To get different colors on a batik piece, the piece has to be dipped in dye a few times. This particular technique for dying cloth is native to Java, Indonesia, Japan, and the areas nearby. However, the most famous batik patterns come from Java. The process is quite intense. The fabric is first spun, and then drawn on with pencil.
The pencil markings are covered in wax, creating a resistant area to the dye. When the fabric is dipped in dye, the wax keeps the dye away. This is repeated to create a multi-color pattern. It can be created with various colors, with the lighter ones being applied first as it is difficult to get light colors to show over darker ones. Doing it by hand yields better results than stamping.
The finished appearence was dependent on the length of time the batik was submerged in the dye bath. A wide range of colours could be achieved by artists by mixing the traditional colours, green could be made by combining blue and yellow; purple could be created by mixing blue and red etc.
