Ugh. WHY do cats always seem to know when something important is going on – and they’re not invited? Sigh. Give me a moment to brush him off the table and out of the way, then on to the lesson!
This week I received a few inquiries about putting batiks onto canvas. So, I thought it might be a good topic for today’s post – and thank you for the idea. I hope you can learn from my mistakes, which I’ve documented for you below.
IT IS FUN AND EASY TO GLUE A BATIK (of any size, by the way) TO A CANVAS. I particularly like the ‘gallery wrap’ 1.5″ to 2″ thick canvas, because then you do not have to frame the piece. Anytime we can save some moolah, I’m for it (and so is my cat).
The first reason a blank, white canvas works well to back a batik is simply because it is WHITE. Ginwashi rice paper, which is used for the painting itself, is semi-transparent and backing it with white really shows off the color in the piece.
Here are some batiks that I’ve put onto canvas.
They don’t look bad from the front, but let’s take a closer look.
GOT IT? HERE’S HOW YOU DO IT.
- 1. You can use either an entire, really great batik. OR sometimes I will use only a section of a batik that I don’t like. Yes, that is called ‘creative cropping’, but that’s allowed! It’s your painting, so if you want to save only the very best part of it, go for it for heaven’s sake.In the vineyard sample above, see that fence post sitting at the left edge? For some reason, I had painted that post smack-dab in the middle of the original painting. It definitely ruined the entire thing. But I don’t yell at myself for such things anymore. (Yes, I used to pout for days). These days, it’s just a chance to get creative. So, the batik got cropped down and it looks sooooo much better.
I will demo the same process with another batik, below.
- PREPARE YOUR BATIK. Whether you’re going to adhere the entire thing, OR crop it down, you’ll want to lay it out onto the piece like so:
- GLUE DOWN THE BATIK. I use Acrylic Matte Medium for the glue. It’s not actually a “glue”, but because it’s acrylic it turns to plastic when it dries. This makes it a wonderful glue! In the photo you see Golden brand, but there are others as well. Liquitex has a great medium. (And by the way, you can also use Acrylic Gloss Medium if you prefer a shiny surface). Dilute the medium: 2/3 medium to 1/3 water.TIP: Don’t try to glue the entire thing at one time! Go little by little as you can see in the demo photos below.
- When the entire piece has been glued onto the canvas, let it dry overnight. Hey, it already looks cool, doesn’t it?Once it’s thoroughly dry, you can do any number of things to it. You could paint the edges a solid color. You could continue the painting around onto the edges. You could collage additional pieces onto the edges. You could allow your cat to add his own idea of creativity.
Not only that, but you can also add color and some pizazz to the original painting! Go ahead and let your imagination run wild! Use paint, pastel pencils, markers to name a few choices.
What is the moral of this story? Never EVER throw away a batik. They are little treasures, whether or not they are perfect. I have an entire stash of class demos which I sometimes dole out to special artist friends who use them for any number of cool projects.
I hope this answers all of the questions you had about how to glue a batik on canvas. If you have additional questions, just ask them in the comment section below and I’ll get an answer right back to you!
Thanks so much for reading.
Kathie xo
Beautiful, Kathy. A great way to use the left over smaller pieces of rice paper, too. Your mind never stops…always comes up with something new and fun! Thanks!
Kathie, thanks for this great idea. I have some batiks that I have not framed yet and I am going to try this!!! I hope you have a great holiday season.
So, now I would like to know about the other jun projects that your artist friends use your batiks for!!
Journals are one idea! Here’s link to the post http://www.kathiegeorge.com/painting-and-crows-feet/#more-2349
Have fun! I’ll write a post about others when I have a moment.
Thanks so much for the visual demo of the process I inquired about. Now to work! Have a wonderful Christmas and a happy new year!
Your timing is perfect! I just mounted some pieces but my question of the day is “what about a top coat?” Do you put anothe layer of Mat Medium on top or add something for UV protection?
Hi Paige! There’s already some medium on top from pasting it down onto the canvas. However, yes go ahead and put one additional coat after it’s dry and that will be very protective. You can even switch it up and use gloss on top if you want a shinier look. Merry Christmas!
Terry…when something really doesn’t work,out I save the piece and tear it in small pieces for collage. Mat medium works well for that too.
Thanks Kathie. I never thought about cutting out and framing just portions that I like, though I am sure you have said it in your classes!
About the cat – I have discovered that cat hair in your paint adds texture to your piece!
Haha! You are SO right, Pam. You sound like you know from experience.
You’re so clever! I can’t wait to try this one!! And I have many unframed batiks to chose from. Thank you for sharing another wonderful idea. xoxo
That is simply fabulous!
Thanks for a great idea!… I have one I was trying to decide how to crop…now I can have the ‘license’ to do so!
e.
Beautiful! When I apply my batiks to canvas, I leave a 1″ border from the edge so I end up with torn edges which show up nicely on the white canvas. I also like the thicker frame. Thank you for sharing your technique. hugs 🙂
GREAT idea, Karen. Leaving a border so that you can see the torn edge is a wonderful idea. Have you ever done the same thing with your scarves and canvas?
Another fabulous tip from Kathie! We are so blessed to have her share such talent! Kathie, you’re simply THE BEST.
Thank you for sharing your fabulous ideas. I so appreciate the extra information that you share with us. It means and helps to motivate me.
Jeanne
I did this with the Koi painting I did in one of your classes! It turned out great!! I get many compliments on it.
You have the best ideas!!
Yes Kathie, you are the best! So generous and so cute writing. My husband asked me what I was reading because I was smiling all the time it took me to read your instructions. Thanks again. Merry, Merry Christmas!
Thanks to all of you, my friends. Thank you for sharing with me. xo
Now I know what to do with my not-quite-so-successful first attempt at batik. I planned to repeat the iris batik you generously shared with us last year, so my first one will definitely go on a canvas!
Kathie, you have shown me so much–this is a really brilliant idea! Thank you, and happy holidays!
Kathie: Before I try this, did I get the right stuff: GOLDEN ,Artist Color, Polymer Medium Gloss?
That is really cool.
Since you do you batiks with watercolor, what do you paint the edges of the canvas with? Do you use acrylics? I never tried doing a canvas with watercolors, didn’t know if it would work.