The Art of Batik Painting

Batik Art, a medium using wax dyeing on cloth has now been internationally acclaimed as a unique and new type of media. It has been regarded as the National Art of Malaysia.

The origin of Batik is by no means new. In fact, it is believed to have originated from India and introduced into China during the Tang Dynasty ( 618 -905 AD). There is yet another claim that it originated from Java, in a process which the Javanese used in making their colorful batik sarongs. It reached its highest form in Java, where the craft has been a cottage industry since the 7th century. Nevertheless all these theories are yet to be proven.

This age-old medium was introduced to the Malay Archipelago  from Java and has been developed into fine art by Malaysian artists. While Batik art is mainly used for the manufacture of apparel in Indonesia, in Malaysia it is both used for materials and Batik paintings.

The technique of Batik is not a simple one. In fact, it is a long and painstaking process.

The first step in Batik painting as done by an artist is to give the cotton cloth a thorough washing in order to remove all the starch. The cloth is then dried, ironed and stretched taut on a wooden frame.

The second step is to make a rough charcoal sketch as a guide for the painting. The design develops later with each waxing.

The third process is the application of the wax, which is used only as a protective agent in the dyeing process. The wax (usually a mixture of paraffin, resin and yellow beeswax) is melted and handled by means of the Tjanting, a brass pen shaped like a small cup with single or double spout. The artist paints with this pen in a negative way by covering up all places where he does not want the color to appear. The process is exacting and tedious and does not allow for errors, only, "artistic mistakes".

Like the lithographer, the Batik artist must repeat the process of the first step after each color the artist decides to use. Only this time the artist will wash the waxed piece in boiling water.

The cycle of wax removing and wax covering for additional colors will continue until the artist considers his work completed.

The fourth stage is to apply colors or dyes to the painting. These can be painted on with a brush or, in the case of very large areas, the cloth can be removed from the frame and dipped or  immersed in a basin of dye.

The final stage is the removal of wax residue and the fixing of colors, dipping the cloth into boiling water to which a small amount of detergent is added and then rinsing the cloth in cold water. The finished painting is then dipped in a diluted solution of sulphuric acid to fix the colors permanently.

The most noticeable feature of batik painting is the crackle, line and dots. Batik painting can be framed or scrolled.