{"id":2540,"date":"2014-11-02T05:00:20","date_gmt":"2014-11-02T13:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/?p=2540"},"modified":"2014-10-27T15:46:27","modified_gmt":"2014-10-27T22:46:27","slug":"batik-saving-and-resisting-color","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/art\/batik-saving-and-resisting-color\/","title":{"rendered":"Batik: Saving and Resisting Color"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"batik<\/a>

batik on silk by Nicki Chen<\/p><\/div>\n

Thinking in reverse.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Years ago, when I did Chinese brush painting<\/a>, the process was straight forward. I applied ink and color directly to rice paper. Anything I didn\u2019t touch just stayed white.<\/p>\n

Then I took up batik painting, and I had to start thinking in reverse. Batik is a resist process in which anything the artist paints, stays the same. Everything else changes color in a dye bath.<\/p>\n

There must be a variety of ways to do batik, but I\u2019ll briefly explain my process.<\/p>\n

\"This<\/a>

This was made with one waxing and two dye baths. –Batik fern tree on silk by Nicki Chen<\/p><\/div>\n

The basic process for making batik.<\/strong><\/p>\n

First, I did a pencil drawing of the design I wanted on a piece of white cotton or silk. Then I stretched the fabric over a wooden frame and attached it with thumb tacks. I melted a mixture of paraffin and beeswax in a pot, and when the wax was hot enough, I painted it onto the fabric with a brush or tjanting.<\/p>\n

\"Mom<\/a>

Mom behind the wax pots<\/p><\/div>\n

Anything I painted with wax remained white when I bathed the cloth in the first dye bath. After the fabric dried, I could wax and save that first color and dye what remained another color. Then I could apply more wax and dye it again with a third color. Choosing appropriate colors, the process could be repeated several times.<\/p>\n

Finally, I boiled the fabric or ironed it between sheets of paper to remove all the wax.<\/p>\n

\"To<\/a>

To achieve a crackled look, the white breaking wave was waxed with a high percentage of paraffin wax.– batik on cotton by Nicki Chen (with a tip of the hat to Hokusai, the famous Japanese printmaker.)<\/p><\/div>\n

Before melting the wax, I had to determine what kind of mixture of waxes I wanted. If I wanted more of the crackle or veins characteristic of batik, I would increase the percentage of paraffin wax. For a smoother effect, I would use more beeswax. The beeswax would bend but not break when I wrinkled or squeezed the cloth. The paraffin wax would crack and thus allow a little dye to enter into the cracks.<\/p>\n

\"batik<\/a>

batik tools, photo by Peter van der Sluijs<\/p><\/div>\n

The traditional method of applying wax is with the tjanting, a simple tool composed of a small copper cup attached to a wooden handle. The artist fills the cup with hot wax and drips wax through a spout onto the cloth to make the design.<\/p>\n

\"batik<\/a>

batik by Nicki Chen. I used the tjanting to make the shirt’s pattern.<\/p><\/div>\n

I did use the tjanting in some of my paintings, but I never became an expert. Whether using a tjanting or a brush, the artist has to get the heat and speed just right. If the wax isn\u2019t hot enough, it won\u2019t fully penetrate the fabric. If it\u2019s too hot or the artist\u2019s hand is too slow, the wax spreads and the line becomes a blob. I primarily used brushes to achieve the effect I wanted.<\/p>\n

\"batik<\/a>

batik on cotton by Nicki Chen<\/p><\/div>\n

Choosing colors for batiks.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In its most basic form, the batik artist uses colors from one side of the color wheel and moves from lighter, primary colors to darker secondary or mixed colors. For example, after \u201csaving\u201d the white fabric with wax, I might choose yellow for my first dye. After waxing the yellow portions I wanted to save, I might dye the cloth light blue to make yellow green, and then dark blue for the final dye to make dark green.<\/p>\n

\"batik<\/a>

batik by Nicki Chen<\/p><\/div>\n

More complex color combinations could be achieved through advanced techniques. In every case, the artist paints the portion of the cloth she wants to remain untouched by the dye, thus saving what already exists.<\/p>\n

\"batik<\/a>

batik by Nicki Chen<\/p><\/div>\n

A British teacher; an outdoor classroom.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"batik,<\/a>My batik teacher, John Heap, was a tall thin Brit who wore sandals and did yoga before yoga was popular in the West. He studied batik in Indonesia. Then he moved to the Philippines, rented a small house with a spacious patio and carport, and advertised for students. We were glad to work outside so the fumes from the molten wax had someplace to go.<\/p>\n

\"batik,<\/a>My mom took a few classes while she was visiting. She made a tablecloth with a geometric design and a wall hanging depicting a carabao (water buffalo).<\/p>\n

\"This<\/a>

This painting was made with one waxing. –batik on silk by Nicki Chen<\/p><\/div>\n

Dozens of batik wall hangings and a four-panel screen.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I made dozens of batik wall hangings. Some I sold; others I gave away or stored in trunks. A few are now hanging on my walls.<\/p>\n

