as a dye-bath. If one is possibly obtainable, the best thing to use is
a seamless copper tub. This utensil, however, is not within the reach
of every student and it is quite possible to do satisfactory work in
a good agate or enamel pan. Galvanized iron is safe to use with most
dyes, but in time the acid used with some colours will eat into the
metal. Be sure to get a big enough vessel as disaster follows goods
that are crowded in the dye-bath.
A thermometer is quite a necessity, and one should also have a glass
spoon and a stirring rod. For this latter, a couple of smooth round
pieces of wood can successfully be substituted; these are used for
lifting and manipulating the material in the dye-bath.
[Sidenote: FABRICS]
Batik can be done on all kinds of woven material, such as cotton,
silk, velvet, wool, mixed goods or leather. It is rather difficult
to get satisfactory results on cotton owing to the fact that cotton
dyes have to be boiled in order to attain any degree of brilliancy,
and of course boiling is not practical when one is dealing with waxed
material. Japanese habutai silk is perhaps the easiest fabric to use
and best for beginners’ experiments, as the wax penetrates easily
and it takes colour well. This applies to chiffon and similar sheer
materials, but of course their delicacy makes them harder to handle.
Fibre silks, being composed of both animal and vegetable matter,
should be dyed in “mixed goods dyes,” or should be first dipped in a
bath of cotton dye, and then immersed in a dye for silk, of a similar
shade. Very heavy silks and velvets are magnificent when batiked,
but they should be sent to the professional finishers to be treated
when the piece is completed as it takes a great deal of effort and
considerable skill on the part of the amateur to finish a large heavy
silk panel or to raise the flattened pile of velvet. Taffeta silk and
very heavy satin are not good fabrics for the batik process, owing to
the loading used in their manufacture.
TJANTINGS
Ever since the batik art has been practised by occidentals there has
been a search for a tool to replace the tjanting, or perhaps not so
much to replace, as to develop an improved edition. But after many
trials, it seems that the tjanting in its original form, with just a
slight variation in its handle, is after all, the best instrument for
fine line and dot work.
[Sidenote: PRICE OF TJANTINGS]
The Dutch edition of the original Javanese tjantings is better than
the native tool in two particulars. First, it is made out of heavier
metal and is consequently much stronger and the second distinct
improvement is the re-modelled handle which replaces the little
tied-on bamboo affair. Of course when the difference in price is
taken into consideration the Javanese tjanting stands away above
any other,—it costs from 1 to 10 cents in Dutch money, which is the
equivalent of five tjantings for two cents, American money, whilst
the Dutch-model tjanting made here in New York, is sold for from $5.00
to $7.00 apiece.
Various kinds of tjantings are shown in the accompanying
illustrations. 1. The original Javanese tjanting. 2. The Dutch
tjanting. 3 and 4. Belgian tjantings. 5. The Walther glass tjanting.
6. The wax pencil. The first two of these types have already been
described.
3. A Belgian tjanting. This tool has a few very good points, but the
trouble is, that whilst each factor in itself is good, the combination
of them in the tjanting is not desirable. The cup of this instrument
is made out of a brass ball out of which a segment is taken to form
the top opening; on one side, not quite at the lowest point of the
ball, the spout is placed, while the handle is fastened opposite to it
on the other side. This placing of the spout has one great advantage
as any impurity in the wax will settle below the spout opening, and
clogging is less liable. The spout is made of solid brass plate; it is
tapered and the nozzle has a fine opening. The only disadvantage to it
is, that it cannot be shaped, that is, it cannot be bent up or down
at the will of the worker.
The main objection to this tool is, however, that it is rather heavy
by reason of its very solid cup and it does not balance well in the
hand.
Besides the before-mentioned advantage of the spout being unlikely to
clog, the greatest thing in its favour is, the long time that it holds
the wax hot; on account of its round shape, the small opening on top,
and above all, because of the thickness of the walls of the cup, the
wax retains the heat longer than in any other tjanting made.
4. A second type of Belgian tjanting. This tool very much resembles
some of the first tjantings made in this country. It is not very good,
mainly on account of the spout, which is not tapered, and another weak
point is the cup, which holds only a very little wax.
