How to Use Shiva Paintstiks

Shiva Paintstiks are essentially oil paint in a stick form. They resemble oil pastels but are softer and can be used more like oil paint. They are used with brushes or used by themselves in a crayon-like way. One unique feature of the Shiva is that it forms a protective layer when not used to keep it from drying. After you remove the skin, the consistency of the painstiks are similar to lipstick. Shiva paintstiks can be used not only on canvas or paper, but also on fabric. For this article, you will use Shiva painstiks to design a T-shirt..

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Plain-colored T-shirt
• Freezer paper
• Scissors
• Iron
• Paintbrush
• Shiva paintstiks
• Paper towels

1. Create a stencil. Draw a design on regular paper, or print out the picture you want to use. Trace out the design onto the paper side of freezer paper. Cut out your stencil.

2. Iron the stencil onto the front of your shirt. You don't have to worry about reversing the image. Just put it over the shirt, paper side up, and iron on low. The wax from the freezer paper will stick to the shirt around your design.

3. Choose the colors of paintstiks you want to work with.

4. Peel off the protective skin from the stiks. You can use a razor knife to cut them off or simply rub the head of the stick against a paper towel to remove it.

5. Rub your paintbrush over the head of the paintstik until you have enough color. The paintbrush should be clean to start with, but not wet.

6. Rub your paintbrush gently over the cut-out parts of the stencil. The paint is not going to be liquid like regular paint, so a gentle swirling motion or short strokes are needed.

7. Clean your brushes once you are done filling in your stencil. You can clean your brushes by rubbing them onto paper towels until no more paint comes off. You can also use solvent to clean your brushes as you would any brush used for oil paint.

8. Place the painted portion of your fabric between two paper towels. Iron for a short time to help set the paint.

9. Peel away the stencil gently.

10. Dry for three to five days.

11. Heat set your design by putting it into a clothes dryer on "Hot" for thirty minutes.

Tips & Warnings

• You don't have to use a stencil in order to use the paintstik on fabric. You can paint straight onto the fabric if you like. Stencils just give more control. You can blend Shiva paintstiks just like oil paints. You can also Shiva painstiks to make designs on fabric using rubbing plates. Rubbing plates can usually be found at craft stores. They are plates with raised designs on one or two sides.
• After it dries, you shirt will be washable but it will not be able to be dry cleaned.

References

• Shiva Paintstik Tutorial
• Using Shiva Paintstiks

Resources

• Blick Art Materials: Shiva Paintstiks
• Siva Paintstiks Demonstration
• Shiva Painstiks Art Materials