Hi! Sorry that I'm answering after a while... I so much enjoyed your project report, and glad that your first experience brought, maybe not the perfect result, but sill a positive one! Most of all I'm happy that your efforts clearly brought you joy. There's one thing I noticed about what you said : "Probably next time I'll do the gap between paintings and heating a bit less than 4 days." - you really don't need to. 24hrs is enough for the paint to dry. What you Could actually do more - is add one more paint layer, sort of a do-over, as this is what we do in fabric painting normally, to ensure color intensity. Like if I'm painting something on a T-shirt, for example, I would apply a first paint layer, then let it dry on its own and apply a second (and third if necessary), then let it dry, heat fix after a day. Where I usually suggest to give more days, as mentioned earlier, its between heat setting and laundry. Here it's best to give 4-7days after heat fixing. Anyways, indeed this work of yours may be a good example for other guys. Thank you very much for sharing and letting us participate!

Yes, my thoughts exactly 💯 Let's try fabric paint in a spray. They're usually quite pigmented and watery consistency will make the job that much quicker and easier! Marabu is a good and reliable paint, plus it comes in a spray bottle,like this one: So once you've worked the whole area that needs a spruce, let it dry for a day, not less. As it's gonna be soaking wet, most likely. Before the work, protect everything around from accidental splatters and place some plastic sheet (like disposable tablecloth for birthdays) to serve as you're working area. I'd also wore some gloves 🧤 Marabu also likes a good heat setting, you could do that using craft heat gun ( it costs not more than 5-10$) and is useful on many occasions. This way is way more effective than using a regular hairdryer. Distance from the fabric at least 10cm. You'll need to touch-check that fabric really heats up. Wait for 4-7days and definitely drop it for a laundry cycle in cold water before taking it for a run outside. You need to make sure that whatever extra paint that's not set will wash away and not rub off your garment. Ideally is to throw your backpack for a warm cycle in a dryer after that. Otherwise, it should be ok as well. ✅Test newly painted backpack after laundry for color tackiness by rubbing a pained area with a piece of damp cloth/fabric. Hopefully, it'll come off clean😎🏆

Hi 👋🏼 It's an interesting task indeed. If i were you, I'd be also concerned about paint stains on light colored clothes after recoloring a backpack, that's why I would suggest to avoid Jacquard Textile for this task, as it requires a lot of heat fixeing, which you won't be able to do on backpack as well as on, say, a T-shirt. Could you tell me please, which fabric paint brands are available to you where you live?

Hi! Yes, indeed Javana is soft. Your project seems so fun, I loved your idea👏 If you're going to use Javana Opaque, for specific shapes I find stenciling with this paint is the most precise and easy method. However remember to use several layers for best outcome as well as thin layers. Not too thin ones though, just not too thick😉 For the parts where there are lines in your designs, I wouldn't bother with stencils though. I'd still try a flat brush application, and if it would be going not neat, then only I'd go ahead cut out stencils for lines .

Hmm, I'm puzzled .On the picture it doesn't really look bad, on the contrary,your black outlines are fab👏 So let's keep exploring, what is the stage of design at th moment? Has it already been heat fixed? How is your paint when you're applying it? Is it smooth, or somewhat getting thicker, than when straight from the jar? How many layers of red paint are there? Have you waited until each one of them dried completely before applying the next one? Painted design usually repeats the texture of fabric itself, and just makes it a tad stiffer. Is it possible that the are some small lumps of cotton on your denim itself? Like those that I marked in yellow...

Hi Angely, I'm sure someone will be up to help answer your question soon, but let's develop it a little bit first to try and understand the issue better. It would make it significantly easier to see what's the problem, if you attached the picture of "clumpy" places? I didn't quite get, does it happen already on your fabric or paint changes its texture, say, on the palette?

Niranjana hi! If this is the set you've been talking about https://amzn.to/3C3w1QL, it looks like a good choice. It's not too expensive, you've got here a variety of sizes for different needs. They're synthetic - perfect for fabric painting. If you did get them, please share your thoughts and recommendation here, so others will also be advised and know their options!

I love your enthusiasm 😉 but for now, I think the most useful thing to respond to you is - keep watching and following the Foundations Course, as it will, lesson by lesson, answer your questions more broadly, then I can answer here. Trust me, if you want to understand fabric painting techniques and application methods, as well as to find out about the variety of good paint brands, this place will help you. And yes, Setacolor Opaque is a good choice. Just be careful with their black paint. In the lesson's lecture notes dedicated to Pebeo fabric paints, you'll find out about it.

