- manosdeagua
1. Fan design
Natural silk fans are pieces that require very careful preparation and reflect a highly detailed and original artisanal process. At ManosdeAgua, we always try to offer different, original designs so that customers can show off their silk fan in any setting. From a high-end wedding or celebration to a more casual party or meal.
In this post, we’re going to break down the steps to make a hand-painted natural silk fan. There are several phases. Drawing on the computer using Photoshop, then transferring it to cardstock, design, dyeing, pleating, and much more that we’ll explain. If you want to see our process on video, visit @manosdeaguaseda on Instagram to watch the development of a handcrafted silk fan.
1.1 Pleating pattern design
The design of the pattern or pleating mold for the leaf or fabric part of the fan is created. The drawing is made with a technical drawing program, taking into account the number of fan ribs and their measurements.
1.2. Fan drawing design
Using a drawing program and a graphics tablet, the drawing that will go on the fan’s silk is created. Once the outline of the drawing is done digitally, the design is adapted to the size of the silk—that is, to the pleating mold made in the previous stage. Once the drawing is fitted, color tests are done with the graphic design program to decide on the shades we’ll use later when painting the silk.
1.3. Printing the pleating mold and the fan drawing
The pleating mold is printed on cardstock, two molds per fan, and the drawing is printed on paper. Depending on the design, the drawing is sometimes done by hand on paper where we have previously drawn the leaf mold.
The pleating molds are pleated following exactly the lines of the drawn sectors to be used later to pleat the silk once it has been painted, the dyes fixed in a steamer, washed, and stiffened.
