The One Thing You Need to Know

The One Thing You Need to Know to Get Started in Silk Painting

Painting on silk is a joy.

It is not difficult.

It is quick.

And it is rewarding.

The thing I like best about silk painting is the swiftness of seeing results – the colors, the beauty, and the immediate gratification. You can paint a scarf one day and be wearing it the next! Or hanging it on your wall for all to admire.

Personally, I love to take an image or design and simplify it down to a few lines and shapes. The color then becomes the main focus of the design. Silk soaks up the dye like magic, and it is a beautiful and stunning process to watch.

I'll be teaching a Silk Painting class in Athens in April, and I will send out more details in a few days.

Oh – and that one thing you need to know to get started in silk painting? It doesn’t take any special talent or skill. I will guide you through the process in our class.

Take care,
-René 

Beginning Silk Painting Workshop

This last Saturday I led a Beginning Silk Painting class at Loft Art Supply in Athens, Ga. It was tremendous fun and it was so exciting to see how the 6 participants approached the design process and to see how their completed designs turned out. I was so worried that our three-hour time frame was not going to be long enough (I had visions of people trundling home with half-finished silks), but everyone finished their paintings -and they were all very beautiful! Here is a photo essay of the experience:

1) The supply table set up.

2) Describing the process.

3) Beginning to design.

4) Consulting on design ideas.

5) Rene describes the process of drawing with resist to keep the colors from mixing together.

6) Transferred design on silk.

7) Amy applying the resist for her design.

8) Mary begins to paint with dye.

9) Jon’s color choice matches his shirt!

10) Rene and Amitabh discuss creating colors.

11) Ken decides on purple.

12) Alice brought flowers for inspiration.

13) Jon’s koi in process.

14) Amitabh’s architecture - almost finished.

15) Mary is proud of her finished silk!

16) Amitabh’s finished design.

17) Amy’s finished squares. She may color the background - we’ll have to wait to see!

18) Alice’s flower scarf - complete!

19) Ken’s purple design - finished!

20) Jon’s koi is ready to swim away!

Now the artists will take their stretched silk home and set the dye the next day. The colors will be even more vibrant once the silks are washed and off the frames.

Wouldn’t you like to come paint silk, too?