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Spellbinder Inner circle The Holy City of East Orange, NJ 6438 Posts |
Wiz Kid Qua-Fiki came up with a great new ending for his "Go Fish Show" but Jim Gerrish and I ended up with the job of helping him paint the silks he needs. We got lots of practice with painting fish of one color on the 17 inch silks for the main production.
For the small silks, we were able to use regular picture frames and used masking tape and push pins to stretch the silks out for putting on resist and painting. Now we are facing a more challenging task; a 44 inch square monster silk that needs to be painted with a huge goldfish bowl of gold fish, plus THE END" spelled out in different colored letters. Also the gold fish will be swimming in light blue water in the bowl. The biggest problem is whether to try to stretch out the full 44 x 44 inch silk on a single frame, assuming we can find something big enough, or whether we should break the job down into smaller tasks and paint one section of the silk at a time. We are hoping someone here has some experience with this and can advise us. We're also up against a deadline because Qua-Fiki wants to use this in his show on Saturday (02/12/11). He has been practicing with a six foot silk, so substituting the 44 inch silk will present no problem, but we just have to get it painted, dried (from washing) and pressed.
Professor Spellbinder
Professor Emeritus at the Turkey Buzzard Academy of Magik, Witchcraft and Wizardry http://www.magicnook.com Publisher of The Wizards' Journals |
the Sponge Inner circle Atlanta 2771 Posts |
I don't know, but it would seem to me to be quicker to make a frame from scrap wood (or pvc pipe)and do it all at once compared to painting each section because it would have to dry before you could move it.
s |
Spellbinder Inner circle The Holy City of East Orange, NJ 6438 Posts |
PVC pipe! For some strange reason, Jim seems to have a lot of it and neither one of us thought to make a frame of it! That sounds like a good solution. We'll give it a try and let you know how it worked out.
Professor Spellbinder
Professor Emeritus at the Turkey Buzzard Academy of Magik, Witchcraft and Wizardry http://www.magicnook.com Publisher of The Wizards' Journals |
jay leslie V.I.P. Southern California 9498 Posts |
Hand painted silk is stretched on a single frame.
Wax is applied as a barrier. After each color the silk is steamed so the wax falls off. Salt is used to set the colors (depending on the dye used)
Jay Leslie
www.TheHouseOfEnchantment.com |
MagicB1S Inner circle Knoxville Tenn. 1039 Posts |
I am sorry to go off topic here but I am in need of a silk with a picture on it. I can paint it on my self but with what would I use to do this? Jay references dye in the post above. Is that what is used to paint on a silk? if so what kind of dye?
"There are Tricks To All Trades.... My Trade is all Tricks"
"An amature practices until he gets it right. A Professional Practices until he can't get it wrong" www.Themagicchest.webs.com bobswislosky@yahoo.com |
Spellbinder Inner circle The Holy City of East Orange, NJ 6438 Posts |
I'm not using the method that Jay uses. I got a silk painting "kit" from Dharma Trading Company: http://www.dharmatrading.com/html/eng/15......its.html
Since we intended to use this to start introducing our Wiz Kids to the art (and magic) of silk painting, we got the class kit. That might be more than most folks need, but you can buy the dyes in smaller quantities with just the exact colors you need. Dye-Na-Flow SilkPaint is used with a special water based resist (not wax). Our procedure, which will eventually end up in Qua-Fiki's e-Book "Fish or Cut Bait" in Wizards' Journal # (to be determined), is to draw the outlines with a black Sharpie pen. Then the resist is applied all around the outside of the drawing and encouraged to come up to the black line edges (that was the biggest learning curve and ONE of us ruined a silk in the process). However, once that hurdle was overcome, the application of paint was easy, since all our fish are of one color. You can see Jim painting in a fish drawing in the photo in the first post. The paint bleeds all through the design but stops when it gets to the resist. After the paint dries, you "bake" it on by ironing the silk with a hot iron (between cloth at first, but later you can iron the silk directly). Now comes the magic (to me). You can now wash the silk in a bowl of hot soapy water and the resist will dissolve into the water, but the color is solidly fixed to the silk. After rinsing and drying, one last ironing and the silk is ready for use. I'm so sorry I wasted my youth on buying silks instead of learning how to dye them myself. Well, that's not completely true; during the 60's I did join the tie-dye hippies and learned to tie-dye silks, but that's not the same. Nothing like this method of silk painting was available to ordinary people until the Internet made the world shrink a few sizes. Now any fool and his friend can do it! PS. I also bought my white silk blanks from the same company, and that monster 44" silk as well. The PVC pipe frame seems to be working so far, but it's too soon for photos!
