Quilting Arts TV India Ink Drawing on Fabric...Tattoo artists also use India ink in their work as do...
Transcript of Quilting Arts TV India Ink Drawing on Fabric...Tattoo artists also use India ink in their work as do...
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India Ink Drawing on Fabricby Jean Impey
Sponsored by Bernina of America, eQuilter.com, Treenway Silks, Sew Steady, Dharma Trading Co.
Host Susan Brubaker Knapp and quilt artist Jean Impey
India ink was first invented in
China as early as 3000 BC. It is
used for many things both artistic
and otherwise. Water colorists like to
use India ink for outlining because the
ink does not bleed once it is dry. Tattoo
artists also use India ink in their work
as do microbiologists, who use it to
stain slides containing micro-organisms.
I became acquainted with it as a
medium for working on fabric when
I met Australian artist Pam Holland. I
instantly fell in love with her whimsical
alphabet drawings and had to make
them all. With Pam’s encouragement,
I began making small quilts because
they were so fun and easy. Quilters need
more fast, fun, and inexpensive projects
to learn techniques and boost their
confidence!
Practice Makes Perfect
Holding the brush end of a dual tip
marker parallel to the fabric, practice
your brush strokes.
Place the brush sideways directly on
the outline (for just a second), apply
pressure, and pull up and away. This
technique will give you a darker area
where you start and a lighter ink where
you lift up. Practice this technique
making short “take offs” and longer
“take offs” to learn which one—short
or long—will suit your needs when
coloring a particular area.
Color the outlined shapes using the
“take off” technique working from the
perimeters of each individual shape,
such as the hat, the skulls, the leg bone,
and so on.
Materials• Background fabric
• Black pen for outlining (I used Faber-
Castell Pitt Artist Pen. These pens
come in a variety of thicknesses.)
• Dual-tip fabric markers or pens,
variety of colors (I used both
Tsukineko® Fabrico® Dual-Tip Fabric
Markers and Tombow Dual-Tip Fabric
Pens.)
• All-purpose ink, white (I used
Tsukineko #80 white.)
• Disposable applicators/coloring tools
(I used Tsukineko Fantastix®.)
• Pattern provided or your own design
• 50wt cotton thread, black
• Sewing machine with free-motion
capability
• Free-motion or darning foot for the
machine
• Batting
Optional• Monofilament thread, smoke
• Light box
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Directions
1. Test the India ink pen on the fabric
for bleeding; some fabrics do not
work well with ink.
2. Trace the outline of the pattern
or your own design onto the
background using a light box or
window.
3. Press to set the India ink with a hot
dry iron.
Tip: Press regularly as you work with the
India ink.
4. Paint the design using the dual-tip
markers/pens in desired colors.
5. Dab or paint using the applicator
and white all-purpose ink on the
skeleton bones to add highlights.
Shadow/shade the rest of the artwork
using a selection of darker or duller
colors.
Note: Gray is a good shadowing color
but if you are shadowing a warm color
like yellow, gray can look muddy, so try
a warmer color like tan (Sand). When
I want to shadow red I can use many
choices like tan, brown, dusty rose, etc.
Tip: Think about shadows—anything
that is in front of another design would
get a shadow on the exterior of the shape.
For example, the dancer’s hand and arms
are in front of her dress so there would
naturally be shading or a shadow there;
that makes the drawing more dimensional.
Also, her hair is on top of her face, so
there would be shading in-between the
hair and her skull.
6. Once the piece is colored and
shaded, use the India ink pen again
to go over the outlines to darken
them.
7. Layer the quilt top, backing, and
batting; baste.
8. Using a darning or free-motion foot,
begin free-motion quilting, following
all of the inked lines with the thread.
I use black thread in the top and
bobbin when quilting.
Tip: If an area is too small or dense, you
may choose to quilt that portion with
a smoke colored mono-filament thread,
be sure to use a polyester thread in your
bobbin with it so the monofilament does
not abrade the bobbin thread.
9. Quilt the background as desired.
Do not sew into the actual design
where you have sewn with the black
thread. Sometimes I draw horizontal
lines with a ruler and quilt over the
lines.
Tip: No one is perfect and you may have
areas where you missed the India ink
outlines but: Good news! Use the India
ink pen to “color in” any areas where you
went outside the line.
10. Square up the quilt and bind as
desired.
sewjean.com
series 2300Quilting Arts TV
project 2311-3
© F+W Media, Inc. All rights reserved. F+W Media grants permission for any or all pages in this document to be copied for personal use. • quiltingartstv.com • quiltingcompany.com
series 2300Quilting Arts TV
project 2311-3
Print pattern pieces at 100%F+W Media, Inc. grants permission to photocopy these pattern pieces for personal use only.
INDIA INKING PATTERN BY JEAN IMPEY