This set consists of 2 titles:
"Batik" is an Indonesian word derived from "titik" or "tik" meaning a little bit or a drop. This refers to the tiny drops of molten wax used on the design to resist the dye.
Batik is a rare art. Very few people practise this art as it requires great patience and continuous effort to master it. Yet the final result gives great joy and excitement to the artist.
As Books on Batik are not easily available in the market, I was thinking of writing one for the last three or four years; and I am very happy that my efforts have finally borne fruit. My son Shirish, who is a graphic artist, helped me a great deal in giving this book concrete shape.
There may be various methods of doing batik; but I have given in this book the two methods which I have practised for the last ten years.
The first method is easier for the beginners and the dyes required for it are easily available in the market. The eager and curious artists who wish to acquire this rare art can easily follow the first method and experience the thrill of creating variety of Batik designs.
In second method, acids are used. Acids make batik more attractive and brighter. AS acids are harmful, care should be taken when one handles them, that they do not touch the hands or their vapours do not enter the eyes or nose.
It is believed that this very old technique of Batik originated in Indonesia long back during 1st and 2nd century A.D., and the artists were Hindu who had settled there, developed this art. But Batik flourished mainly under the rule of the East Java Kings between the 13th and 16th centuries. Now the Javanese have made Batik very much their own.
In India, batik was first introduced in Shantiniketan in West Bengal; especially Calcutta is famous for Batik work. Many art institutions have now included this at in their syllabus.
The Student and art lovers may follow the simple, easy first method of Batik in the beginning for which the ready colours are available in the market.
I hope this book will certainly help the curious, eager artists to do Batik on their own. I with them every success.
"Batik for the beginners" is very helpful for the artists who are interested in learning the technique of Batik art but have no access to a simple "teach yourself" kind of a book to encourage them to take the plunge. Even those who have tried their hand at this art form will be inspired to experiment further.
The book gives detailed step by step process of Batik in simple language along with different colour combination and simple design for practice. A Marathi version of the book in also available.
Shanta Deshpande, aged seventy-one years, still keeps herself busy doing variety of Batik pieces, greeting card. Wall hangings etc. in various sizes and in different colour combinations and exhibits them in group art exhibitions.
Since her childhood she is fond of creative arts like drawing, painting, embroidery, knitting, crochet work and stitching.
She is a graduate of S.N.D.T. College, Pune (1954) with drawing and painting as her voluntary subject. She is B.Ed. of Karnataka University (1971), and has done Advanced Drawing & Painting in 1971. Around 1970, when fabric paints were just introduced in the market, she conducted classes of fabric painting in Belgaum.
Being a subject teacher a Girl' High School for nineteen Years and a housewife, she got very little chance to practise her art. But during this period she often visited art exhibitions whenever she got a chance. She came across batik art in some exhibitions which kindled in her, a great curiosity about this rare art. She collected information about this art from various sources and started experimenting on her own. It was only after her retirement that she had the freedom to take it up seriously and whole heartedly.
In the year 1993, she held her first individual exhibition of Batik, Oil paintings (Portraits) and fabric paintings in Milieu Art Gallery, Pune, flowed by one at Balgandharva Art Gallery in 1996 and another at Ravindra Kala Kunj in 1998, under her brand name "Mother 's Choice". Then in July 2000, she had the previlege to display her Batik Art at the Shyam Ahuja Showroom, Pune under the auspices of the Nag Foundation, Pune.
The visitors greatly appreciated her Batik art pieces and expressed the desire to know more about Batik. She often felt the scarcity of books Batik and thought of writing one which would be helpful to the curious art lovers who are eager to learn this exciting, rare art, and would like to experiment at home. The thought developed in her the urge to write this book. Recently a video CD of her batik demonstration is published in Marathi by Chhanda kala Vardhini of Pune.
Foreword
The programme of vocationalization of higher and lower secondary education has been accepted by the country as it holds great promise for linking education with the productivity and economic development of the country. Pandit Sunderlal Sharma Central Institute of Vocational Education (PSSCIVE) has taken up an innovative project of development of curricula and instructional materials for various vocational and pre-vocational courses on the advice of the Joint Council of Vocational Education.