[Illustration: VARIOUS TYPES OF TJANTINGS]
5. The Walther glass tjanting. This is a German invention and is
certainly no improvement on any existing type of instrument. In fact
it is a clumsy and awkward tool, difficult to handle, and being
made of glass it is of course, very fragile.
6. The wax pencil. This is another German attempt to replace the
tjanting and is made in two separate parts. First, the metal cylinder
which holds the wax and replaces the cup and spout of the tjanting and
the second part is the wooden holder, which slips over the cylinder
and serves as a handle. The cylinder itself is of brass, shaped to a
point at one end and at the other is closed with a brass stopper. The
pointed end is fitted with a fine needle which is held in place by a
minute spiral spring. This needle closes up the opening in the tube
and prevents the molten wax from flowing out. When a flow of wax is
desired, the pressure of the point of the “pencil” on the fabric, will
push back the needle and release the wax.
To fill the tool, the wax is scraped into fine chips, or better still,
cut into a thin bar, and inserted in the tube and closed in with the
stopper. The wooden handle is then slipped back and the tool heated in
a flame to melt the wax; when the instrument is sufficiently hot, the
handle is slipped back in position, and work can be started.
A great drawback to this tool is that it gets very hot, so hot in
fact, that the wooden handle is likely to char, as is shown in the one
illustrated, and after working some time one has to stop in order to
give the handle a chance to cool.
Very fine work cannot be done with this instrument and the opinions
as to its usefulness are very divided. Some people say the tool is as
good as useless, whilst others cannot or will not work with anything
else—this is most probably because they never had a good tjanting, if
they had they would soon put their wax-pencils in the discard.
The main thing in favour of the tool is, that it makes very little wax
smoke in the room, but this is its only virtue and it does not have
a monopoly of that, as any batiker, with a little care can keep his
or her wax as hot as it is needed without having a column of smoke
constantly coming out of the wax pot.
Although much time has been spent and trouble been taken in
endeavours to supply a tool which would be better and more practical
than the tjanting, it can be safely said that the original appliance
has stood up successfully against all competitors and nothing better
has yet been made.
THE BATIK PROCESS
[Sidenote: PREPARATION OF MATERIAL]
The first step in the batik process is to prepare the material. This
is nothing more elaborate than a thorough washing, which will result
in freeing the goods from any artificial loading and will shrink the
piece and the size will not be an unpleasant surprise when the work is
finished and one will not find that the triangle especially cut for a
lamp-shade will not fit by an inch or so. If one is using “dyed in the
piece goods” (that is, material already dyed one colour when bought),
it is a good plan to boil it for ten minutes, in order to remove any
loose colour, and to make sure that no unexpected colour will run
and mix itself with the dye in which the fabric is being dipped. The
drying and ironing of the material makes it ready for the application
of the design.
[Illustration: SCARF BATIKED BY HAZEL BURNHAM SLAUGHTER]
[Sidenote: APPLICATION OF DESIGN]
[Sidenote: FOLDING MATERIAL]
Some people when making a simple design draw directly on the material
with wax, but it is usually the best plan to make the design on
paper first, together with a coloured sketch to be used as a guide
when the dyeing part of the process is reached. In using transparent
material, the design can of course be placed underneath it and the
pattern traced directly through, but this is not practical with
heavier fabrics. When waxing very thin material such as chiffon,
it can be doubled or in some cases even folded in quarters, laid
perfectly flat and the wax applied. This short cut was used in the
batik illustrated facing page 50. It was designed and executed by
Hazel Burnham Slaughter, and it is a representative piece of the
beautiful work done by her on sheer materials. It is made with only
two colours—the original colour of the chiffon, a very light tan, and
a soft mellow red; the design is an arrangement of free ornament,
floral and animal life. It is a free-hand all-over design, and repeats
itself four times, having been folded as described above.
This folding process only has satisfactory results when _very_ thin
material is used as the wax will not penetrate through two or more
thicknesses if the fabric has any weight at all.
The most satisfactory means of transferring the design, is to prick
the outline with a pin, or wheel perforator, place the perforated
paper on the fabric and rub charcoal through the holes. If one cannot
obtain any charcoal—though one must be far indeed from the madding
crowd to be out of reach of even charcoal tablets, lead-pencil dust
can be used, though it is not at all to be recommended owing to the
dirty smears that it makes when rubbed.