Professor Spellbinder
Professor Emeritus at the Turkey Buzzard Academy of Magik, Witchcraft and Wizardry http://www.magicnook.com Publisher of The Wizards' Journals |
hugmagic Inner circle 7655 Posts |
I would have made a wooden frame. Cover it with packaging tape to prevent the dye from soaking in the wood.
Do not use wax for resist. Water based resists are easiest. I use different dyes and steam set the dye. The bottom line is have patience and a steady hand. Dharma trading is a good source to start with. There are many different types of dyes that can be used. Richard
Richard E. Hughes, Hughes Magic Inc., 352 N. Prospect St., Ravenna, OH 44266 (330)296-4023
www.hughesmagic.com email-hugmagic@raex.com Write direct as I will be turning off my PM's. |
Magic Researcher Elite user 406 Posts |
PVC frame with silk bottom attached to frame bottom member. Silk draped over top frame member. Top of silk attached to a 5th tube with weights hanging from ends. This setup keeps tension on the silk (critical).
Using double action airbrush and heat set fabric paints make it a quick and easy task. MR No resists or masks required with this method.
Repeating a falsehood often and loudly does not make it true.
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Spellbinder Inner circle The Holy City of East Orange, NJ 6438 Posts |
I'm not yet ready for the airbrush, although I admire those who can do it well. My hand is barely steady enough to do the rough cartoons and resist application. I am using masking tape to hold the silk to the frame, pulling it around for tension. It's better than push pins which leave a tiny hole- masking tape leaves no marks. So I guess we all have our different methods; whatever works!
Professor Spellbinder
Professor Emeritus at the Turkey Buzzard Academy of Magik, Witchcraft and Wizardry http://www.magicnook.com Publisher of The Wizards' Journals |
Magic Researcher Elite user 406 Posts |
Be certain to remove any sizing that might be on the silk before any paint or dye use. Masking tape leaves a sticky residue behind. Over time this will collect difficult to remove grime. Clamping is better. You can cut a full length slot in the PVC tubing on a table saw, slide in the silk from one end and clamp it tight. This leaves no residue and no holes.
Hire a T-shirt artist. MR
Repeating a falsehood often and loudly does not make it true.
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Spellbinder Inner circle The Holy City of East Orange, NJ 6438 Posts |
Fortunately, the silks I am getting from Dharma have no sizing to remove and I am using architect's masking tape which leaves no residue. The whole point of "Do-It-Yourself" is to "Do-It-Myself" and not to hire someone else to do it for me, but I appreciate your thoughts for my welfare. I'd probably strangle myself with an airbrush hose wrapped around my neck if I tried it. I like the idea of the slot in the PVC pipe, but your mention of clamps made me try some big old pipe clamps with vinyl tips and that seems to work fine, so maybe I'll try it that way next time.
Meanwhile, the 44" silk is resisted and painted and drying. Next step is to apply the hot iron to fix the dye, and try to wash that big old thing in my kitchen sink without drowning myself or my cats in the process. I should have a photo by tomorrow and with any luck, Qua-Fiki will be posing with it after rehearsing his show for Saturday.
Professor Spellbinder
Professor Emeritus at the Turkey Buzzard Academy of Magik, Witchcraft and Wizardry http://www.magicnook.com Publisher of The Wizards' Journals |
maps Inner circle 1124 Posts |
I spray a little water on the silk to make it slightly damp and find it easier to paint the dyes and blend them.You will also avoid the 'dried' paint forming unwanted lines and patches if you don't work fast enough.Too much water will dilute the paint
After painting and while the paint is still wet,by sprinkling coarse grained salt on tht painted ares,you can create really interesting patterns! Now I find airbrushing quicker,less messy and easier to handle.Plus,you can blend the different colors really well on the silk.
the heart is where the magic begins
Visit my website [www.mascotsandpuppets.com] |
hugmagic Inner circle 7655 Posts |
Wet silk allows for smoother blending of colors but not for work with resist. It will jump the resist and ruin the silk.
