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Pen and Ink and Watercolors on Muslin: A Tutorial

I’ve been having fun recently experimenting with drawing and painting on fabric. Here is a tutorial if you’d like to give it a try yourself.

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1. Start with a drawing from your sketch book. I’ve been drawing some penguins that I’m hoping to make into softies soon.

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2. Trace or redraw your drawing onto a piece of muslin that you’ve ironed and cut to size. I use a permanent marker so it won’t run when it gets wet.

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3. Get out your watercolors and your paintbrushes. I use a larger watercolor brush to fill in big areas and a tiny brush for details. I also find it helpful to wet all your colors before you begin. This way your colors will be bright and will saturate the fabric more easily.

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4. Start to fill in your drawing. The colors and water may run over the lines – don’t worry too much about it! Just let yourself go.

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5. When you are happy with the way it looks, let the fabric dry a bit (a warm iron helps if you are impatient).

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6. Now you can do any number of creative things with your drawing. Keep it as it is and use it as a patch (although you won’t be able to wash whatever you afix it to). Or, cut it out like I did

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7. and sew it to a little pieced square. Use double sided fusible web to mount it on some nice rag paper and make a little greeting card.

A small and sastisfying project. To see some beautiful ATCs made by drawing with marker on fabric, check out these done by the very talented Mimi K. Have fun!

Comments

  1. Jessica says

    Wow! You make drawing and painting look so easy. I wonder if acrylic paint can also be used (as that is all I have at the moment). And mounting and sewing on a card – unique! “) Jessica

  3. Samantha says

    Thank you so much for sharing this tutorial. I had been thinking about these a bit after first seeing them. I can’t wait to try. Maybe I’ll even get my daughter to have a go?!

  6. Cassi says

    Thank you *so* much for this tutorial! You must have gotten the little message that I esp’d you 😉 I think this will be a fun project to try with the kids too. ♥

  9. mimi k says

    slight clarification- I use permanent markers and acrylics, watered down and used like water colors- once the painted areas are ironed, they won’t run, wash out or fade. I’ve never tried watercolors 🙂 Your penguin is terrific!