Be very careful to have the material quite straight and place the
design on it squarely, or the final effect may be very twisted and
distorted. If the pricking has left a jagged edge to the holes in the
paper, rub the perforations lightly with sandpaper in order that the
charcoal may go through cleanly and easily.
[Sidenote: REDRAWING OF DESIGN]
When the finished work is to be in more than one colour, it is
advisable to strengthen the charcoal outline with pencil or Conté
Crayon No. 2, otherwise it is washed off in the first dipping. This
redrawing is not necessary if one wishes to have an undyed outline
edging the different colours, as in that case the outline of the
whole design will be drawn in, in wax, and this will permanently
indicate the pattern.
[Sidenote: PREVENTING THE WAX FROM STICKING]
The American method of working differs from the Javanese in the fact
that the native hangs her material vertically in front of her when
she is waxing her design, whilst the American is decidedly more
comfortable with his material flat on a table. Usually it is stretched
on a frame or canvas-stretcher to prevent it from coming in actual
contact with the surface of the table whilst the wax is being applied.
If it is not kept clear, it will be found that when an attempt is made
to lift the textile, on the completion of the waxing process, it will
be sticking in places and the wax torn in consequence; the effect of
this damage will be that in dyeing the colour will penetrate from the
back, and the material exposed by the breaks will turn out to be some
shade quite unplanned for in the original scheme. For very big pieces,
however, it is rather impractical to use a frame and as an alternative
to stretching, the fabric can be waxed on a table which is covered
with thin smooth paper; with careful lifting, little or no harm need
be done to the wax, but in any case it is well to make a thorough
examination of the reverse side in order to be sure that there are no
exposed surfaces that should be retouched.
Some artists work with a sheet of glass under their material, instead
of paper, but this, whilst having the advantage of not sticking as
much has the great objection of rapidly cooling the wax with which one
is working and cool wax does not penetrate the material properly.
[Illustration: THE RIGHT WAY TO HOLD THE TJANTING]
[Illustration: THE USE OF THE BRUSH FOR FILLING SPACES]
[Sidenote: CLEAN OUTLINE]
[Sidenote: HANDLING THE TJANTING]
A clean edge to the design is obtained with more certainty if the flat
masses are outlined with a fine brush or preferably with a tjanting,
before being filled in with the larger brushes. Where the work is
done with a tjanting, it is difficult to have the fabric stretched on
a frame as this tool is used with the palm of the hand resting on a
steady surface. The illustration facing page 54 shows the way to hold
the tjanting when the work is laid flat on the table. The wrist and
the lower part of the hand rest on the table, the tjanting is held
between the thumb and the two first fingers, while the remaining
fingers act as an additional support. All small movements can be made
with the wrist remaining stationary; for big curves the hand and arm
are slowly moved in the required direction, keeping the tjanting at an
even level. Though in the beginning this may seem difficult, it will
be found that after a little practice, it will be quite easy to make
even and regular lines.
Having covered up with wax all the parts of the design which are to
remain white or the original colour of the fabric (if an already
dyed piece is used for the foundation) it is now ready for the first
dye-bath.
Select the lightest shade in the colour sketch for the initial dyeing.
To be sure of getting the desired shade it is well to test a sample of
the fabric. To do this, wet the piece and immerse it in the dye for
a few moments; when it is dry it will be several shades lighter than
when it is wet. One can get an approximate idea of the colour that a
wet piece will be when it is dried, by looking at it against the light.
The simplest batiks, of course, are those in which only one colour
is used and consequently only one dipping is required. Details of
dyeing and the matter of colour schemes will be treated at length
elsewhere in this book. After dipping, the material should be rinsed
thoroughly in luke-warm water. Avoid the use of cold water, especially
when another dyeing is to follow, as the cold will cause the wax to
become brittle and crack, and unintentional crackling is a sign of
poor craftsmanship. If the batik is to be in only one colour it is
now ready for the removal of the wax, which is a simple business,
consisting of rinsing the fabric very thoroughly in gasoline or
Carbona.
