Silk Painting Tutorial Fading

Designer Angela Khebou, StellaUSA.net , has written a wonderful step-by-step how-to on painting a faded colorguard flag.  It’s a great first project if you’ve ever wanted to give painting flags a try!

Silk Painting Tutorial Fading

Colorguard Flag 35” x 52”
By Designer Angela Khebou, StellaUSA.net
This is a very easy way to get a beautiful faded flag for your color guard. This technique can be done in any color that you can mix, as long as you use Marabu. I have tried other silk paints and they just don’t work the same. The best place to make this is outside it’s a little messy.  Make sure you pick a nice shaded area, the sun will bleach the color when it’s wet.

Supplies

10mm habotai silk 35” x 58” (abutai )
Marabu silk paint 055 and 005
2 plastic containers for mixing paint
Clothespins and line
Plastic bag

SILK PAINT (bisa dibeli di gramedia)

1.    Mix colors, dilute with water until you get the desired color. I like to use a white paper towel to test my colors.

2.    With the silk length wise put a little less then ¾ of the silk in the blue and let it soak up the paint.

3.    Put the rest of the silk in the pink. Make sure both the blue and the pink dyes all the way through the layers of silk. Squeeze out the pink dye and set it to the side, on the plastic bag, do the same for the blue. Don’t let the colors touch.

4.    Between two people hold the silk taunt, someone on the blue side and the other on the pink side. Quickly open the silk and find the corners, be careful don’t let the two colors touch when you open the silk.
5.    Hold the 4 corners between the two of you and shake it vigorously until it’s mostly dry. Shake it, get messy the dye should be splattering
6.    Pin your flag on a clothes line to dry the rest of the way. Keep the silk out of the sunlight while it’s drying.

7.    After the silk flag is dry fix the paint using the manufacturer’s directions with an iron, or you can use the oven if you have a large quantity. Fixing the paint will make it permanent.