Hi Angeli! Welcome, I'm happy you joined Yes, I can totally understand your point. When we work with various kinds and colors of textiles it is worth it to invest in different types of fabric paint too (opaque and transparent ones). However, if you're mostly engaged with painting on denim, you definitely can resort to only opaque paints for now. See, the major difference why sometimes we prefer transparent paints for light clothing, is because they are almost weightless (if it's a fabric paint from a good brand). But it is also not a problem if you'll work with opaque paint on a white T-shirt. Application technique will be the deciding factor. In the free course you'll learn soon that the key to success and soft painting on fabric are proper but thin layers as well as letting each of those layers to dry completely prior the next one. Obviously, the quality of fabric paint is another point to consider. Tell me please, which one are you planning to use now on a light colored clothing? PS. There are also fabric paints which claim to be neither transparent nor opaque - sort of for both dark and light textiles. Some brands perform really well. But still I consider them opaque ones in such case, since they are able to give a decent coverage on dark clothes.

Hi Niranjana, if you're only starting practicing, I think you definitely can use these. I haven't done a review on this brand yet, since it's just become available for me to purchase. However, you also can test the paints by yourself, following the same points as I did in most of reviews of FPC. Just make sure that paint set is fresh, you can ask the seller about its production/expiry date online, since you're ordering from Amazon

Indeed, water environment and temperature may affect the bond between paints. So the rule of thumb is definitely to never soak a painted design in water. If you wish to go through the lessons in an open course Fabric Painting Foundations, yes, all you got to do is to sign up through Join button. 🌻

Yes, you're right, it's not puffy paint, however it's still dimensional one. And it's mentioned right under the word Slick, in smaller font. It means that this type of paint, at least from Tulip range, doesn't get absorbed into fabric, and stays on its surface in the same shape as it was squeezed out. I am yet to try this line of paint in terms of how well it performs after laundry when applied on top of another paint brands, in your case it's on top of Jacquard (the words you painted). As a general rule, it's best not to mix different brands in the same painting, in they cross each other. Like, tree branches are applied on a clean fabric, those will be just fine. I'm more concerned with wording "Stranger things".... I hope you understood the concept. Next regarding the heat setting difference. 5minutes of continuous ironing is definitely ok for Jacquard Textile Colors. And, normally I would first heat set that painting, and already later applied Tulip (that is if I'm sure that these two are compatible with one another). Tulip doesn't require it's fabric paint to be heat set. They only ask a 72 hr window before gentle laundry cycle. Now back to the case of your completed painting. Since you already can't iron Jacquard Textile separately, I would suggest to be very careful in the process and watch how those "floating dust particles" in white Tulip paint will behave under the heat of an iron. Best way to heat set the fabric is the way I showed in a video lesson from Foundations Course - on the right side through the cotton sheet. However, to preserve the dimension of details created with Tulip, heat set your jacket on its wrong side. Cotton setting on iron, no steam. Be careful in there's a stain if paint on the inside, in this case you can protect iron with fabric too. Otherwise just iron on the inside with continuous motion as in the lesson. Oh, I hope it's clear🙃 Let me know how it goes, best if luck with your masterpiece!!!!! May it stay safe and permanent 🤗

Meghann, this is fantastic!! Thanks so much for sharing your work here, this is exactly the type of creativity boom we're looking forward to welcome here. The work is so thought through, evidently that you're a seasoned artist. Your vision for the project is whole, you're not limiting it to a single painted area on the back. This is a mixed media fabric art, which raises the value of a project. And of course the details make it a full fledge fan art 🔥 The fact that you shared pictures of the project, calls for additional notes about heat setting of paint. Earlier in YouTube comments you mentioned that you used Tulip fabric paint, however only now I am able to see, that you seem to have used a dimensional paint, not a regular one? These have different heat setting requirements, so please confirm am I seeing it right?

Hello Trish, there are two steps in the end of the Lesson 5 questionnaire. Proceed to the next one and once you're done, pressing the ”Complete” button will take you to the next lesson. Completing each step consistently and filling in an easy questionnaire at the end of some lessons, helps learners in reaching the goal of this Course, which is – to build a strong foundation and skills in all aspects related to fabric painting. The course is structured as per specific and logical methodology, which lets students (beginners in fabric painting) get initial understanding of fabric art and practice what they've learnt. Experienced painters can find separate educational videos on a topic they’re interested in on Fabric Painting Coach YouTube channel, if they’re not willing to go through the entire Course program. OR If there’s some topic you’d like to have an advice on from Fabric Painting Community, you can start a new discussion on Forum as well.

