Fabric Painting

You look at the wonderful tapestries and marvel at the designs. The painted fabrics take your breath away and leave you wondering, how on earth did they do that? Craftsmen throughout the ages have passed on their astounding skills teaching people for centuries how to paint fabric.
It is said that fabric painting has its roots in Asia and eventually made its way through Europe, India and Africa as merchants traded their wares throughout the ancient world. It was at this time fabric painting techniques were adapted by artisans in each of these countries to reflect the culture of their times.

It's quite interesting to note that although the craft may have begun in a certain place and time, it did not remain the same but evolved into rather interesting forms. Despite the distance and language barriers, each artisan experimented, expressed and refined their painting technique, adding a unique spin while still embracing the core principles of the fabric painting craft.
Ancient civilizations introduced the painting aspect on human bodies much earlier than painting on fabrics. This practice was later adapted to be applied to fabrics. Fabrics were woven, patterns were designed prior to and sometimes after the fabric had been constructed. Another method used to create this opulent-looking fabric was by dyeing the individual yarns before weaving the fabrics. Today artisans do not limit themselves to dyeing yarns or painting yardage but have taken it a step further in painting directly on the assembled garment.