\"Baguio<\/a>

Baguio View–batik on silk by Nicki Chen<\/p><\/div>\n

I did have a four-panel batik screen made from a sketch I did in the mountains of Baguio. Now I have a three-panel screen. I\u2019m not complaining. The screen had many years of use before the visiting cat galloped across the dining table, slid on the tablecloth, leap into the first panel of the screen with his claws out, and found that the silk was not as solid as he\u2019d hoped.<\/p>\n

He was an exuberant teenage cat. What did I expect?<\/p>\n

\"my<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Thinking in reverse. Years ago, when I did Chinese brush painting, the process was straight forward. I applied ink and color directly to rice paper. Anything I didn\u2019t touch just stayed white. Then I took up batik painting, and I had to start thinking in reverse. Batik is a resist process in which anything the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[43,529,148],"tags":[530,533,531,534,532],"class_list":["post-2540","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-art","category-batik","category-philippines","tag-batik-painting","tag-dyeing","tag-how-to-make-batik","tag-tjanting","tag-wax-resist"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3Kn1e-EY","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4571,"url":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/art\/sketching-baguio-an-artists-favorite-holiday\/","url_meta":{"origin":2540,"position":0},"title":"Sketching Baguio, an Artist’s Favorite Holiday","author":"Nicki Chen","date":"January 31, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"For an artist, a sketching trip is the best kind of vacation. And for an artist living in the Philippines, nothing beats Baguio for its breathtaking mountain scenery and cool weather. In 1979, I was spending most of my spare time painting. So when friends invited me to spend a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Art"","block_context":{"text":"Art","link":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/category\/art\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Baguio, photo by ossiak","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Baguio-photo-by-ossiak.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Baguio-photo-by-ossiak.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Baguio-photo-by-ossiak.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2262,"url":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/china\/favorite-excerpts-from-author-part-1\/","url_meta":{"origin":2540,"position":1},"title":"A Few Short Excerpts from My Novel","author":"Nicki Chen","date":"August 21, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Tiger Tail Soup: A novel of China at war by Nicki Chen \u00a0 \u201cThis washed-out road, like the mountains themselves and the tigers that hide in their shadows, is all beauty and treachery.\u201d p. 2. \u201cKulangsu. Island of pianos they call it, drum-surf isle, egret island\u2026.My beloved home, and for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "China"","block_context":{"text":"China","link":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/category\/china\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"batik painting by Nicki Chen","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/IMG_0508-225x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":9599,"url":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/art\/youthful-dreams-do-they-remain\/","url_meta":{"origin":2540,"position":2},"title":"Youthful Dreams, Do They Remain?","author":"Nicki Chen","date":"July 25, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"painted by my mom What did you want to be when you grew up? My mom's dream was to become an artist. I don't know when that dream began for her, but by the time she was in high school, she was filling scrapbooks with her drawings. He stylish fashion\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Art"","block_context":{"text":"Art","link":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/category\/art\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/IMG_2855-2-e1626986515489.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5398,"url":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/philippines\/the-days-of-going-to-a-dressmaker\/","url_meta":{"origin":2540,"position":3},"title":"In the Days of the Dressmakers.","author":"Nicki Chen","date":"September 4, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"When you move halfway around the world, all the basics of everyday life change. The moment I stepped off the plane in Manila, the first, most obvious difference hit me in the face\u2014a blast of heat unlike any I\u2019d ever felt. No more cool, drizzly Seattle days for me. I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "batik"","block_context":{"text":"batik","link":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/category\/batik\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"dressmaker, T and R 001","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/dressmaker-T-and-R-001-e1470092307884.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1526,"url":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/china\/foreigners-living-in-china\/","url_meta":{"origin":2540,"position":4},"title":"Foreigners on the Loose in China","author":"Nicki Chen","date":"May 4, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Unsavory Elements: Stories of Foreigners on the Loose in China. I\u2019ve been a tourist in China a couple of times. I\u2019ve climbed the Great Wall, toured the Forbidden City, and walked along Shanghai\u2019s bund. But I\u2019ve never lived in China, and that's an entirely different thing. I was curious. So,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "book reviews"","block_context":{"text":"book reviews","link":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/category\/book-reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Unsavory Elements, cover","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Unsavory-Elements-cover.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Unsavory-Elements-cover.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Unsavory-Elements-cover.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1171,"url":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/culture\/it-takes-a-community-to-celebrate\/","url_meta":{"origin":2540,"position":5},"title":"It Takes a Community to Celebrate","author":"Nicki Chen","date":"January 31, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Chinese New Year in the United States. I don\u2019t celebrate Chinese New Year. Well, okay, I do remember it, and I talk about it. I note that 2014 is the Year of the Horse. And I send red envelopes stuffed with dollars to my grandchildren. But I don\u2019t really celebrate\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Culture"","block_context":{"text":"Culture","link":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/category\/culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"red envelope and chocolate money","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/IMG_0797-300x225.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2540","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2540"}],"version-history":[{"count":39,"href":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2540\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2834,"href":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2540\/revisions\/2834"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2540"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2540"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2540"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}