The painting tool is a specially designed knife. It''s slightly hollow in the middle with an offset angle edge to hold the melted wax. Different patterns require different shaped knifes, for example semicircular, triangular and axe shaped.
Painting the cloth is the most delightful part. A basic outline is drawn before the various patterns are painted on. They range from flowers, birds, fishes, paper cutout patterns, to folklore tales and assorted geometric shapes. Each ethnic group has its own style.

Then the wax-covered cloth is dipped in the indigo vat for about 45 minutes. In the past, this dying process took five to six days. The wax on the cloth often cracks after it hardens. The cloth is then dyed and the dyes seep into the cracks making fine lines, called "ice veins". These "ice veins" distinguish genuine batik cloth from imitations.

The cloth is then removed from the dye and put into boiling water to remove the wax. In the final stage, the cloth is rinsed with clean water and beautiful blue and white patterns appear on the cloth. Sometimes, people want light and deep blue colors in the same piece of cloth.

How is this done? Well, it's quite easy, just re-wax the part you need to deepen, and dip the whole cloth into the dye once again.

Page:

1

2

3

4

5

6

All rights reserved. Reproduction of text for non-commercial purposes is permitted provided that both the source and author are acknowledged and a notifying email is sent to us.