| What is batik? I can safely make this | | | | background. |
| statement that while many people know or have | | | | |
| heard about this word, especially so here in | | | | And of course, the artist will later have to |
| Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, but many | | | | wash the wax off the cloth, hence leaving |
| people do not, or rather, have got a wrong | | | | that part which was originally covered with |
| misconception of batik itself. | | | | wax back to its original white fabric colour. |
| | | | Hence, the white outline for the motif. And |
| In my discussions with friends and general | | | | that is all it is to the meaning of batik. |
| public, many people have mistaken batik with | | | | |
| batik design/ batik designs or even batik | | | | However as mentioned earlier, a lot of people |
| fabric. | | | | mistake batik with batik design/ batik |
| | | | designs especially if they see a traditional |
| History has it that batik is an old craft | | | | or floral type motif, or patterns on a cloth |
| that dates centuries back. Batik is actually | | | | that have white outlines. These may or may |
| a hand-drawn and hand-painted technique, | | | | not necessary come from the 'batik' |
| which uses wax. | | | | technique, as it could come from modern day |
| | | | print. |
| The wax is a form of 'resist' method, and the | | | | |
| purpose of this method is so that when colour | | | | In addition, just because these prints have |
| is put on a certain spot on the fabric, it | | | | the more traditional motifs/ patterns, don't |
| does not run to the other part. Let's take an | | | | mistake them to come from the art form of |
| example - an artist is is going to draw a | | | | batik. |
| floral motif and he wants the background blue | | | | |
| eg. the motif of a flower (a yellow flower | | | | In fact, there are modern designs, which |
| with a green stalk). | | | | actually are made from the batik technique as |
| | | | well. But people do not know it is so because |
| Now, imagine that the artist will be drawing | | | | it does not have the traditional look and |
| on a white piece of cloth. The artist will | | | | feel to it. |
| first draw the outline of the motif (ie. the | | | | |
| flower & stalk) with wax. And later, he will | | | | So my suggestion to you that if you |
| start to paint, starting with the yellow | | | | appreciate art, and batik in particular, |
| colour of the flower. What the wax does is to | | | | first be aware whether the fabric you buy |
| hold the yellow in place, so that it will not | | | | really comes from the batik art. And secondly |
| run to the green stalk. And when he paints | | | | to be open minded to embrace the change in |
| with green next, the same thing applies, that | | | | modern times that batik need not necessary |
| is the green will not flow to the yellow | | | | relate just to old motif/ patterns. |
| flower. Finally, he paints the blue | | | | |