Hi! Finding out why fabric paint fades away is a quest, because indeed there can be many reasons. First thing that came to mind is heat fixing of Jacquard Textile paints, because this particular brand needs a thorough fix, otherwise paint washes off. The other reason could be the laundry process itself. I hope you followed the instructions on the paint jar and didn't wash your hoodie in hot water and avoided softener. Even though fabric paint can survive relatively hot water, after a couple of washes pigment still goes away. Hoodie shouldn't be the problem since this paint is good for both - natural and synthetic fabrics. You are right though, even if your garment is light colored, it's still better to apply at least two layers of paint. Because the first one goes down into fibers. Nevertheless,you can still bring your hoodie into a pretty state) just repaint it! And of course heat fix the paint again. Since hoodie has a thick fabric don't press it from inside, better place a thin cotton sheet over the painted pattern and carefully iron it on cotton setting without steam. Laundry as late as possible, like, the later the better!🙂 Let me know how it goes, ok? Good luck Elena

Hello! And welcome👏 It's a very good question in fact. None of paint brands mention the need to heat fix every layer. However, as I mentioned in lecture notes for review of PEBEO SETACOLOR paints, there's a problem with their black paint for dark textiles, and so this manufacturer recommends to heat fix each layer of paint. BUT, in real life no one does this because it really isn't practical in small paintings, plus we each time risk to overheat the painting or fabric itself. So as a conclusion, we do not heat fix each layer of fabric paint, but we do let every layer to get completely dry (simply on air for 1-1,5hrs or you can speed the drying time up by carefully using a hair dryer) prior to applying the next one.

@adamndoctor That calligraphy demo, oh, I loved it👏 I've given it a thought, and completely understand what you mean about "flow interference"... so, if I may, since you've yet never tried how it feels to make a brush stroke on fabric, why don't you make an easy start by making a test run in simplified version? White paint will always require couple or several layers of paint on fabric even if your "canvas" will be of blue color (one of thr lightest). 💡How about taking a spare piece of white cotton (i.e pillowcase) and a BLACK shade of fabric paint? If you'll be able to get a fresh jar of paint of either Jacquard Textile or Pebeo Setacolor Light Fabrics, their texture will be flowy enough for you to try and replicate the strokes even in one go. In this way you'll get a chance to feel the difference between paper and textile surfaces as well as brush strokes, yet you'll get a visible result already after first paint layer. You might find that not every line needs a repeat, but just some dry strokes. When you do try any of your ideas and feel like to share the results, I'll be excited to see 🌟 Your idea is awesome and very original, so wishing you good lucj and lots of inspiration, Adam. P.S. while typing, I recalled one guy who creates rather impressive hand painted lettering on t-shirts in style similar to what you're thinking of, perhaps, you might want to have a glimps at his art too: https://instagram.com/leonedme.art?utm_medium=copy_link

Hello Adam, I'm happy to hear that you find lessons useful, thanks for letting me know! To answer your question, the choice of paint can depend on lettering technique: are you planning to handwrite or use some sort of stencil? For handwriting some paints are not convenient (i.e Kreul Javana and other fabric paints with thick body). Now, if you want to use it on colored, not black textile, then opacity can also be high or even medium (Pebeo Setacolor Opaque, Jacquard Textile colors). I do not recommended to use Jacquard Neopaque paint on textiles. I've almost completed a major review on this line of paints and it didn't perform well on cotton. Both Pebeo Setacolor Opaque and Jacquard Textile colors can be a good choice, see which one is more available in your area. Just remember to make around 3 layers to achieve opacity and make sure that design will last. There's also a Jacquard Textile Super Opaque kind, I'm curious about this one, since its from the range for Textiles, however for now I can't say to you anything as I haven't had the chance to try it yet. In case you will consider creating your own stencils for this project, I would definitely recommend to use Javana Opaque, since this type of paint is super soft, durable and even stretchy.

Hi, stiffness usually happens due to few reasons: 1) type of paint (are you using fabric paint or regular acrylics?) 2) too many layers of paint 3) not letting paint layer to dry completely before applying the next one (this one is the most common) Let me know if any of these options fit your situation and we'll take it from there:) Elena