Paint, Inks, Gel and a doodle

This week's prompt word is Leaf............and I am Canadian eh!

My last couple of posts have raised a number of questions that I will try to answer here.

What textile medium do I like? Well, I have tried a few of the ones on the market and so far, the one I like best is the Jo Sonja's and although it does not make the fabric "stiff" you can still tell it is there. If you are using a paint not recommended for fabric this one is a good choice.

With paints or inks that are recommended for fabric, I am really liking the clear Aloe Vera Gel. I wanted to see what happens after it is washed.
I was asked what pens I use on fabric. I have a couple of brands of pigment or Micron pens which are waterproof and fade proof archival ink, but I also sometimes use Sharpie Markers. For this experiment I used the same Sharpie marker that I use in my sketchbook when I doodle.

I started by redrawing that flower from a couple of weeks ago. The pencil I LOVE, is General's Sketch and Wash all surface graphite. It goes on fabric effortlessly. Use a light hand and it washes right out.
tip....Freezer paper ironed to the fabric's wrong side acts like a stabilizer
I then used a Sharpie marker to completely doodle on the white fabric and only added a few details on the other which would next be painted.

So another question asked, was if I mixed the ink or paint with the gel first. The answer to that one is yes and no. I have tried both ways and I have to say that with the all purpose inks I like to mix my colours first ( the inks are very thin and fluid) but with the paints( which tend to be thicker) I prefer to brush the gel over the surface of the fabric and then load my brush paint. Either way works, so I guess it is personal preference. I am not a painter by any means.

I also wanted to know could the gel be left overnight if I happened to be working on a larger project. I found that it was fine even after a couple of days. I had slipped my palette into a plastic bag which seemed to keep everything from drying out.

Once I had added colour with paint, ink and gel I also added more details using coloured Sharpie markers. Both pieces were heat set and then it was time to do a wash test. They were washed in warm water and regular laundry detergent. I found that nothing bled, I lost no colour, the marker stayed stable and best of all the gel rinses right out leaving nothing behind on the fabric. (Most textile mediums do change the "hand"of the fabric to some degree.)
I should note that Sharpies are not recommended for fabric. I have not had any problems with them yet but then again I am not creating heirloom pieces either.

So not only did I learn a few things, I also have a couple of Thank you postcards ready to put in the mail.