tent-painting-msg - 10/31/19

Painting and decorating tents.

NOTE: See also the files: tent-making-msg, tent-sources-msg, pavilions-msg, tents-weather-msg, p-tents-art, p-tents-msg, tent-care-msg, tent-fabrics-msg, tent-interior-msg, yurts-msg.

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NOTICE -

This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday.

This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org

I have done a limited amount of editing. Messages having to do with separate topics were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the message IDs were removed to save space and remove clutter.

The comments made in these messages are not necessarily my viewpoints. I make no claims as to the accuracy of the information given by the individual authors.

Please respect the time and efforts of those who have written these messages. The copyright status of these messages is unclear at this time. If information is published from these messages, please give credit to the originator(s).

Thank you,
    Mark S. Harris                  AKA:  THLord Stefan li Rous
                                          Stefan at florilegium.org
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Some messages in this file were submitted to me by others.
     E.B. - Elizabeth Braidwood, An Tir

From: Andrew Tye <atye at efn.org>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: How do I colour a tent? (Long)
Date: Tue, 20 Feb 1996 12:35:42 -0800
Organization: Oregon Public Networking

Paul Sleigh, known as Eric the Fruitbat is asking how to colour a tent.  

My Lord,  I would congratulate you on your acquisition of the bell tent.  
In regards of how to colour it I would have to say that it depends 
primarily on what the fabric is. If it is a synthetic such as nylon, I do 
not have enough experience with which to give competent advice.  If it is a 
natural vegetable fiber such as cotton or linen the most common method I 
have seen used successfuly after construction is the use of fabric paint.  

There is a wide variety of these available.  Most of them are 
water-based; can be mixed and blended; and are heat-set after drying.  
This being said, it should be noted that they are not all alike.  Some 
fabric paints tend to more 'plastic' than others and behave like the 
iron-on decals on printed tee-shirts.  Besides being grotty to the touch 
they also have the disadvantage of peeling and being abraded through 
normal use.  Other types can be worked into the fibres of the fabric and 
are much more durable.  Two other considerations are how light-fast the 
paint is and how water-proof it really is (or how thorough the heat 
setting is - One of the most heart-rending sights I have seen was at an 
Egil's Tourney some years ago.  The autocrats had just completed a large 
norse-styled long tent (not an A-frame) and painted a large norse 
knot-work beast across the entire roof.  Unfortunately, it hadn't been 
completely set.  During the traditional Egil's rainstorm it all washed 
away leaving a pinkish ring at the hem.)

Another consideration is breathability.  Most, if not all of these fabric 
paints, are a liquid plastic.  When applied to a tent they create a 
pretty effective water and air seal.  Now some people may think that this 
is an advantage.  I would argue however, that a tent that does not 
breath becomes a condensation chamber on the inside when it is cool and 
an oven when it is hot.  If the tent is made of proper tent canvas it has 
no need for additional water-proofing.  I bring this up as it sounds like 
you want to colour the entirity of each panel.  If you use fabric paint 
this will entale a lot of work that might not give the results you want.  
Besides the afore-mentioned breathing problems, getting even coverage 
over a broad surface will be difficult.  

Painting a tent generally is most successful when thought of in terms of  
detailing and decoration rather than as in painting a house.  With the 
exception of the ermine and vair portions of the tent, it would probably 
have been more effective to have had the tent made using different 
colours of fabric.  That being said, one method that you might experiment 
with is the use of exterior latex house paint and a roller.  Although not 
a method I have used, I have seen several successful examples of this type 
of paint used on tents.  

For the vair and ermine portions of your tent, probably the best way is 
through the use of tailors chalk, stencils, stenciling brushes, masking 
tape and a little bit of time every day over several weeks.  With my 
French Bell Pavilion, I painted the seams between panels using masking 
tape and gothic tracery arches across the top and bottoms of each panel. 
(Celebrating the structure as they used to say in architecture school).  
The tailors chalk is for laying out masking and stencil guidelines.  
For stencils I use drafting mylar.  It is easy to draw on, cut with an 
x-acto type knife, and is washable.  Fine detail is possible with a bit 
of practice.  A variety of stenciling brushes is also important.  On 
thing with using the stenciling brushes - try to almost scrub the paint 
into fabric.  A thought just occurred:  If a pavilion were done entirely 
in ermine, allusions to either the Duke of Brittany or House Guildemar 
would probably arise.  A tent painted entirely in vair however would 
definitely be a sight.  Back to subject.

