This event is a video tutorial: https://youtu.be/9R2ojABZGZo
For Boulder Arts Week 2021, I'd like to share how I create the batik effect in some of my abstract paintings and this video provides an outline of that process. Summarized steps are also written out below. This technique is almost the reverse of traditional batik methods and is something that I have discovered through trial-and-error; I'm sure that anyone that tries this would have a lot of fun and even expand on the application.
- First, put down an initial layer of oil paint (I'm working on canvas).
- Next, pour wax on top of the oil paint and let it dry. There's no need for fancy batik wax, inexpensive soy candle wax works well because it is easy to remove.
- Then, carefully remove the wax with a palette knife. Have paper towels handy to collect the wax and wipe down your canvas afterward.
If you want sharper contrast between the area where the wax has absorbed the paint and the surrounding area, you will want to wait till the paint is totally dry. If you want to blend the area under the wax with its surroundings you can remove the wax before the paint is dry, just keep in mind that you may end up scraping some of the surrounding paint off when you remove the wax. After this, you can add more layers of oil paint and even do multiple rounds of paint, wax-on, wax-off.
Personally, I find there's something rather cathartic and almost meditative about this process. With each layer, you don't really know how the result is going to turn out, it's almost like unwrapping a present. There's an element of surprise and the painting feels alive!
