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Try out Batik

By Saakshi Khanna; Illustrations by Shinod AP

You must have definitely heard about batik paintings. Believe it or not, this style is practised mostly in Indonesia and that is where it has grown to its present stature. Batik dyeing is no small task. Unlike bandhani where a part of the cloth is tied up and dyed, the batik style uses wax. Once the cloth is dyed, the motif looks like a network of shattered lines. Here is how you can do it.

The things you need:
1. Cotton cloth (50 cm x 50 cm)
2. Fabric dyes (yellow and blue)
3. Paraffin wax
4. Paint brush
5. Pencil
6. Wooden or plastic frame
7. Metal Container

Step 1: Draw out a picture of a Panda on the cloth and put it in a frame.

Step 2: Using the brush, apply a layer of wax on the area that you want to keep white. While doing this, the wax container should lie next to you on a slow fire. A stove or a heater would solve the purpose.

Step 3: Once the wax has dried, dip the cloth in the yellow dye. You will have a full yellow background and a partially yellow Panda.

Step 4: After the cloth dries, apply a layer of wax on the yellow background.

Step 5: Now, dip the cloth in blue dye. Take it out and leave it to dry.

Step 6: Boil water in a big vessel and dip the dyed cloth into it. The wax will melt and what you will see is a batik panda.What is unique about Batik is the cracked pattern that is made when colour passes through the layers of dry wax.