More elaborate colour schemes are produced by a repetition of the
process, simply covering up with fresh wax the parts one wishes to
retain in the shade of the last-dyed colour. This re-waxing, dipping
and rinsing is continued until all the colours that the scheme demands
are obtained, and then the wax is removed as described.
[Sidenote: GASOLINE]
A word here on the use and mis-use of gasoline may be in order.
Gasolining should be done very thoroughly; one of the faults common
to all amateurs is insufficient rinsing and the fabric still stiff
with wax is placed on the market as a finished product. Often the
lovely softness of a drapery will be lost and a papery quality
substituted just because there have not been a sufficient number of
gasoline baths used.
[Sidenote: PRECAUTIONS]
When possible, gasoline should be used out of doors, although if
proper precautions are taken, there is no reason why people should be
nervous about using it in the house. In the first place do not use it
in a room in which there is a fire burning and do not imagine the room
is safe for a lighted match immediately after the vessel containing
the gasoline has been removed. Gasoline fumes are heavier than air
and if undisturbed will hang low in the room for some time; it is
therefore a good plan to have the window open slightly, at the bottom
as well as at the top, in order to create a current of air. The hot
air rising and the fresh air coming in at the bottom of the window,
will soon disperse the fumes.
[Sidenote: GASOLINE ECONOMY]
Have the gasoline in an earthenware vessel. Enamelware easily gets
chipped and the exposed iron when touched by the hand may give a
slight electric shock, as electricity is sometimes generated through
rubbing the fabric. It is well, in any case, to avoid hard rubbing
and to use as little friction as possible, taking particular care on
bright clear days when the air itself seems charged with electricity.
Gasoline can be used over and over again. The last baths for one
batik, containing only a small amount of dissolved wax, can be used
for the first bath next time, and with an apparatus similar to that
illustrated, it is quite easy to run off the dissolved wax (which
sinks, being heavier than the gasoline), and save only the clear fluid.
The last stage of the process is the ironing, which needs no more
description than the suggestion that the work is placed between
papers; this hint may prevent the streaking which sometimes ruins a
batik that has successfully survived the various stages of a decorated
textile’s creation.
[Illustration: _Clean Gasoline_
_Dissolved Wax_
TANK FOR SEPARATING WAX FROM GASOLINE]
SUCCESSFUL DYEING
[Sidenote: TEMPERATURE OF DYE-BATH]
A good deal of the failure of success attending the dyeing of a batik
depends on the temperature of the dye-bath. Too hot water will of
course melt the wax and a too cold bath will make it so brittle that
it will crack in unexpected and undesired places. The accompanying
scale of temperatures shows the corresponding degrees of heat on
different thermometers. When pure bees-wax has been used the dye-bath
can be brought to and maintained at a heat of 110° Fahrenheit,
corresponding to 46° Centigrade or 36° Reaumur. If a mixture of
paraffin has been used, it is not advisable to have the dye at a
higher temperature than 90° Fahr.
TABLE OF TEMPERATURES
------------+---------+------------
Centigrade | Reaumur | Fahrenheit
------------+---------+------------
30 | 24.- | 86.-
31 | 24.8 | 87.8
32 | 25.6 | 89.6
33 | 26.4 | 91.4
34 | 27.2 | 93.2
35 | 28.- | 95.-
36 | 28.8 | 96.8
37 | 29.6 | 98.6
38 | 30.4 | 100.4
39 | 31.2 | 102.2
40 | 32.- | 104.-
41 | 32.8 | 105.8
42 | 33.6 | 107.6
43 | 34.4 | 109.4
44 | 35.2 | 111.2
45 | 36.- | 113.-
46 | 36.8 | 114.8
------------+---------+------------
[Sidenote: THE USE OF TOO MUCH DYE]
[Sidenote: STREAKS IN DYEING]
A fault with amateur dyers is that they often use a great deal more
dye than is really needed. By this, it is not meant, that too much
solution is used, but too much of the actual colouring matter. One
ten cent package of dye will dye a pound of material; some fabrics,
such as a light weight silk run about sixteen yards to the pound. To
avoid any waste of dye, it is a good plan to prepare a concentrated
solution in a small pan and use it with care and economy. Do not add
it all at once to the water in the large vessel, but rather make a
weak bath into which the piece is put, after having been rinsed in
clear water and squeezed out. When the colour is all taken up from the
bath, remove the fabric and add more of the concentrated solution. Do
this several times rather than impatiently pour in the whole strength;
when finally the desired intensity of colour is reached, it will be
found that the dyes are faster and a great deal less colour will have
been used than would have been the case otherwise. If careful judgment
has been used, the water will be practically clear at the end of the
proceedings. Another good reason for not using too strong a bath is
that with a weaker solution it is much easier to avoid the streaks
that annoy the inexperienced dyer. The use of too small a vessel is a
frequent cause of uneven dyeing; the material should literally swim in
the tub so that no dye can possibly settle in the folds, and for this
same reason it is essential to keep the goods stirred the whole time
they are in the dye.