There are numerous silk painting books out. Neat ideas but to be honest most of them are lost on stage. Airbrush does make it easier to blend the colors but you have to a steady hand and be careful with your application or you will quickly ruin the silk. Bottom line, painting silk is an artistic work that requires patience and practice and any art project does. Painting on the silk does present even more challenges that painting on regular fabric. However, it is cool to paint something special and unique for your show. BTW, even though they silks may be washed already. I always rewash everything before I put the time in painting a silk. It is such a quick and simple task to do that it is not worth taking the chance on the silk not being properly prepared. Richard
Richard E. Hughes, Hughes Magic Inc., 352 N. Prospect St., Ravenna, OH 44266 (330)296-4023
www.hughesmagic.com email-hugmagic@raex.com Write direct as I will be turning off my PM's. |
Spellbinder Inner circle The Holy City of East Orange, NJ 6438 Posts |
I promised a picture of the big 44 inch finale silk I was working on and here it is. I'm not completely happy with it, but it will do for tomorrow's show and then it is time to teach Qua-Fiki how to paint his own darn silks! I only undertook his project because he was studying so hard in school (got a good report card, so that paid off!) and I've always wanted to learn the process so I could teach it to others.
I think when I get Qua-Fiki to make his own big silk finale it will go easier from the lessons I have learned. Also, his hand is steadier than mine for the drawing and resist work, and I learned to have a good supply of clean ironing cloths for each separate project, and wash the cloths between projects because they tend to pick up bits of images from the Sharpie pen and can transfer them to other projects. Note to myself: wear your glasses and work under brighter lights, you old codger!
Professor Spellbinder
Professor Emeritus at the Turkey Buzzard Academy of Magik, Witchcraft and Wizardry http://www.magicnook.com Publisher of The Wizards' Journals |
Octarine Prince Regular user 111 Posts |
Well done!
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hugmagic Inner circle 7655 Posts |
Very well done. I am sure as you work with this you will find more and more ways to use this process and be more confident doing it.
As for the milk, it might work to some degree. I have also heard using a starch like substance like running mashed potatoes or the commerically sold anti diffusers. I have not had real good sucess with either. Resist is still the way to go. I might add that a lot of the information in the old magazines (there are several references in the Linking Ring) are very dated. You cannot get the dyes they used. Today's dyes are much brighter and color fast. There are easier to set. I should add a thought at this point when painting silks. You have to think of the silk as a road sign. Something you can quickly and clearly view or read like a road sign at 25 MPH. You do not want too much detail. Rice's silks are magnificent but a lot of the detail is lost on stage. Look at the silk above and you will see what I mean. It reads very quickly and easily. A very good job and design. Richard
Richard E. Hughes, Hughes Magic Inc., 352 N. Prospect St., Ravenna, OH 44266 (330)296-4023
www.hughesmagic.com email-hugmagic@raex.com Write direct as I will be turning off my PM's. |
Spellbinder Inner circle The Holy City of East Orange, NJ 6438 Posts |
Thanks, Richard. A silk compliment from you is like an Academy Award!
What's missing from the photo above would be six kids from the audience, spread out on both sides of Qua-Fiki, three on each side. The kids would be holding the individual colored silk fish they "fished" from Qua-Fiki's magic Bait Bucket. Over all their heads, two adults would be holding a rainbow streamer stretched out between two "fish poles." Qua-Fiki looks at the rainbow and remembers aloud the old saying "At the end of the rainbow there is a pot of.... a pot of..." hoping to get the audience to respond with "a pot of gold." Then he says,"No, it's not a pot... it's a bowl! Of gold fish!" and he brings out the silk in the photo. That's the photogenic finish to his fish-themed show.He will debut the trick today at a local library show and I'll try to get additional photos posted. This trick will continue to be used as an ending to his show for the rest of the year and the e-Book will be posted on The Magic Nook as soon as it is all tweaked and adjusted. It will be called "Fish or Cut Bait." It centers around this clever Bait Bucket Qua-Fiki made that allows the bucket to be shown empty before and after every silk is "fished" from it. Such a simple device must have other applications besides being used as a Bait Bucket for catching silk fish, but now we have to put our collective heads together and come up with those other uses for it.
Professor Spellbinder
Professor Emeritus at the Turkey Buzzard Academy of Magik, Witchcraft and Wizardry http://www.magicnook.com Publisher of The Wizards' Journals |
Spellbinder Inner circle The Holy City of East Orange, NJ 6438 Posts |
I'm just starting to put up some of the photos that were taken at Qua-Fiki's Irvington Library "Meet the Author and Magic Show" event. You can see them on the Wiz Kid site. I wish I had been there! It looks like they had fun!
http://wizkidzinc.com/NewPhotos.htm
Professor Spellbinder
Professor Emeritus at the Turkey Buzzard Academy of Magik, Witchcraft and Wizardry http://www.magicnook.com Publisher of The Wizards' Journals |
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