For heat setting the paint, you have two choices.  One is a hot iron.  
This is best for detail work like ermine spots or seme's of anything.  
Using it on large areas usually leads to missing a spot.  This then 
becomes apparent during the first rainstorm.  For large area coverage, I 
would use a large commercial dryer.  Most large commercial dryers are 
designed to take three loads of laundry at once.  Here in the States that 
is 15 lbs. a load. (But we tend to have larger washing machines than the 
rest of the mechanized world)  Therefore the dryers can handle about 45 
lbs.  For my pavilion (weight 42 lbs.) I put it in a LCD at the local 
laundromat for an hour at high temp. and the paint job has lasted for 
five years to date.  The fabric paint I use is Versatex textile paint 
made by Siphon Art in San Rafael, California.  I don't know if it is 
available in the antipodes but you might enquire through someone in The 
Mists.

Whatever method you choose to explore, ALWAYS expirement first and 
practice a couple of times before setting brush to tent.  Think of it as 
a scribe or illuminator preparing to work on a scroll.  I daresay, your 
finished product will be seen by more people and for a longer time. If 
you are going to be at 3YC I would be most happy to show you examples and 
talk about pavilions in general.

Good Luck
Ivar Hakonarson
atye at efn.org


From: rorice at nickel.ucs.indiana.edu (rosalyn rice)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: How do I colour a tent? (Long)
Date: 23 Feb 1996 11:26:06 GMT
Organization: Indiana University, Bloomington

	The forgoing sounds a bit complex. I just used slightly diluted 
latex acrylic paint from the hardware store to paint my tent. No need to 
heat set it, it's waterproof as soon as it's dry, and it's flexible as 
long as you don't absolutely plaster it on. It's also cheap to buy in 
quantity, since you can buy it by the pint or gallon rather than having 
to pay for little tubes or bottles of the stuff.

	Lothar

[submitted by E. B.]
From una at bregeuf.stonemarche.orgFri Mar 29 10:15:35 1996
Date: Wed, 21 Feb 96 08:45:08 EST
From: Honour Horne-Jaruk <una at bregeuf.stonemarche.org>
To: sca at mc.lcs.mit.edu
Subject: How do I colour a tent?

   _Don’t_ use fabric paint; it keeps the fibers from swelling in response
to moisture, and thus ruins the waterproofing. Get a small sample of the
fabric it's made from, and see if its waterproofing will survive application
of a coldwater dye like Procyon. (Some do some don't, and different colors
of the same brand produce different results.)

        Here speaks the voice of grim experience...
                                Alizaunde, Demoiselle de Bregeuf
                                (Friend) Honour Horne-Jaruk, R.S.F.


[submitted by E.B.]
From mulvanem at fp.co.nzFri Mar 29 10:16:29 1996
Date: 22 Feb 1996 03:05:40 GMT
From: Maggie Mulvaney <mulvanem at fp.co.nz>
To: sca at mc.lcs.mit.edu
Subject: How do I colour a tent?

I've just finished my new tent, and I painted stripes on it using fabric paint
of the kind that screen-dyers use, diluted slightly with the right pigment
stuff that they also use. If you look in the phonebook for screen-printing
supplies you should find the equivalent company near you.

When you've painted it and dried the painted areas, go to a commercial dry-
cleaner with a gas-fired dryer, and get the paint heatset there. Much easier
than whipping out that iron... And you _do_ need to heatset it, if you don't
want to wear the paint after the first lot of rain your tent encounters.
Actually, find a drycleaner first - you may not want to paint the tent before
you know you can set it. The drying process shrinks the canvas a bit, so do
bear that in mind. At the end of the process it looks really spiffy.

