DIY Network

Silk Scarf From "Embellish This!" episode DEMB-206

Host Dena Fishbein demonstrates how to turn an old silk scarf into a wonderful hand-painted masterpiece.

Materials --

Light colored silk scarf
Freezer paper
Iron
1" foam brush
Gac 900 Acrylic Medium for Clothing
Water in a jar
4 mixing pots
Liquitex Acrylic Artist's Color Medium Viscosity:

Titanium White
Light Magenta
Medium Magenta
Cadmium Yellow Light
Chromium Oxide Green
Raw Sienna

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	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C
	Figure D

1. Freezer paper comes with a waxy side and a dull side. The wax, once heated up, adheres the silk scarf to the paper and gives it some stability while you are painting. Iron freezer paper to the scarf with the wax side to the fabric. Use the setting appropriate for the material of the scarf.

   
   Note: You can purchase freezer paper at your local grocery store.

   
   

2. Mix four colors of paint in mixing pots (figure A). Mix two shades of each of the two colors, i.e. two shades of pink and two of green. Dena's colors were fixed as follows:

   
   

   • Light Pink: made from White and Light Magenta
     
   • Dark Pink: mixed from White, Light Magenta and Medium Magenta
     
   • Light Green mixed from White, Yellow, Green and Raw Sienna
     
   • Medium Green mixed the same way as Light Green with more Chromium Oxide Green added to the mix.

   
   

3. Add Golden Gac 900 acrylic medium to each of the four paint colors per manufacturer's directions.

   
   Note: The acrylic paints are not a traditional textile paint, but once mixed with the Golden Gac 900 they become textile paints once you heat set them.

   
   

4. Dip foam brush in water and squeeze so that the brush is wet, but not soaking wet. Dip into first color. Paint a stripe all the way down the scarf with the brush. Continue all the way across the scarf about every 12". You will need to hold the fabric down as you paint. You can go backwards and forward with the brush (figure B).

   
   Note: Do not use a ruler when painting the lines. The idea is to have a hand-painted look.

   
   

5. Dip foam brush in green color and repeat Step Three. There should be about 1" of white space between each stripe now.

   
   Tip: Make sure your brush is wet and not dry. The wetter the brush, the more bleed lines you will have (figure C).

   
   

6. Use the side of the wet foam brush to make a thinner line in between the other colors (figure D) and alternate with each color.

   
   

7. Allow to dry, and peel off freezer paper.

   
   

8. Set your iron to the appropriate setting for ironing silk, and iron the scarf.

RESOURCES :

Liquitex Basics acrylic paints and gesso, Winsor & Newton #10 flat brush
(Winsor & Newton, Liquitex, Lefranc & Bourgeois, Reeves, Derwent, and Color & Co). All brands are based out of Piscataway, NJ and all products can be purchased at most fine art and craft stores.
ColArt Americas Inc. / Winsor & Newton / Liquitex / Lefranc & Bourgeois
Website: www.winsornewton.com

Gac 900 Acrylic Medium for Clothing
Golden Artist Colors, Inc.
188 Bell Rd.
New Berlin, NY 13411-9527
Phone: 607-847-6154
Toll-free: 800-959-6543
Fax: 607-847-6767
Email: goldenart@goldenpaints.com
Website: www.goldenpaints.com