A Paintstik Chemistry Lesson

Occasionally, someone raises questions regarding the safety of using an oil-based paint product directly on fabric. A brief discussion of this issue is included in the Paintstiks on Fabric book. This page provides additional information. If you still have questions about the chemical properties of paintstiks, please send a message and I will attempt to…

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About Fabric

You can use almost any type of fabric with paintstiks, including cotton, rayon, linen, silk and synthetic fibers. You will find that stenciling and other masking techniques work on many fabrics including heavy fabrics, but rubbings are limited to lighter weight fabrics. Heavily textured fabrics will not react the same as smooth fabrics, but that…

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About Paintstiks

Shiva Paintstiks are “self-sealing,” which means that a protective film forms over the surface of the paintstik when it is not in use. To remove the film, you can peel it away with a paper towel, rub it gently on a rough surface, or carefully pare it away with a knife.

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Preparing to paint

A smooth work surface is helpful when working with paintstiks. Any texture placed under your fabric will show through as you apply paint to your fabric. You may wish to cover your work area with plastic to keep your work surface free from stray paint. Paintstik colors are permanent once they are dry. Wear old…

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Applying paintstik color to fabric

There are several ways to apply paintstik color to your fabric, including direct application, masking, rubbing, and stenciling. Direct Application: You can apply paintstik colors directly to fabric as if you were coloring with a crayon. Once the colors are applied, you may wish to use an old toothbrush or a stiff stenciling brush to…

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Cleaning Up

Paintstik colors are easily removed from your tools and brushes with standard or citrus-based solvents. With a little bit of extra work, they can be cleaned with soap and water.

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Making the color permanent

After applying paintstik color, allow the painted fabric to dry for 3-5 days, and then heat-set to make the colors permanent. To heat-set the color, set your iron to the proper setting for the fabric. Place an old piece of fabric or muslin on your ironing surface, put the fabric paint-side down on the muslin…

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Q: How do I clean my stencils?

There are several things you can do to keep your stencils clean… 1. Wipe the stencils as you work. I keep a piece of scrap fabric or paper towels handy. After I paint an image, I put the stencil on the scrap fabric and gently wipe the paint off with another piece of fabric or…

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Q: I am using freezer paper stencils, and some of the images have to overlap. After I have painted the first image, can I overlap the second image and press it down immediately? Or do I have to wait a period of time before pressing down the second stencil?

You can press your second freezer paper stencil on the fabric right away and continue to work. Just put a piece of plain paper over the stencil to keep any paint off your iron. When you work “wet” (without waiting for the paint to dry) you may see some blending of colors as you apply…

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