However (there always is one...)
Canvas is naturally waterproof, and I say that with confidence, having tested
my old, undecorated tent in Auckland autumn weather for several days on end.
The paint goes into the fibres of the canvas, and the heatsetting process
seals it there. This makes the painted areas of canvas less waterproof, since
they are now saturated with paint and sealed up. I say this with confidence
too.... :( If you paint your tent, and expect to use it in rain, you'll probably
have to waterproof it chemically, which will add significantly to the cost.

If you want to talk more about this, please get in touch with me - I'd be
happy to share whatever I've learned.

Muireann ingen Eoghain
Resident of Ildhafn, in the most fair Southern Reaches of Caid


From: clare at cs.auckland.ac.nz (Clare West)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: How do I colour a tent?
Date: 22 Feb 1996 00:35:28 GMT
Organization: University of Auckland

normteck at frontiernet.net at frontiernet.net writes:

> >I just bought a bell tent - 14 foot high, conical, made of 16 triangular
> >sections - and I'd like to colour it.  The idea is to colour each section in
> >one of the seven heraldic colours (leaving two of each plus two left over
> >for, say, ermine and vair perhaps) using paint or dye.

> I think fabric paint (available at fabric and hobby stores) is
> waterproof, if you're looking for a quick 'n dirty. Don't know what
> fabric you've got or how it'll take period dyes and I'm not sure
> it'd make much sense to take a dwelling that someone else made and
> turn it into an SCA science project you might wear home after a wet
> event.

I don't about the fabric paint you get in the states, but here in
Ildhafn, we are in the process of tent making. We are making our tents
from 12oz canvas, which the shop said "is not waterproof you know". So
far in tests, it has proven to be waterproof. However when some of it
was painted it lost its waterproof qualities and shrank (by a couple
of inches over 6 feet).

YMMV
clare
--
clare at cs.auckland.ac.nz                              OWotRFA
http://clare.cs.auckland.ac.nz/


From: mulvanem at fp.co.nz (Maggie Mulvaney)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: How do I colour a tent?
Date: 22 Feb 1996 03:05:40 GMT
Organization: Fisher & Paykel Limited.	

Paul Sleigh (fruitbat at canberra.DIALix.oz.au) wrote:
: I just bought a bell tent - 14 foot high, conical, made of 16 triangular
: sections - and I'd like to colour it.  The idea is to colour each section in
: one of the seven heraldic colours (leaving two of each plus two left over
: for, say, ermine and vair perhaps) using paint or dye.  Has anyone ever
: tried this sort of thing?  What should I watch out for?  What should I try? 
: What's the best way to make the colours colour-fast?  I'd welcome
: suggestions, here or at fruitbat at canberra.DIALix.oz.au .  Thanks.

Greetings, my lord!

I've just finished my new tent, and I painted stripes on it using fabric paint
of the kind that screen-dyers use, diluted slightly with the right pigment 
stuff that they also use. If you look in the phonebook for screen-printing
supplies you should find the equivalent company near you. 
When you've painted it and dried the painted areas, go to a commercial dry-
cleaner with a gas-fired dryer, and get the paint heatset there. Much easier
than whipping out that iron... And you _do_ need to heatset it, if you don't
want to wear the paint after the first lot of rain your tent encounters.
Actually, find a drycleaner first - you may not want to paint the tent before
you know you can set it. The drying process shrinks the canvas a bit, so do
bear that in mind. At the end of the process it looks really spiffy.
However (there always is one...)
Canvas is naturally waterproof, and I say that with confidence, having tested
my old, undecorated tent in Auckland autumn weather for several days on end.
The paint goes into the fibres of the canvas, and the heatsetting process
seals it there. This makes the painted areas of canvas less waterproof, since
they are now saturated with paint and sealed up. I say this with confidence
too.... :( If you paint your tent, and expect to use it in rain, you'll probably
have to waterproof it chemically, which will add significantly to the cost.

If you want to talk more about this, please get in touch with me - I'd be
happy to share whatever I've learned.

