Chapter 4 of Ann Johnston’s Color by Design is my favorite so far in our Dyeing Support Group. My favorite is the organic quality you get from painting on soda-soaked wet fabric and applying pressure to plastic over the top.
Thin Paste on Wet Fabric with Primary Colors - I like that you get secondary colors as the dyes bleed into each other; especially after pressing the plastic on top.
2nd sample of Thin on Wet Primary Colors
My Favorite - I love the surprise organic lines and shapes of the thin paste on wet soda-soaked fabric
Thin on Wet Secondary Colors and neutral created by adding the secondary colors together.
2nd Sample of Thin on Wet Secondary Colors
Textured Objects placed underneath wet soda-soaked fabric and thin dye painted with brush - I enjoyed this technique
Thin Paste on Dry Fabric is my least favorite. I can see circumstances where you would want less bleeding until the edges to keep some white or light areas. Maybe I would prefer it if I tried different shapes and colors.
Thick Dye painted on wet soda-soaked fabric
Thick Dye on Dry Fabric
Print Paste painted on fabric before adding medium thickness dye painted on with sponge brushes. This was nice and evenly blended and then I decided to add additional colors with a dryer sponge brush. I don’t really like sponge brushes but they have their purpose. I much prefer using paintbrushes.
Combination of thick and thin colors painted on dry fabric
I was surprised how much more I enjoyed the exercises on wet soda-soaked fabric over the dry fabric. The fluid organic lines and intermixing of colors had interesting results. I will definitely spend more time with the same techniques and additional colors with varying thicknesses of print paste.
