Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)This book is a wonderful educational sourcebook for any dyer. The pieces shown in the book are elegant and sohisticated - grown folks fabrics. Mysterious, subtle, three-dimensional pieces. Silk is her fiber of choice yet the information in the book would be useful to anyone interested in dyeing any fiber.
Admittedly I am a baby dyer, however I do have a lot of experience in the area of learning processes from books. This book is all I had hoped for and more. Ms. Brito tells us what her aims are in creating this book. Her aims happen to coincide with my desires as a student: to inspire the reader with the artistic possibilities of shibori and at the same time provide the reader with technical information on a level that high standards will become a natural occurrence as one begins to understand and learn this process.
This book is not for the reader who is looking for shortcuts or baggie dyeing. Ms. Brito is a chemist and an artist. She explains the different dye types and processes very clearly. She even allows us to see her set-up. Discharge, various resist methods, overdyeing, setting texture and great photographs are only part of what this generous artist shares. She provides excercises that encourage observation and experimentation. That is how many of us are best educated. She offers formulas for different colors including neutrals so the reader has a good starting point.
I don't want the reader of this review to think that the book is so technical that it is inaccessible. It is both technical and reader friendly. The book is also great eye candy. This book belongs in the library of all fiber artists!
Click Here to see more reviews about: Shibori: Creating Color and Texture on Silk (Crafts Highlights)
Shibori is the Japanese art of what is popularly known as tie-dye. But this ancient resist-dyeing technique goes far beyond the simple craft that is typically used to embellish T-shirts. In Shibori: Creating Color & Texture on Silk, artist Karren K. Brito demonstrates the modern Americanrendition of shibori, or prismatic shibori, in which colored silk is pleated and tied around a pole, then overdyed. Only the tops of the pleats absorb the color fully so the hues shift subtly to create a shimmering iridescence. The book opens with a fascinating overview of the influences on the American version of the shibori technique. Then, it moves on to explain other important aspects of this unique process: "Dyeing Essentials," for example, discusses how to work with silk and acid dyes, which are easier to use and more environmentally sound than fiber-reactive or vat dyes; "Creating Resists" illustrates several styles of resist, each of which produces stunning color combinations and elegant pleated effects. Each step in the process is presented separately so that readers can combine them to create their own unique shibori designs. What's more, this wonderful guide brims with lavish, full-color photography as well as dazzling examples from prominent American shibori artists.
