The art of decorating cloth with the batik process, using wax and dye, has been practiced for centuries. In Java, Indonesia, batik is part of an ancient tradition, and some of the finest batik cloth in the world is still made there. The word batik originates from the Javanese tik and means to dot.
To make a batik, selected areas of the cloth are blocked out by brushing or drawing hot wax over them, and the cloth is then dyed. The parts covered in wax resist the dye and remain the original color. This process of waxing and dyeing can be repeated to create more elaborate and colorful designs. After the final dyeing the wax is removed and the cloth is ready for use.
Here is a video of the batik process as is practiced in a more traditional context. This particular video recaps the steps of the process in Java, Indonesia.
Here is a link to the instructions we are using for batik for the purposes of our class, with fiber reactive dyes and soy wax on cellulose fabrics.
You can apply one layer of wax and dye or build up layers of dye and wax for a more complex intricate design.
In previous techniques using direct application we have used dyes onto pre soaked fabric, activated by the soda ask soak solution to chemically attach to the dyes once they are applied. However, you can also try activating your dyes directly with soda ash instead, which is typical when using the batik process. Simply add the soda ash (in a proportion of about 1 tsp of soda ash for 1 cup of dye/urea) to the dye directly. The critical thing is that that soda ash is fully dissolved into your dye and it is important to note that you now have a limited time to work with it before it exhausts, usually up to 4 hours.
The batching process is the same with batik as for other direct application processes we have discussed so far. Once you have applied the wax and dye to your fabric, cover it with plastic for 24 hours to keep the dyes wet so that the dyes can chemically adhere to the fabric. After the fabric has batched overnight, it can be rinsed.
Remember when rinsing the dyed and waxed fabrics, first use colder water to focus your rinsing on the dye and soda ash. After the majority of the dye is removed, switch to hot water to remove the wax.
Once your fabric is rinsed and dry, any excess wax can be removed with an iron, sandwiching your fabric between two sheets of newspaper. You can also wash your fabric on hot in the washing machine as a final step.
Your batik wax design can be applied with stamps or found stamps to create repeating patterns like this image of the traditional batik process
The batik process can also be painted on with various brushes or other contemporary materials to create hand drawn patterns
Batik is also traditionally applied with a tjanting tool like this, a kind of wax pen that holds wax for smooth lines. Tjanting tools are available online and come with various sizes of holes for the wax to pore out of the create different scales of line work.
