Friday 23 November 2012

1.6 Fabric Dyeing (2)

I decided to try dyeing some muslin, again wrapped around sticks, to try to increase the colour penetration.  These were all dyed in my colour scheme of blues and turquoise.  My thoughts at this stage for the final piece, remain some form of translucent layed image depicting my childhood memoirs, with a wave background.    The penetration of the dye was much better this time particularly in the first image.

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After trying the dispersal dyes, I thought I would prepare some backgrounds for the next chapter, using transfer dyes.  I painted the transfer dyes onto layout paper (A4), working quite quickly and freely to create loose seascape images from memory.  I quite like the pooling of the colour as the paper winkled under the wet dye as it has an almost watercolour effect. 

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I then transferred the images onto polyester cotton.  Due to the cotton content of the fabric the images transferred lighter than the original, however, I quite liked the more subtle colours.   

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I then tried some experiments dyeing different synthetic fabric strips.  I prepared another range of transfer papers (A5).  


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I then stitched together three fabric strips and transferred the dye. 

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In the image above, the top strip is an Eton II Taffeta lining (100%  polyester); the middle strip an acetate white satin; and the middle strip a plain synthetic organza. 

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In the image above, the top strip is a polyester (65%) cotton (35%) lawn; the middle strip a nylon voile; and the bottom strip a polyester Dupion.  The colours are more vibrant than both photographs above indicate and the nylon voile has taken on more colour than is apparent.  There is the 'happy accident' of leaving the iron too long in one place on the last strip but it adds another dimension to the image (reminds me of the Francis Bacon quote 'all painting is an accident').   

To finish the transfer dyeing I printed one image multiple times across a strip of 100% polyester to give the effect of the sea.  Whilst this worked quite well with the transferred image fading the more times it was used, sometimes the multiple transfers also removed some of the transferred dye from a previous pressing.  

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I really enjoyed using the transfer dye as the end result is much more controllable.  I will continue to experiment with dyeing, perhaps using the immersion dyes first to provide a general colour and then using the transfer dyes (although there would have to be a careful choice of fabric/dye products for the desired outcome to work). 

Saturday 10 November 2012

1.6 Fabric Dyeing (1)

I have never dyed my own fabric before as the thought of all the mess has always put me off so this is the first attempt of a 'dyeing virgin' (that doesn't quite sound right!).  I decided to start out by using cold water dyes on a small scale.  I prepared a range of fabric pieces - cotton lawn, muslin, hessian, etc., - by folding; tying around bamboo shewers (Shibori style); insert pebbles/shells and tying; and, plain squares.

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I prepared four dyeing baths - red, blue, yellow and green (self-mixed).  I then immersed the fabric pieces in the baths and waited for the results.  I was surprised that after 45 minutes immersion the dye had not penetrated some of the tied fabrics more.  Where the remaining white was too dominant I dipped immersed the fabric into another colour to dye the white. 

The results below are the flat fabric pieces.  Clockwise from the top  - cotton open weave , a 100% synthetic fibre fabric, two hessian fabrics.  The cotton open weave took the dye the best; the synthetic fabric has turned a very light pink (not quite evident in the photograph); and, the both hessian pieces have taken on a light shade of green and yellow.

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These are the folded fabrics.  I really like the yellow pleated fabric which has produced a sun-ray effect and also the gradually fading blue pattern.

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The next set are the fabrics tied around the bamboo sticks.  All have been re-dyed with a second colour as the dye did not pnetrate the fbric very well. 

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The piece below shows the change when a second dye is taken.   The end green patches were originally dyed blue and turned green when an overall second immersion in a yellow dye was applied. 

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The final pieces are perhaps my favorites.  In keeping with my theme I inserted a scallop shell (green), pebbles (blue) and a range of shells (red) and tied them tightly into th fabric.  I really like the pattern and effects the shells have left where they have resisted the dye.   

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The details above show how the resist of the shell, pebbles and string have left interesting patterns and ghost-like effects of the objects. 

Friday 2 November 2012

1.5 Colour Study (2)

I returned to the chapter exercises and cut up my colour study, placing the colour squares on different coloured strips.  The yellow squares as they have a more intense hue really pop out of most of the backgrounds.  The blues and greens fade back on the green background as they are closer in both hue and tone.  The blue come forwards on both the red and orange backgrounds as these are nearer to its complementary colour. 

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I then placed the colour squares on a range of different pattern backgrounds, including teabag papers, textured coloured foils, silver foils, Angelina papers, highly patterned papers and coloured patterned tissue papers.  The yellow is intensified on the complementary purple, whilst the blue fades back on the same paper.  The yellow looks duller on silver foils, whereas the blue looks brighter. 
  
 
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On the highly patterned papers the yellow square seem to intensify the patterns which are predominantly red and comes forwards when on a cooler patterned background.  The blue is more intense on the yellow patterned backgrounds and fade back on the cooler coloured backgrounds.  With the blue square on the blue pattern it is different to assess which is on top, the centre square or surrounding background. 

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