Fabric paint or textile paint is a
specially formulated combination of pigments and chemically devised base
specifically for painting or colouring fabric. It has also been used with some success on other materials
such as wood, paper, bisque plates, plaster of Paris and metal. It is recommended to use the right
paint for the specific material.

Fabric paint is water-based and all
cleaning u
p is done with water.
Paint may be diluted with water (this will cause bleeding into the
fabric) for covering large areas of paler colour. Brushes are washed in water. The colour or pigments are applied to the fabric via the
paint base (called Cut Clear or Clear Extender Medium) and is made permanent by
applying heat.
The character of the paint is similar to
Acrylics paints. Undiluted, it
does not flow as easily as watercolours and is translucent. A few of the colours are opaque. Always try to start with the lightest
colour first and add shading while wet.
High quality fabric paints should be stored
in airtight screw top jars to prevent paint from deteriorating. Flip top atchar jars are not
recommended. Should paint thicken
over a long period of time a small amount of distilled water may be added and
stirred thoroughly. After use and
then left for a long time, mould occasionally develops on the surface. Scoop this off and add a few drops of
disinfectant (Savlon).
The paints have different finishes:
Transparent, Opaque, Pearl, Metallic, Puff and liquid Colourmist.
Read more in a next post on the different finishes...