[Sidenote: RINSING]
After the material has been removed from the dye-bath, it should be
rinsed _very thoroughly_ and dried. A large piece can be quickly
dried when one knows how. Do not wring it on any account or the wax
will be broken in a thousand pieces. Old sheets and towels can be
requisitioned with good effect; wrap the rinsed material in these to
absorb the heaviest of the moisture and to prevent dripping. If the
material is allowed to drain and has not been rinsed properly, the
appearance of the dreaded streaks will at once show the reason why
the rinsing part of the process is emphasized. When thus “blotted”
the material will soon dry when hung over a waxed non-absorbent
clothesline; an unwaxed line will sometimes leave a mark where the
fabric has touched it.
[Sidenote: REWAXING]
The material should be thoroughly dry before the second waxing is
applied. If an attempt is made to do it while the goods are still
damp, it will be found that the wax does not penetrate so well, and
consequently, in the second dipping the dye will seep in through the
back and spoil the colour which the wax was intended to preserve.
[Sidenote: “CRACKLE”]
A crackle effect can be produced all over the design by crushing the
fabric, more or less gently, according to the amount of colour that
one wishes to allow to penetrate, just before the last dipping. A
local crackle can be obtained similarly, by crushing only those parts
where a broken-up surface to the design, is required.
The occasional use of “crackle” will help the artist a great deal,—for
instance, it may happen that one of the light colours in the design
may turn out to make too glaring a spot to be entirely harmonious
and in such an event one may get pleasing results by deliberately
crackling that particular spot and thus tone down its brightness.
[Sidenote: PAINTING IN COLOURS]
Instead of dipping their batik several times, some people paint in
some of the colours. As a rule this local application of dyes is
resorted to when multi-coloured batiks are desired and when red and
blue are used in the same colour scheme. The results of this method
of dyeing are not, however, very satisfactory, as it always shows in
the finished piece. No matter how small the painted-in spots may be,
they always seem to stand out and do not harmonize with the general
scheme, the way colours do that have been dyed over each other, as,
having been dyed over each other the darker tones are a composite of
the colours dyed previously and the whole effect naturally shows a
pleasing relationship of colour.
The Javanese occasionally put in their extra colour by this means,
but with no greater success than the American artists and the finest
craftsmen there are not using the painting process at all.
Another drawback is, that not only are the colours inharmonious,
but the moment you try to paint in any large surface, that is, any
area bigger than a square inch, the colour is always uneven; this is
because the moment the silk is touched with the brush, that individual
spot gets the full strength of the dye, which fades out toward the
edges and no matter how much patching up is done, it is impossible
to get a perfectly even surface such as can be obtained by dipping.
Of course, the dye when painted in, is cool and the colours will not
be as fast as when the fibres of the material slowly absorb the hot
dye. Among other disadvantages, is the fact that the spot which is to
be coloured, always has to be first outlined in wax to prevent the
dye from spreading; this gives a light outline round a dark surface,
which, while not spoiling some designs has an unpleasing effect more
often than not.
[Illustration: “SPRING” BY C. BERTRAM HARTMAN AND PIETER MIJER]
[Sidenote: COLOUR GROUPS]
Batiks in one or two colours are of course much simpler than those in
which a variety of tones are required, but with a little thought and
practice many colours can be used together on the same piece. The
simplest colour scheme consists of an arrangement of yellow, green and
blue. Always start dyeing the lightest colour first and work through
the colour plan to the darkest shade; for instance, in a piece where
yellow, red and black are desired, the dye-baths are arranged in the
same order.