Generally, the artist paints by controlling the placement of pigment on a surface, usually through the use of brushes. In silk painting, the painter controls the movement of pigment within boundaries such as a resist on the silk. Brushes become much less important because the dye will move on the silk after it is placed there. Because the dyes flow so freely on silk, the job of the silk painter is to control the movement of the pigment on the silk rather than its placement. The basic technique for most silk painting is started by drawing the outlines of the design with a rubber-like liquid.
Silk painters can also add dimension with color, shading, and various surface techniques.
The challenge to silk painters is to add dimension and to vary the effects on the surface. However, the effects on silk are often more dramatic than on paper. The challenge to silk painters is to add dimension and to vary the effects on the surface. However, the effects on silk are often more dramatic than on paper. Techniques usually have to be applied in different ways on silk than they are used by watercolorists.