What colors are used to paint on clothes? What material is suitable for working with them? Acrylic paints are ideal for applying to fabric and leather. How to fix a drawing? How to draw and paint on clothes correctly so that the images do not fade longer and retain their original appearance? To do this, you need to learn about the techniques and features of working with such paints on fabric.
Advantages
Many artists decide to paint with acrylic paints based on their advantages, which include:
- rich assortment, availability;
- safety in use;
- the ability to use water as a diluent;
- water resistance of the coating of patterns on fabric (can be soaked and washed);
- Resistant to machine wash.
In addition, acrylic paint is suitable for creating multi-colored patterns because the pigments mix easily, allowing you to create new shades.
What to draw on a T-shirt
What to draw on a T-shirt for a girl or guy depends on their preferences and drawing skills. We offer several options for images that you can create with your own hands.
Of course, for the first time it is advisable to choose a simple pattern for application.
On children's T-shirts you can depict cartoon characters, baby animals, birds and butterflies. Boys will love cars and robots, girls will love flowers and dolls.
It’s a good idea to involve them in the process of choosing what designs to draw on a T-shirt for children.
We hope that our small master class will push you to creativity, which will certainly bring pleasure. And you can always buy white and colored T-shirts for coloring from Ivanych GROUP. Order them by...
Fabric for work
Is it possible to paint with acrylic on different fabrics? If we talk about choosing material for beginners, then it is permissible to use various textures for working with ordinary acrylic.
You can draw on any materials: thick textiles, denim, thin silk, cotton or linen.
But it should be remembered that the structure of the painted areas will have a denser texture than the rest of the canvas.
Practical advice
Prewash. Factory impregnation of new fabric prevents the absorption of paints and the design may be damaged. Before starting work, be sure to wash the material, dry it, iron it, and only then start drawing.
Fabric tension. Before starting work, make sure that the fabric is securely fastened to a hard surface - it is best to take a sheet of plastic, plywood or board. For fixation, you can use push pins, paper clips, paper clips, and even regular clothespins. The main thing is that your workplace does not move when transferring the image from paper and in the process of applying the outline and paints.
Substrate. If you are applying a design directly to a finished product, such as a T-shirt, it is important that there is a backing between the layers of the fixed product - this will prevent paint from getting onto the back side of the product, where the design is not intended. The backing can be the entire sheet of plastic or plywood on which you mount the product, if size allows, or an additional insert made of a similar material or simply plastic film.
Water. Pour the water for diluting the paint into a stable, heavy glass or jar and place it slightly to the side, out of reach. You should not use plastic cups, they are unstable, they can easily be turned over and ruin the work.
Rags. It’s good to have an absorbent rag on hand - wet and dry for blotting brushes, wiping your hands and table while working. Be careful not to let a drop hang on the brush—one single blot can irrevocably damage the product. Pay no less attention to the cleanliness of your hands - sometimes it seems that the paint just gets on them by magic.
Brushes. The choice of brush depends on the type of design, the quality of the fabric and your personal tastes. In batik you can use a very large assortment of tassels, as well as foam rubber and cotton swabs. It is advisable to choose brushes with a long handle and even, neatly laid bristles. To draw small details and work close to the contour, you will need thin brushes; to paint large surfaces, you can use round and flat brushes.
Please note that the brush should not be left in water with the tip down for a long time - it may become deformed. When finished, wash the brush with a drop of dishwashing detergent and dry with the tip facing up.
Select paint brushes
Contour . When applying the contour, hold the tube at an acute angle to the fabric and do not change the speed of your hand movement - then the line will be even in thickness.
Consolidation . Carefully read the instructions on jars of paints and contours - each manufacturer may have its own drying time and method of fixing. Following the rules will help you avoid ruining your work.
Preparatory work
Painting on fabric with acrylic paints requires some preparation. Before you paint, you need to do the following with the base material:
- immerse in cold water for one hour, then rinse under the tap;
- dry and iron with a warm iron.
If you paint on fabric with a fine texture (cambric or silk), it is advisable to stretch it on a wooden frame until it dries.
If you decorate a piece of clothing and draw on clothes, it is recommended to separate one layer from the other with cardboard or thick paper.
Preparing for coloring
Take a clean canvas that you will paint. You can stretch it over a frame, or you can simply lay it flat on the table. To protect the surface, it is better to place a sheet of cardboard or paper underneath.