The present title Batik is a commendable work done by the Institute in meeting the requirements of instructional materials for the students of pre- vocational courses. It has been developed by subject experts and their contributions have been duly acknowledged.
I hope the students and teachers will find the manual useful.
Preface
The National Policy on Education (1986) envisages- that the implementation of a systematic and well-planned vocational education programme is crucial to the proposed educational recognition. Keeping this in view, a variety of vocational programmes and courses have been introduced under the centrally sponsored scheme at the lower secondary, higher secondary and college levels.
The paucity of appropriate instructional materials has been felt as one of the major constraints in the implementation of the vocational education programme at the lower secondary stage. The erstwhile Department of Vocational Education of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), which has now become Pandit Sunderlal Sharma Central Institute of Vocational Education (PSSCIVE), has been marking earnest efforts in developing instructional materials on various subjects to fill the gap between the requirement and supply of books.
The present manual on Batik has been developed by the Institute for pre-vocational courses. It also forms a part of handicraft and other related vocational courses being offered in a number of states of the country. It contains activity units to be performed by pupils, with simple steps to follow, precautions to be taken and data to be obtained and processed. It is hoped that the students will find it useful.
The manual has been developed by a group of experts in a workshop held at the Pssclve. I am grateful to them for their invaluable contributions in the development of the manual. I appreciate the efforts put in by Dr Nalini Srivastava as Project Coordinator of the Working Group Meeting and editing the material in the present form.
Suggestions for improvement of the manual are welcome.
Introduction
Batik is the process of creating a pattern or designs on cloth by wax resist technique. Indians used the resist method for printing designs on cotton fabric. long before any other nation. Rice starch mordants and wax were used for printing on fabrics. Indian dyes were the only dyes available that could give bright and fast colours. The traditional Indian technique involved preparation of the design on a wooden block, which was then used to print the fabric with a layer of molten wax or starch paste. The cloth was then dyed in red or blue.
Although batik had its roots in India because reference of resist method are seen as early as the first century AD. While it spread gradually to neighbouring countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Sri Lanka, the interest in batik declined in India.
Indonesians developed this art and encouraged batik strongly. They evolved new designs and improvised methods according to local resources. It achieved an unrivalled degree of craftsmanship in Java where an outstanding technique with use of complicated mechanical devices was used for application of resist. The Javanese women of aristocracy used objects in their natural surroundings such as birds, flowers, fruits, etc. to make elaborate designs on fabrics. Other countries like Malaysia, Thailand and Sri Lanka also made steady progress in batik.
In India the art was revived in the twentieth century due to efforts made by Protima Devi, daughter of Rabindranath Tagore. She introduced the batik as a course in Shanti Niketan. It spread in other parts of the country but still a lot needs to be done. Batik in India can be exploited to a maximum limit with a little more imagination, experimentation and research in new techniques. India has all the necessary raw materials and climatic conditions to do batik. Government intervention is needed to harness the free time of women in villages to provide quality batik.
Batik has attained a worldwide prominence. Batik is a medium which can be tried as a hobby or as an outlet for creativity. The traditional batik was stylised, modern batik has evolved into a individualistic means of expression with unlimited scope.
Now a days batik as a craft has captured the interest of artists, students and housewives. Batik offers something unique and personal as well as aesthetic charm of a handwork as against the mass produced factory products.
Until recently batik process was used to produce dress materials and clothing. But today many artists are experimenting with new techniques and are combining traditional methods with new techniques to produce batik pieces which are livelier and brighter. It has opened new avenues for the use of batik Beautiful murals, wall paintings and household articles are prepared. Batik has an international market which can be explored to its-fullest for the benefit of the people.
Contents
iii
v
Acknowledgement
vii
ix
Activity Unit
1.
Materials, Tools and Equipment Needed for Batik
1
2.
Selection and Treatment of Cloth for Batik
6
3.
Selection of Designs
8
4.
Preparation of Wax
13
5.
Applying Wax by Various Techniques
15
6.
Colour and Colour Combinations
26
7.
Preparation of Colour Solution
25
8.
Dyeing Procedure
27
9.
Dewaxing of the Cloth
29
10.
Finishing of the Cloth
32
11.
Preparation of a Wall Piece by Batik Process
33
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