Surface Design
Surface design adds layers of interest to your art with painting on fabric, fabric manipulation, textile dyes and more. Acrylic paint is fabric-friendly, so easy to use and widely available. If you prefer, you can use fabric dyes, pens and markers in your designs with resists, stencils and stamps. For more options, try fabric manipulation techniques – they create sculptural effects, bringing depth and dimension to your art.
Browse through our projects and inspiration that feature surface design.
More Surface Design
Spotlight: Deborah Weir, Fiber Artist
Without formal art training - but with an innate need to create, Deborah Weir's fiber art career was sparked when she saw textiles displayed as fine art in the 1970s.…
Spotlight: Lotta Helleberg, Fiber Artist
Combining the essence of the flora that surrounds her Virginia home with her Scandinavian esthetic, Lotta Helleberg uses botanical contact printing (AKA eco-printing) as a foundation for her fiber art.…
Spotlight: Mary Vaneecke, Fiber Artist
Mary Vaneecke is a fiber artist with a passion for social issues and making a difference with her work. From small art quilts to curating a huge installation of 23,000…
Art Cloth Network: Celebrating 20 Years
ART CLOTH is cloth TRANSFORMED by adding or subtracting color, line, shape, texture, value, or fiber to CREATE a compelling surface. This is the Art Cloth Network's definition. Art Cloth Network…
How to Stamp on Fabric
Make your own fabric designs by using a stamp on fabric with textile paints. You can use any type of stamp -- either purchased or one you make yourself. Here…
Spotlight: Bianca Spizzirri, Fiber Artist
Bianca Spizzirri designs block-printed fabric providing earth-friendly materials that inspire quilters, crafters and sewists to make their own creations. Using repurposed fabric and her original printing blocks, she transforms trash…
How to Make Blossom Bins
I've designed the Blossom Bin pattern in three sizes - from tiny to medium and large. These Blossom Bins are made with Kraft-Tex.