Lesson 5: Putting Paint to Fabric
Now it's time to get to the fun part of fabric stenciling: applying paint to fabric. This step can be a bit intimidating, because fabric isn't as forgiving as a hard surface. Once your paint has been applied, you can't really just wipe off a mistake. It's there for good. So your first step must be to prepare the work surface very carefully to eliminate chances of error as much as possible. But once you have done that and overcome your initial trepidation, you'll enjoy the chance to put your own very personal mark on your textiles.
In this lesson, we will look at positive techniques, applying color to fabric and achieving some special effects. And then, as a bonus, we'll talk about a negative effect, where your stencil is used to remove the nap from fabric leaving a sheer area, a negative of the stencil pattern. This technique is called devore and is used to create the burnt-out velvet that is so popular, and usually so expensive, today.
But first - prepare that work surface. Lay down cardboard that is rigid enough to work on. This will not only keep the paint from bleeding through the fabric but also give you something to anchor your fabric to. Spray the cardboard with stencil adhesive, then give it a few minutes to dry. Now position your fabric on the work surface. Next, spray the back of the stencil with adhesive and wait a moment or two, then place it where you want to begin stenciling. Make sure that you smooth down all the edges of the cutout areas, so that paint won't bleed under them. Once everything is secure, you are ready to begin.
Starting to Paint
Make sure that you have your colors out and ready. If you are using acrylic paints, now is the time to mix them with fabric medium to help them absorb into the fabric. Remember, you want to use a light touch with the paint, especially if you chose to use acrylics. Otherwise, they not only can run, but also may sit on top of the fabric, leaving it with a stiff feeling. Your aim is to make the paint seem to be a part of the fabric, and so the same nearly dry brush that we used to hard surface stenciling applies here, as well.
Make sure that the item has been washed, dried and ironed. Washing removes the sizing that will make paint flake off if it has not been removed. The fabric should be dry unless you are specifically aiming at a watercolor effect. And it needs to be pressed, or the wrinkles may show up in your paint when it is dry and ironed.
Textile paints will clean up with soap and water when they are fresh, so cleanup is a snap. But trying to clean up a slip of the brush with water may only result in making the paint run and blur at the edges. You may want to do a sample on a spare bit of fabric to see if this is true for your paint and the type of textile you are working on.
Backgrounds - Artist-made:
Look carefully at your design. Will you want a background? Or will the design itself be enough. You need to decide this now, because painting over a surface that has already been painted will affect the durability of the second coat. The painted fabric is not as absorbent as the unpainted areas. Obviously, for this reason, an abstract type of background is better than trying to change the color of the fabric. If you want that white blouse to be blue, do it with dyes. Otherwise, you will need to work the background so that it does not actually touch the stenciling. So generally, with stencils, it is better to add the background later.
Or you can trace through your stencil with a disappearing fabric marker to let you know what areas to avoid, and apply the background now. A tiny amount of overlap won't be a problem, but large overlaps can create giant design problems after the first wash or two.
Remember, too, that many fabric paints are transparent. So the color of your background, whether painted or dyed into the fabric, will affect the color of the paints.
The best background is a color wash, where the paint has been thinned with water and brushed or sponged on. The dilution will help the paint to absorb into the fabric so that a bit of overlap from your stenciling efforts won't be much affected.
You can also apply background color using color spray, which is also diluted. Once again, though, don't overlap with areas to be painted if you can avoid it, both because of the color, which will affect transparent fabric paint, and because it affects adherence.
Finally, you can use an airbrush to apply a background. With the right nozzle, you can be fairly precise about where the color goes and what you avoid.
Backgrounds - Fabric Inherent
Sometimes you may want to stencil a fabric which is already colored, or one that has some sort of pattern.
If so, you are best off choosing fabric paints that are opaque. The transparent ones, which are the most common, will be affected by the underlying color. But often you can use transparent paints over a light pastel and the underlying color will lend your work a tone that makes the stenciling blend well with the overall garment.
With dark fabric, you really need opaque paint. Even the most vivid transparent red literally disappears onto a dark background. However, you can mix any transparent color with white. That makes the paint opaque. Do not stencil first with white and then try to go over it with a color, as once again, the second layer may not adhere well. You can, however, stipple on shadows and highlights as long as the underlying paint is till wet.
Stenciling over a patterned fabric could be done with opaque paint - although unless the pattern is extremely sparse this will probably look pretty busy. Some plaids may offer you large enough blank squares that you can fill in with some regular small motif. But for the most part, if you really want to add stenciling to a patterned garment I would use a fabric path - small squares, circles or rectangles or a coordinating plain fabric that are stenciled and then sewn onto the garment in appropriate places - as a patch pocket, around the hem, etc.
