianna Ferrer, My expertise is in silk painting and printmaking, not painting on canvas, for example. However, there are special mediums to make colours lighter if you are working with acrylics or oils. Hope this helps.🖌️🌺

Good Afternoon Kat T, Thanks for your question. I am not certain after which stage you mean, but once you have finished painting your silk piece, allow it to dry thoroughly. Then you ‘heat-set’ it to the stipulation of the type of silk paints or silk dyes you are using. The piece is allowed to ‘cure’ from 24 to 48 hours, depending on the size. Then, it is washed out with the industrial textile wash, Synthrapol or Kieralon. (This substance catches the excess silk paint or dyes in suspension, so as not to allow transference of colour. Blot, do not wring. Iron HOT while damp! Hope this helps. REMEMBER to check the label of your silk paint or dye as to the proper ‘heat-set’ procedure. Do send any other questions or concerns that you may have to, clara@claradesigns.com All the best!🖌✨

Good Afternoon Arati Kapoor, Thanks for your kind words and for your question. The colours I use are called Dye-Na-Flow, and they are silk paints which are formulated to act like silk dyes. I purchase them from Dharma Trading, of California. I also use Habotai silk 10mm, but not organza. The thick silks are not the best for my detailed designs, so I do not use them. If I do use the thicker silks, I would usually do a textural design, with based on my colour experimentations. Hope this helps.✨🖌

@@claramitchell746 thanks for your response.

I do have a section of another video which shows how to stretch the scarves, but I will do another video soon, on just that topic. Coming soon!

Good Morning Irfan, the colours I use are called Dye-Na-Flow paints, which are made to the same consistency as dyes. I use them because they are heat set with a very hot iron, which is easier for me. Thanks for your interest.✨🖌

Good Afternoon Victoria Nosheen, You can paint on silk organza, as long as it is not too sheer. Remember, the silk must be stretched onto a frame as taut as possible, for painting. You MUST follow the manufacturer’s instructions on how to heat-set the dyes, before you wash out the ‘gutta’ resist. If you did not follow these instructions, this may be the reason for the colour washing out. Another thing, quite a few students of this technique believe that the steaming process is done with a steam iron. NOT CORRECT. When the silk dye or silk paint instruction say steam, they mean an Electric Vertical Steamer. Hope this helps.🖌

Good Afternoon Laila, thanks for your interest. I am not familiar with ‘acramin’, but acrylic is better suited to heavier fabric; for example, cottons and linens. Remember, acrylic paints ate not naturally transparent, and will ‘sit’ on top of the fabric. It is possible, but I would not advise it. The beauty of silk painting is the light and transparency of the subject matter. I would stick to the silk dyes and paints. Keep experimenting!👍🏽

The first step is to spritz the silk fabric with water and then apply your paint. Hope this helps. Il primo passo è spruzzare il tessuto di seta con acqua e quindi applicare la vernice. Spero questo sia di aiuto.

Good Morning NK, the salt used is Silk Salt by Jacquard. (It is not a table salt.) I purchase it from Dharma Trading in California. You may research further on their website at www.dharmatrading.com Hope this helps.

Good Morning Leena, I have never tried acrylic on any material other than cottons, and possibly linens. Acrylic is quite a heavy medium and may not be the best for lighter fabrics as silks. ( I am assuming that you mean silk organza.) The best thing to do is to TEST a small area of the fabric and see how the medium reacts. Hope this helps.👌🏾🖌

@@claramitchell746 thank you so much... 😍😍😍😍

Thanks @anyrojas7305 , for your kind words. I use Dye-Na-Flow silk paints, which DO NOT contain alcohol. Hope this helps.

Thanks for your question. I use Dyn-Na-Flow silk paints, sold by Dharma Trading, which does ship internationally, if you need. Enjoy!

Good Morning Channel Surfer, One must always read the directions on the dye or paint that you're using, as regards the heat-set process. I chose the Dye-Na-Flow paints because the heat-set process is done with a hot iron, on both sides of the silk. The silk I use is Habotai 10mm, which I purchase from Dharma Trading. For more information, please check out their website. Thanks for your question. Enjoy the process.

@@claraapplewhaitedesigns7463 Thank you so much ❤️

@@Ori_akikame By the way, Channel Surfer, once the entire process is completed, down to the industrial wash, and ironing, you do a cold water wash, and iron between cotton fabric or gauze, and wear as you like. Thanks again, and enjoy!

Taznin Mannan, which fabric colour are you talking about? Read the label to make certain it can be used on silk. The label should also tell you what ‘heat-set’ method is used. Bottom line, if it is labelled ‘fabric’ paint, it ought not be a problem. Still let me know the name of the fabric colour. Happy experimenting!🖌✨

Can we use Fevicryl fabric colors ..?

I am in India. We get camlin and fevicryl fabric colors. Will it be okay ..

Good Afternoon Swati Jain, I use Dye-Na-Flow silk paints, which are made to the consistency of dyes. (These paints can be purchased from Dharma Trading, in California.) The piece is then heat-set with a hot iron, and left to cure for 24 to 48 hours, depending on the size of your piece. Hope this helps. Enjoy your experimenting.

What a good question Asma Aslam. The silk must be wet when you apply the paints or the dyes, for the silk salt to react. Remember, the chemical nature of the silk salt, pulls the dye or paint particles into each salt crystal, because of the wet medium. Thus, the watercolour movement is created. Hope this helps.🖌✨

Good Afternoon Kalpana Imagination Art, Silk salt is raw salt crystals, which are treated and broken down for easy use on silk. ( Raw salt, or rock salt is used to melt ice on the roads.) The silk salt draws the dye or paint into the crystal, creating the movement of colour in the watercolour silk painting technique. You can purchase this from Dharma Trading, California. Be sure to visit their website. Hope this helps.🖌

@@claramitchell746 thank u so much

Yes, these are silk paints, by Dye-Na-Flow. Hope this helps.

The silk salt that I use can be found at Dharma Trading. It is called Jacquard Silk Salt. In expensive and easy to use. (You may also re-use the salt a few times.) This is not eatable table salt.

The salt that I use, I purchase from Dharma Trading. (Check out their website at www.dharmatrading.com) The salt is called Jacquard Silk Salt. (You may re-use the salt a few more times.) Have fun with your experimenting!