Silk Painting How to

The reason for stretching the silk is to provide a firmer surface to draw or paint on and to secure the silk giving it stability. Raising the frame with blocks or cups will help with any sagging of the silk as it gets wet with dye.

It is helpful to use stretching systems that you can tighten as you paint to keep the correct tension to paint on. Loosening the silk a bit after you have completed your painting helps the dye dry without having stretch or dye marks at the hem, and prevents any pooling; which provides more definition and saves the image from runs.

When the silk is dry and off the frame, "Voila!" your lovely piece of art is ready for steaming.

There are several commercial stretching systems, including different wooden or plastic bars, but also you can make your own stretching systems with wood or PVC. Another easy and extremely lightweight alternative is ironing the silk onto white freezer paper.

- Plastic stretcher bars (Arty's Easy Fix, by Pebeo).

- Wooden stretcher bars.

- Iron-on Freezer paper.

- PVC frame.