Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Holy Batik!

This is my studio!


So orange! The third wall is white so its not so... oppressive. This is actually very clean. Don't judge. I just like living in utter chaos.

What is batik? Wax resist dyeing on fabric. Wax a little, then dye the rest. Wax some more and then dye some more and rinse and repeat. Poof. Now you have an integrated project. It hard to visualize so...

Here's some in progess pictures of the Misty Descent, panel 7.





The last one is still wet. Its supposed to look like grass eventually. Its probably going to take a lot of colored pencil to get the right texture


This is Through the Canyon, panel 2.










The dye looks darker when its wet. Also, the white residue is salt and soda ash. I add chunks of sea salt while the dye is drying to give it more texture. The orange layer turned out to be neon salmon. Frighteningly neon, but I guess its okay? I'm not going to start over so I better suck it up.


So as you see, I got a megaton done this week! It's really rejuvenating. I feel like I'm finally getting this project under control. The two best things about working over spring break are that I get to run my own schedule (which means sleeping and showing up whenever I want) and no one is in the fibers studio. I can party to Ke$ha and wax all I want. Unfortunately, I'm also cracking up from anxiety, since we're at the month count down. I think I'm in a good place though. Maybe? It's impossible to tell how long creating takes me. I'm a time management disaster. My general maxim is "Work until its done." Lets hope that is under a month. One thing is for sure, I have absolutely no regrets about spending my spring break here.

What's next? Well after these are done I have 3 and a half more. Then I can colored pencil till my eyes fall out. For some reason, doing the colored pencil freaks me out more than the wax. I suppose if the wax messes up I can blame the medium, where as if the pencil messes up I can only blame the artist. Damn, that's me. For my most important batiks, when he reaches the summit and then when he pushes the boulder back down, I'm recording it and making a time lapsed video probably to this music:



My good friend Colin edited the sound so its not so static-y when I use it! He's so cool! Now I just have to ask their permission. hahaha...
Seriously though. What do you think? I'm strangely attracted to the roughness of it all. But maybe its my eternal obsession with duets. I also have a thing for Epiphanies and kites. Weird?

So in conclusion life is busy but good. Probably the best way to be. ;)

Love ya!

2 comments:

  1. How do you find anything!? Great stuff, though. :D

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  2. I LOVE LOVE LOVE your workspace...so jealous! I want a whole room dedicated to my arting :P

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