LESSON 10 INTRODUCTION TO BATIK STRUCTURE 10.0
OBJECTIVES
10.1
INTRODUCTION
10.2
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
10.3
THE PROCESS INVOLVED IN MAKING BATIK
10.4
THE MATERIALS REQUIRED FOR MAKING BATIK 10.4.1 10.4.2 10.4.3 10.4.4 10.4.5 10.4.6
FABRIC W AX BINDER RESIN METAL POT BRUSHES COLOURS
10.5
THE TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT REQUIRED FOR MAKING BATIK
10.6
ASSIGNMENTS 10.6.1 10.6.2
CLASS ASSIGNMENTS HOME ASSIGNMENTS
10.7
SUMMING UP
10.8
POSSIBLE ANSWERS TO SELF - CHECK QUESTIONS
10.9
TERMINAL QUESTIONS
10.10
REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED FURTHER READING
10.11
GLOSSARY
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10. AN INTRODUCTION TO BATIK In the previous unit we had having learnt about the beautiful technique of tie & dye, its origin, historical background, the states where it is practiced and about the process itself. In this unit we will learn about another unique and wonderful technique of ornamenting fabrics called “Batik”. In the first lesson of this unit, we will take a brief overview of this unique art. In the second lesson we will learn about the process of Batik; while in the third lesson we will learn about the different techniques of de-waxing and related safety measures.
10.0 Objectives After going through this lesson you will: •
Gain an understanding of batik and its historical background.
•
Gain an understanding of the different material required for making batik.
•
Briefly understand the process of making batik.
10.1 Introduction Batik is an Indonesian word, derived from the word “titik” or “tik”, meaning “a little bit” or “a drop”. The word batik actually means 'wax writing.’ It is a way of decorating cloth by covering a part of it with a coat of wax and then dyeing the cloth. The waxed areas keep their original colour and when the wax is removed the contrast between the dyed and undyed areas makes the pattern. The term ‘Batik’ refers both to (a) the method of producing coloured designs on textiles by applying wax to the parts of the fabric to be left uncoloured and (b) the piece of fabric treated in this way.
2 Fig. 10.1 An example of Batik
In this Lesson we will cover the following: 1. The history of Batik 2. What is Batik? 3. Types of wax and dyes used and 4. The tools required We commence our journey of learning Batik with the history of Batik.
10.2 Historical Background The historical background of batik is not known with certainty, but a folk tale about a "batik girl" tells us something about it. The story relates that long, long ago, there was a girl living in a stone village called Anshun, now a city in Guizhou province in China. She was fond of dyeing white cloth blue and purple. One day, while she was working, a bee happened to alight on her cloth. After she took away the bee, she found there was a white dot left on the cloth, which looked very pretty. Her finding led to the use of wax in dyeing. Batik is known to have existed in China, Japan, India, Indonesia, East Turkistan, Thailand, Europe and Africa. But it was on the island of Java in the Indonesian archipelago where batik emerged as one of the great art forms of Asia. Initially, it was the pastime of privileged women and gradually batiked cloth became synonymous with aristocracy.
Fig. 10.2 The Indonesian archipelago
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The origins of batik are ancient, everywhere and difficult to trace. No one knows exactly where and when people first began to apply wax, vegetable paste, or even mud to a cloth to resist dye. However it was on the islands of Indonesia that batik emerged as one of the great art forms of Asia.
The history of Indian batik can be traced as far back as 2000 years. It has been recorded that fragments, probably of Indian origin have been found in first century Egyptian tombs leading to the belief that the batik method was indigenous to the Indian archipelago and spread from there to the Western world. The revival of batik in India began in the 20th century when it was introduced as a subject at the famous University of Shantiniketan near Kolkata. Indians were conversant with the resist method of printing designs on cotton fabrics long before any other nation had even tried it. Rice starch and wax were initially used as resist for printing on fabrics.
Fig. 10.3
The word Batik is also thought to be related to the word 'ambatik' which means 'a cloth with little dots'. This method of dyeing textiles originated in Java. Wax is applied to sections of the material which are to remain uncoloured. When the waxed fabric is dipped in the dye, the wax resists the entry of the dye into the fabric, only the un-waxed portions get coloured as the dyes do not penetrate wax. Once dyed, the wax can be removed by various methods, one of which is boiling. Repeated waxing and dyeing results in colourful patterns. The lines typically found in batiks are produced by cracking the hardened wax before applying the dye. The cracks may develop in the wax coating as it solidifies and sets.
Self-check Questions Fill in the blanks 1. The word batik actually means “______ _________�. It is a way of decorating cloth by covering a part of it with a coat of _____ and then _________ the cloth. 2. Batik is known to have existed in ________, ________, ________, __________, ______ ________, ___________, ________ and ________.
10.3 The Processes Involved in Making Batik The creation of batik is a three-stage process of
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1. waxing, 2. dyeing and 3. de-waxing (removing the wax) There are also several sub-processes like 1. preparing the cloth, 2. tracing the designs, 3. stretching the cloth on a wooden frame, 4. waxing the area of the cloth that does not need dyeing, 5. preparing the dye, 6. dipping the cloth in dye, 7. boiling the cloth in water to remove wax, and 8. washing the cloth with soap and then drying it. These processes and sub-processes will be described in detail in Lesson 11.
