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Apr 22
in Textiles 1 comments tags: Fish, Making of, Silk Painting, Studio

Making a Hand Painted Gold Fish Silk Top

These two friendly goldfishes have been hand painted on silk. I painted the silk so that when made into a top it would wrap around the body and join with a single seam at the back.

 

How Lucy Farmer hand painted two gold fish onto a piece of silk which was then turned into a woman's top

 

Preparing the painting

Before I started painting directly onto the silk, I painted a quick, life size study with acrylic paint on butcher’s paper.

 

Before hand painting the silk it's useful to make a 'life-size' study as a reference.

 

I always like to do a rough, life size sketch so that I can stick it on the wall and use it as a reference while I paint. It also gives me a sense of the impact the painting will make. This is particularly important because this silk is being painted to be worn. I used acrylic paint to paint the two gold fish: a fantail and a black telescope (black moor).

 

Painting the Silk

When the black gutta outline was dry I started to add colour with thin washes of Pebeo Setasilk heat-set fabric dye.

 

Using a life size sketch as a reference for painting can be easier than using a photo.

 

The colours are quite light at this stage but they will be built up with many layers of dye to create the gold and black of the fishes. I would like to be able to say that I’m very careful as I paint but really I just slop the dye on. It’s like painting with watercolours!

 

Silk painting with several layers of dye makes the final colours rich and vibrant.

 

Fixing Gutta Mistakes

Sometimes I make ‘mistakes’. As I progressed with the silk painting I realised that my fantail gold fish was looking a bit sad. But the black gutta – that stuff doesn’t wash out! I needed something opaque to cover the black outlines. I mixed some fabric medium with white acrylic paint and gave it a go – and it worked! It covered the black gutta perfectly! I also found that it made a beautiful glowing effect over the coloured dyes so I used it to add some scales under the fish.

 

Fixing gutta mistakes on a silk painting with acrylic paint and fabric medium.

 

The white at his mouth was a bit intense so I softened it with some more washes of dye over the top of the acrylic paint.

 

The Finished Silk Painting

After heat setting the painting with a dry iron for 5-7 mins, the silk painting is finished! I always give it another gentle hand wash and press before it leaves the studio for good.

 

Gold Fish by Lucy Farmer. Hand painted silk using iron set gutta and silk dyes.

 

Turning the Hand Painted Silk into a Top

The fish went off to their new home. This is the calico pattern for the silk top lying over the painted silk. The shaping for the top comes from the pleats on the back of the shoulders. It has an open V at the back so there is enough room to fit the head through without needing a button or zip.

 

One piece silk top pattern made for the hand painted silk.

 

This is my sister Bonnie wearing her new goldfish silk top. She drafted the sewing pattern and made the top herself. Doesn’t she look fabulous with her two fishy friends!

 

One piece silk top hand painted with gold fish by Lucy Farmer.

 

Related Posts: How I made a Bird Silk Painting, Making a Silk Dress Coat Part 2

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About the Author: Lucy Farmer
Lucy is a Melbourne based artist, specialising in oil, watercolour and silk painting. Lucy loves paint (all types!) and has been known to talk about it for hours at a time.

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Categories
  • Mixed Media
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Featured Post 1

The Making of a Silk Dress Coat – Part 2: Painting the Silk

24 September, 2016

The process of hand painting a silk dress coat
In part 1 of The Making of a Silk Dress Coat I walked through the planning and preparation of the design. Now we're at part 2, let's get into the painting! The Gutta Outline: […]
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