The world of handlooms is a fascinating arena, where art forms have evolved over the years. Some of these traditions have enriched different cultures, with their ancient roots. Batik painting is one such highly beautiful and historic art form. The paintings represent a stunningly unique form of art involving various figures and patterns drawn on the pieces of fabrics. These paintings are believed to have originated in Indonesia where the original word referred to the ‘dots on clothes’.
Batik represents the wax-resist dye technique, used in textiles. This art is believed to be about two thousand years old. Batik art work is widely practised in regions like Java (Indonesia) and India. India is known for its rich tradition in Batik paintings and truly exquisite works of Batik art continue to be procured from different regions of India. Batik artists make use of dyes as color. This is an integral part of the batik art work. A batik artist should have a good sense of the colors and patterns. For creating an attractive piece of Batik painting, the batik artist works with more emphasis on color, wherein multiple layers of wax and dye is applied to the fabric.
Batik waxing is considered an important part of the entire process of batik printing. The common batik fabrics which are used for excellent batik prints are poplin, voiles, cambric, and pure silk. Natural colors that are derived from barks of trees, flower, leaves, and minerals are also used. Batik is also made in several ways such as screen-printing method, splash method, and the hand painting one with the help of a Kalamkari pen. Each piece of Batik painting has a unique feel as a result of the endless combinations of the dye coloring, wax effects and the fabric types.
The Batik painting technique also involves great precision and concentration. Traditionally, the Batik paintings are made of dark brown, indigo and white colors, representing the three major Hindu Gods i.e. Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Batik printed saris, kurtis and wrappers are some of the most preferred choices among the fashion loving people. Indian cotton and dyes are used widely in Batik.