10.4 The Materials Required for Making Batik 10.4.1 Fabric For best results, fabric made from natural fibres should be used as they readily pickup the dye due to the presence of dye absorbing groups. This includes cotton, silk, linen, and wool. Fabrics made from man-made cellulosic fibres like Rayon may also be used. It is best to choose a fabric with a tight, smooth weave. Despite the fact that most fabrics available in market are scoured and bleached; it is advisable to wash the fabric prior to use to remove the impurities which might hinder even dyeing. The fabric should be soaked in warm water with a small amount of soap. Then the fabric should be thoroughly rinsed and ironed while still damp. Cambrics, which are plain woven cotton or linen (a natural fibre produced from the stem of a flax plant) fabrics, are smooth, compact and firm and are suitable base fabrics for making Batik. They are given a finish on the upper surface which stiffens them and are then flattened by calendaring. Three qualities of cambric are used – fine, medium or moderately fine (most extensively used) and coarse. 10.4.2 Wax There are several types of wax available for batik but the most common ones are: i) Beeswax is yellow in colour in its purest form and is collected from a beehive. This wax is plain and soft and acts as a strong shield against the dye. It does not allow dye to sweep through.
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ii) Paraffin wax is hard and brittle. The crispness and brittle quality of this wax allows it to form more cracks in the waxed area. Therefore if one wants a lot of cracks to appear in the batik, the proportion of paraffin wax should be increased. 10.4.3 Binder Resin A Binder Resin is a hard crystalline substance. When it is melted it becomes very sticky and therefore is added sometimes to the wax mixture to act as a binder. 10.4.4 Metal Pot The wax can be heated in an electric frying pan or in a substantial metal pot on a hot plate. Care and common sense must be exercised to avoid accidents. Do not overheat wax as it may catch fire. Clean over spilt wax immediately. 10.4.5 Brushes Brushes are used for both applying the wax and also the dye. Wax brushes should be inexpensive natural-hair or bristle. Then they can be cooled and shaped in preparation for higher temperature wax. Brushes for applying the dye need to be tightly packed and absorbent. Fig. 10.4 Typical brushes
10.4.6 Colours Colour is the language of the batik artist. As one becomes more familiar with the process, the eye will begin to distinguish the combination and layering of colour required for a specific effect. It is essential that the artist learns to anticipate the over-dyeing sequences. For instance, the first dye bath determines the direction of the overall colour plan. Dye colours are transparent; therefore as each colour is added it is affected by all previous colours it is over-dyeing. Any colour which is to remain as it is must be covered with wax. Azoic colours are generally used – they are popularly known as Naphthol (or Brenthol) dyes. Azoic colours have two components, viz., the naphthol or the coupling component and the diazo salt component. Dyeing or printing with azoic dyes is a two stage process. The first consists of treatment with naphthol followed by the removal of excess liquor. In the second stage, the colour is developed by treatment of naphtholized material with diazotized base or diazotized salt. The main advantage of azoic colours is that dark blue, black, orange red and other shades can be obtained economically. The dye is most suitable for fold-dyeing techniques such as batik, tie-and-dye, etc. Batik involves of dipping of a wax-coated fabric in the dye bath and a hot bath is therefore to be avoided.
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Self-check Questions Fill in the blanks 3. The creation of batik is a three-stage process of _________, _________ and ____________. 4. There are several types of wax available for batik but the most common ones are: ___________ and ___________ wax.
10.5 The Materials, Tools and Equipment Required for Waxing and Dyeing the Fabric 1.
Wax
2.
Pencil
3.
Tracing paper
4.
Carbon paper
5.
Stove
6.
Vessel
7.
Frame
8.
Utensil for heating wax
9.
Brushes of different numbers
10. Blocks 11. Iron (Press) 12. Old news paper 13. Bowls - Plastic or enamel plated bowls for mixing colour 14. Tubs or bucket for dyeing fabric 15. Spoons to measure and mix colour for dyeing 16. Rubber gloves 17. Salt - common salt 18. Caustic soda 19. Turkey red oil - used as wetting agent for naphthol powder 20. Colours - special colours are used for batik. The commonly used colours are:
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i) Naphthol or Brenthol dyes also known as Azoic colours ii) Indigo dyes The preparation of the dye bath and the process of dyeing will be described in Lesson 11.
10.6 Assignments 10.6.1 Class Assignment i)
Prepare five designs on paper with single colour, using water colours.
10.6.2 Home Assignments i)
Prepare five designs on paper using two/three colours.
ii)
Trace design on the fabric for making a wall hanging or a set of two cushion covers or a tea-cozy, tray cover set (use organdy cloth).
10.7 Summing Up In this Lesson, after defining batik and giving a brief historical background, the steps involved in making batik have been listed along with the materials and tools needed for this purpose. Some comments have also been made on the selection of fabric and the dyes and wax used.
10.8 Possible Answers to Self- check Questions 1. The word batik actually means 'wax writing.’ It is a way of decorating cloth by covering a part of it with a coat of wax and then dyeing the cloth. 2. Batik is known to have existed in China, Japan, India, Indonesia, East Turkistan, Thailand, Europe and Africa. 3. The creation of batik is a three-stage process of waxing, dyeing and de-waxing. 4. There are several types of wax available for batik but the most common ones are: Beeswax and Paraffin wax.
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10.9 Terminal Questions 1. What is Batik? 2. “The wax coating on the cloth behaves as a resist�. Explain and elaborate this statement. 3. Why is a plain, woven fabric like cambric considered to be more appropriate for batik? 4. Why are Brenthol colours used for ornamentation of a batik?
10.10 References and Suggested Further Reading 1. Anderson, F. 1977. Tie Dyeing and Batik. Octopus Books Ltd. London. 2. Meilach, D.Z. 1973. Contemporary Batik and Tie-Dye. Crown Publishers, Inc. New York.
10.11 Glossary 1.
Archipelago
Group of islands, sea full of small islands
2.
Aristocracy
Highest social class
3.
Indigenous
Belonging to country in which it originated
4.
Beeswax
Wax secreted by bees used in polishes
5.
Paraffin wax
Wax produced as a by-product of petroleum
6.
Titik
A small drop
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