If you are dyeing a pillowcase, T-shirt or jeans, the back side will need to be insulated to avoid staining. This can be done using cardboard and paper. You can place a plastic modeling board or a piece of linoleum under the paper layer.
Advice
To keep the fabric from moving while you paint, secure it with tape.
The deeper the paint penetrates into the fibers, the brighter and more stable the pattern. Therefore, try to ensure that the dye penetrates the back side of the material.
Types of painting
There are the following techniques for painting with acrylic on fabric:
- hot and cold batik;
- free painting (with and without saline solution);
- shibori or folded batik;
- knotted batik.
Ideas: what things can be painted
Traditionally, silk scarves, stoles, shawls and dresses were decorated using the batik technique. Since the art originated in Indonesia, its native motifs are flowers, plants, birds and landscapes.
For a “test of the pen”, you can take a plain cotton T-shirt and design it using the shibori technique - you will get a bright summer design in the form of a spiral with diverging rays. A frame from your favorite cartoon would look good on a children's sweatshirt - such drawings have a clear outline and large shapes, they will be easy to work with.
After practicing on small items, you can paint a decorative pillowcase or bedspread for the bedroom, wall panel, tablecloth or curtain. The color and motifs of the work will depend on the style of your interior.
If you look for outline drawings for batik on the Internet, you can safely add to them templates for stained glass painting - these techniques have a similar principle.
We wish you successful experiments!
Subtleties of painting technique
Painting with acrylic on different materials requires the following subtleties:
- Despite the fact that it is possible to dilute the contents of tubes with water, craftsmen often use solvents, since this has a better effect on the adhesive properties of acrylic.
- To protect the treated area of the material, polyethylene or oilcloth is placed under it.
- To make the pattern on the fabric clearer and acrylic to be applied more easily, it is preferable to use brushes with synthetic bristles. In this case, each subsequent layer must be applied when the previous one is completely dry.
- How to pin an image? Artists advise fixing the dye with an iron no earlier than 24 hours after application.
- Light shades are applied first, and each subsequent layer should be darker than the previous one.
Methods of applying acrylic paint
There are several different ways to paint a design on fabric using acrylic paints. They are suitable for both beginners and people who have been drawing for a long time.
- Copying. The simplest method, which does not require any specific skills. The most necessary thing for this method is the ability to clearly transfer the pattern onto the thing. The desired design is first printed (preferably the outlines are thick and dark), then the fabric is stretched over a piece of cardboard or plywood and fixed. The printed drawing is placed under the product and the outline is redrawn. After this they begin to paint.
You might be interested in: Making simple patterns for wraparound robes
Drawing with stencils
- Another fairly simple way is to use special stencils. You can make them yourself from paper, or you can buy them in a store. This technique is suitable for those moments when the same design needs to be copied (for example, for uniform T-shirts or original fabric napkins). The stencil is attached to the desired location, and paint is applied on top.
- A more complex method is to draw a sketch by hand and then paint it. If you have enough imagination and skills, you can try this method. Some professionals don't even sketch and work straight away with color, but it's better to start with a pencil drawing. First, you should also sketch your future work in an album or sketchbook in order to know exactly the location of the sketch, its size, etc.
Thanks to manual work, unique things are obtained.
To start working with a certain method, you should consider some recommendations:
- Before purchasing, be sure to check the price, manufacturer and expiration date. This will help you avoid purchasing low-quality and old paints.
- The presence of toxins and allergens in dyes and the presence of an unpleasant odor are also checked.
- Before dyeing, apply the dye to some unwanted fabric to check the color and the nature of the application.
- Brushes, sponges and rollers are made from synthetics.
- A new layer (if there is no purpose of mixing paints) is applied only after the lower one has dried.
- A day after the picture is ready, iron it for 5 minutes.
High-quality dye remains stable after heat treatment.
To begin any work, the artist must have the following tools and materials:
- The paints themselves (there are different dyes in stores; they can be labeled “acrylic paints” or “acrylic”, and will differ little).
- Soft synthetic brushes.
- Pins, clothespins, hooks.
- Frame, hoop, plywood or piece of cardboard.
- Thinner (also available at art stores).
- Sponges, cotton swabs.
- Palettes, containers for diluting paints and water.
- Hairdryer and iron.
The work room should be spacious and bright, well ventilated
