Can you give me color sequences for dip dyeing to get color changes for a series of colors?
Name: Linda
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Message: I searched for color sequences for 'dip dyeing' to get color changes for a series of colors. I have one for yellow to red to burgundy, but need one for yellow/blue/green, and for yellow/orange/red/purple.
I first mix yellow in pot, dip silk, remove it and add a bit of golden ochre and dip but not the entire piece, remove and add aztec gold, dip again, but keeping more of the silk out, then fire red, then burgundy and the effect is a great color transition. But I need to develop more color sequences, and are there any using black as the final color? I use ProChem, but do have some Jacquard dyes too.
That's an interesting color mixing question. It would be easy enough to have such a color gradation end in black. Having it end in a lighter color could be more problematic, depending on the color.
I am assuming, for all of this, that the entire piece of fabric gets colored the first color. You will have more color possibilities if you dip only part of the fabric into the first color (assuming a dye that is then fixed in place and that does not transfer to other parts of the fabric in a later dyebath, which depends on the type of dye you use), but that then would be a different question altogether (see how to dye a gradient or ombré).
The limitation is that you cannot go from one primary color to another, if you start by dyeing the entire piece your original color. The only way to go from one primary color to another is by leaving part of the fabric white in the first dyebath. However, you can always cover a light color with a much darker color.
As a general rule, you can move from a primary color to an adjacent secondary color. In dyeing, the primary colors are cyan, magenta, and yellow, just as in printing. Using a true red, royal blue, and yellow as mixing primaries can be done, but the results are never as bright, because a true red is already a mixture of magenta and yellow, and a true royal blue is already a mixture of a cyan plus a little bit of red or purple. So, if you mix a purple with a true red plus a royal blue, you will get a somewhat brownish purple, thanks to the combination of the yellow already included in the red color. This is a very good way to get more "natural" looking colors, for people who feel that the pure tones are too bright and artificial-looking.
You cannot go from yellow to blue to green. Blue plus yellow inevitably makes green. Instead, since yellow contains no blue, and blue contains no yellow, you must start with either yellow or blue and end in green. You can do this:
That's an interesting color mixing question. It would be easy enough to have such a color gradation end in black. Having it end in a lighter color could be more problematic, depending on the color.
I am assuming, for all of this, that the entire piece of fabric gets colored the first color. You will have more color possibilities if you dip only part of the fabric into the first color (assuming a dye that is then fixed in place and that does not transfer to other parts of the fabric in a later dyebath, which depends on the type of dye you use), but that then would be a different question altogether (see how to dye a gradient or ombré).
The limitation is that you cannot go from one primary color to another, if you start by dyeing the entire piece your original color. The only way to go from one primary color to another is by leaving part of the fabric white in the first dyebath. However, you can always cover a light color with a much darker color.
As a general rule, you can move from a primary color to an adjacent secondary color. In dyeing, the primary colors are cyan, magenta, and yellow, just as in printing. Using a true red, royal blue, and yellow as mixing primaries can be done, but the results are never as bright, because a true red is already a mixture of magenta and yellow, and a true royal blue is already a mixture of a cyan plus a little bit of red or purple. So, if you mix a purple with a true red plus a royal blue, you will get a somewhat brownish purple, thanks to the combination of the yellow already included in the red color. This is a very good way to get more "natural" looking colors, for people who feel that the pure tones are too bright and artificial-looking.
You cannot go from yellow to blue to green. Blue plus yellow inevitably makes green. Instead, since yellow contains no blue, and blue contains no yellow, you must start with either yellow or blue and end in green. You can do this:
yellow/chartreuse (slightly greenish yellow)/true green
Since navy blue is a very dark color, it can cover up any very light color, so you might be able to do this:
yellow/chartreuse (slightly greenish yellow)/true green/dark green/navy blue/black
though the navy blue is apt to be somewhat greenish.
You cannot have a base color of yellow and end up with purple, because yellow is the opposite color to purple. Purple on top of yellow makes brown. You could do this:
You cannot have a base color of yellow and end up with purple, because yellow is the opposite color to purple. Purple on top of yellow makes brown. You could do this:
yellow/yellow-orange/orange/red-orange/red
but from there your choices are limited to dark red, brown, or black—possibly all three, in that order.
If you start with blue, you can go in either the direction of green or the direction of purple. For green, overdye blue with either a yellow dye, or a green dye:
If you start with blue, you can go in either the direction of green or the direction of purple. For green, overdye blue with either a yellow dye, or a green dye:
blue/blue-green/green
from there you could add navy and then, optionally, black:
blue/blue-green/green/greenish navy blue/black
Starting with blue and adding magenta (or red), you can do this:
Starting with blue and adding magenta (or red), you can do this:
blue/blue-violet/purple
after which you have the option of adding a dark navy blue, for a navy-purple color, and then, if you wish, black.
You could start with a light pink made by diluting fuchsia, then add a light cyan or blue to make a pale lilac, then add a medium blue to make a blue that only shows the lilac a little, then to a dark blue or dark purple:
You could start with a light pink made by diluting fuchsia, then add a light cyan or blue to make a pale lilac, then add a medium blue to make a blue that only shows the lilac a little, then to a dark blue or dark purple:
pale fuchsia/pale lilac/blue/purple
If, instead, you choose to use green instead of blue, the small amount of red, from the original pale pink, will lend a somewhat brownish olive tone to any green that you mix:
pale fuchsia/pale lilac/olive green/brown/black
Does any of this help? Specific dye color recommendations would depend on the class of dye you're using; both ProChem and Jacquard sell many different types of dye that work on silk, both several types of acid dyes and several types of reactive dyes reactive dyes.
Thank you, what helped most is that yes it is ombre dyeing! I never knew it had a name. So I will try some of the color suggestions you listed below and see how it works.
Thanks again, color theory, for a not art trained person. What was I thinking, of course I cannot go from yellow to blue! or yellow to purple. Thanks.
Here are some links to discussions on the Dye Forum, on my site, about ombré or gradient dyeing:
Good luck with your dyeing, I'm sure you will be producing some beautiful silk.
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Posted: Saturday - January 08, 2011 at 07:18 PM
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Published On: Aug 29, 2012 02:49 PM
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Published On: Aug 29, 2012 02:49 PM