What is traditional batik?

Melted wax is applied to cloth before being dipped in dye. It is common for people to use a mixture of beeswax and paraffin wax. The beeswax will hold to the fabric and the paraffin wax will allow cracking, which is a characteristic of batik. Wherever the wax has seeped through the fabric, the dye will not penetrate. Sometimes several colours are used, with a series of dyeing, drying and waxing steps. Thin wax lines are made with a canting, a wooden handled tool with a tiny metal cup with a tiny spout, out of which the wax seeps. After the last dyeing, the fabric is hung up to dry. Then it is dipped in a solvent to dissolve the wax, or ironed between paper towels or newspapers to absorb the wax and reveal the deep rich colors and the fine crinkle lines that give batik its character.

Materials needed:

Cotton or silk cloth (avoid synthetic materials)
take a piece of any size

Dyes
Usually napthol dyes are used (but any dye which is available in the market can be used). Colours used for the design - yellow, red, brown, black.

Wax
Bee wax, paraffin wax, resin (gum)

Brush
A small water colour brush, a 1/2" size and a 2" size of the ordinary household paint brush. These brushes can be used only for waxing.

Tjanting
These tools are for applying wax in fine lines. Hot wax is poured into the needle. It then flows through the needle spout which width varies from different sizes.

Vessel
to heat the wax

Plastic bucket or big bowls
to mix water-based colours

A wooden frame
to fix the cloth in place

10:50 PM ·