Many experts and artisans will tell new buyers and enthusiasts that batik process is long and tedious. On the flipside, many describe it concisely as ‘producing patterns by repeating the process of applying dye-resisting agent (commonly wax), colouring and wax removal’. Just exactly how complicated or easy making batik is? Let’s us take you on a journey to learn how a pretty batik masterpieces is created.

Mordanting Raw Materials

 

Photo credit: Batik Bixa

Mordanting process is the first but most underestimated pre-treatment of the raw fabric. Through mordanting, it is aimed to remove sizings, such as starch, gum and oil. Addition of sizings to a newly spun cloth preserves the strength and resilience to environmental and insect attack during long term storage.

Sizings can prevent the fabric from absorbing the dye molecules. Hence, these additives needs to be removed in order to produce a better binding of the dye onto the cloth fibre. Mordanting step ensures superior results during the wax application and colour dyeing phase.

The basic mordanting procedure includes boiling, washing and whacking the cloth with wood. Beginners and hobbyists may simply soak the cloth in TRO (Turkish Red Oil) or mild detergent overnight, followed by thorough rinsing and drying.

For more details: Mordanting: The Underestimated Step of Batik Technique

Designing Batik

 

This is the first part when creativity takes place in the batik process. There is no exact formula of what makes a good batik design. Imagination is, indeed, the limit. Nevertheless, there are a lot of thoughts required to produce a good textile design.

Unless it is intended as a painting, most batik designs are made up of a single, perfectly tessellated pattern. Commercial artisans normally trace designs from earlier works and adjust them according the intended use. For example, textiles for interior decorations need the motif stroke size and orientation to suit the furniture design or the atmosphere of the space.

In the age of information and technology, combining old motif with contemporary pattern is common. However, careful consideration is always required when using batik larangan patterns. Rules might be relaxed nowadays but we still have to respect them. Artists should neither add nor modify them with offensive symbols. After all, these motifs belong to the royal grounds of Yogyakarta that locals hold in high esteem.

For transfering the design onto the cloth, designers may sketch batik design directly onto the cloth with a soft pencil. Alternatively, artists may trace the design from a piece of paper or a previous work directly onto the medium. At this stage, only general pattern outline is required. The batik artist will then add on her touch by using isen (filler motif) during the next step of the batik process.

For more details: Batik Design: Pattern, Tessellation and Precision

Wax Application: the Heart of Batik Process

 

The application of dye-resist agent is the crux of batik process. Although there are multiple methods of resisting a dye, such as jumputan (tie-dye or Japanese shibori) and batik simbut (rice flour batik or Japanese tsutsugaki), we commonly identify batik with the use of wax.

As expected, the wax protects the covered areas from being coloured during the dyeing process. There are two common methods of applying the wax onto the cloth: drawing using a canting or stamping with a tjap.

Batik Tulis 

 

Batik tulis (hand-drawn batik) is created by applying of wax using a canting. Canting is a pencil-like tool consisting a small copper cup and spout with one end attached to a wooden handle. Due the complexity and details required, this task is commonly performed by ladies and may take weeks, or even months, to complete. One simply scoop the wax from the wax pot with the copper vessel tip, brush to remove the excess wax and carefully trace the design lines on the cloth. Cover the lines with malam (hot wax) and ensure that the wax seeps through the back side of the cloth.

For more details: Batik Tulis: the Classic Batik Technique

Batik Tjap

Alternatively, one can apply wax with a tjap. Tjap is an approximately 15 x 15 cm stamp and is commonly made from copper. A single stamp forms the base design of the whole cloth. The stamp is dipped into a wax container and stamped onto a piece of cloth to transfer the design. This step is repeated throughout the length of the cloth while ensuring that the pattern is perfectly tessellated to form a cohesive pattern. Despite being faster to produce, batik stamping demands physical strength and steady hands. Therefore, men usually performs this task.

To increase productivity and individuality, many artists combines both batik tjap and batik tulis on a single artwork.

For more details: Batik Tjap: Task for the Strong and Steady Hands

Textile Dyeing: the Colourful Batik Process

 

Dyeing or colouring comes next in the batik process after wax application. This is a fun and exciting process. With the artist’s imagination as the limit, it leads to many surprises. The two common batik colouring methods are to celup (to dip) and to colet (to brush).

After the cloth is waxed, soak it in a TRO (Turkish Red Oil) solution. This removes any dirt and impurities introduced during the waxing step. After which, the cloth is ready to be coloured.

By dipping method, immerse the cloth into the dye, followed by the affixing agents or water. This steps may be repeated a couple of times or for a longer duration to enhance the result. By brushing method, it is akin to painting with a brush.

The reagents, dipping sequence, and techniques are unique to each colouring agent. In Indonesia, both natural dyes and synthetic dyes are commonly used. Natural dyes may be extracted from plants or bought in paste form. As natural dye is light, the dipping process may require multiple dyeing rounds to achieve the right colour shade. Synthetic dyes, such as naphthol, indigosol, and rhemasol are easier to handle as colour can be achieved within a single dip.

After one colour is applied, cloth may be waxed to protect the coloured area before the second colour is added. Repeat this protect-and-colour step until all the colours are affixed before we proceed to the next and the last step.

For more details: Dyeing Batik Cloth: the Colourful Affair

Wax Removal: The Final Step of Batik Process

 

After an artwork is wax and coloured, the final step of a batik process is to remove the wax (or other dye-resisting agents). This is done by stirring in the cloth into a pot of hot boiling water with soda ash. Soda ash helps to melt the wax and to create an environment of appropriate pH to fix the dye to the cloth. Once the wax is completely melted, rinse any wax residue and hang dry on a clothing line without direct sunlight. After that, the process is repeated all over again until all colours and design details are completed.

For more details: Wax Removal: Revealing the Beauty of a New Batik Masterpiece

Of course, the ultimate and last step of the batik process is to enjoy the newly-born batik masterpiece. Although the process may sounds easy and straight forward, we cannot emphasise enough the amount of patience and dedication of the batik artisans behind every art works. Through understanding the story behind a batik masterpiece would be the most sincere gesture to appreciate this amazing textile heritage.