Cheers
Muireann ingen Eoghain
Resident of Ildhafn, in the most fair Southern Reaches of Caid


From: ldyros at beaches.net (Caroline Walsh)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: How do I colour a tent?
Date: Mon, 26 Feb 1996 18:56:59 GMT

trode at islandnet.com (William Underhill) wrote:

>Clare West (clare at cs.auckland.ac.nz) wrote:
>>I don't about the fabric paint you get in the states, but here in
>>Ildhafn, we are in the process of tent making. We are making our tents
>>from 12oz canvas, which the shop said "is not waterproof you know". So
>>far in tests, it has proven to be waterproof. However when some of it
>>was painted it lost its waterproof qualities and shrank (by a couple
>>of inches over 6 feet).

>Can you supply a brand name? I've been following this thread as I'm giving
>consideration to colouring a pavillion as well.

Panther Primitives says, and I quote "Many of you will want to paint
designs on your shelter.  For this purpose we recommend a latex
housepaint.  We've found this much easier to use than an oil base
paint.  You may also want to consider cutting the paint with about 30%
water to increase the longevity of the design"

Now, they were talking about _designs_ on teepees, which they make out
of canvas.  They also do all sorts of other pavillions.  I can call
them if you like to find out about painting like you were talking
about.

I reccommend Panther to anyone considering purchasing a pavillion of
any type.  (Can't help it, I'm a dealer!)  Their product is great!!
Lady Roslyn McLaren                     Caroline Walsh
Seneschale, Shire Salt Keep             Panama City, Fl
Meridies                                USA


[submitted by E. B.]
From ddills at u.washington.edu
Date: Tue, 27 Feb 1996 21:45:02 -0800 (PST)
From: Diana Dills <ddills at u.washington.edu>
To: The Rag Hag <atropos at sover.net>
Cc: John McCartney <scorch at mtvmail-114.Corp.Sun.COM>, Antir at mail.orst.edu,
    yglonic at cybernw.com
Subject: Pavilion Decoration

For what it's worth, the woodcuts and drawings I've seen of Renaissance
pavilions certainly show some elaborate designs, which appear to be
painted on...lots of foliate designs, and scrollwork, as well as
architectural details like pointed arches and columns.

I seem to have read of these designs being painted on, although I'd be
hard pressed to find the actual reference, but it doesn't make sense that
they would have any more seams than absolutely necessary, due to the
previously mentioned leakage problems...

Most of the pavilions seem to have ornate designs drawn on mainly white
canvas; there is much less of the striped and particolored canvas that
we see today.


[submitted by E. B.]
From Leslie.Schweitzer at hubert.rain.comWed Feb 28 13:14:22 1996
Date: Wed, 28 Feb 1996 08:46:00 -0800
From: Leslie Schweitzer <Leslie.Schweitzer at hubert.rain.com>
To: Antir at mail.Orst.Edu
Subject: Re: Pavilion Decoration

Well, banners and battle standards were often painted in period, so I don't
see why pavilions wouldn't be.  If they were painting banners because it was
a large-scale decoration for  (possibly throw-away, in the case of battle
standards) outdoor use, it surely must have occured to them for pavilions.

Keep the large scale embroidery for indoor stuff, that's my theory, and put
the washable and indestructable stuff outdoors.  Surely the idea can't have
originated in the 20th c. :-)

Zenobia Naphtali


[submitted by E. B.]
Date: Thu, 29 Feb 1996 14:29:00 GMT
From: Lori Walters <lori.walters at rook.wa.com>
To: Antir <antir at mail.orst.edu>
Subject: Re: Pavilion Decoration

Greetings from HL Shaughnessy O'Brennan

 DD<> For what it's worth, the woodcuts and drawings I've seen of
 DD<> Renaissance pavilions certainly show some elaborate designs, which
 DD<> appear to be  painted on...lots of foliate designs, and scrollwork, as
 DD<> well as architectural details like pointed arches and columns.

From the research I've done painting seems to be the preffered meathod.

 DD<> Most of the pavilions seem to have ornate designs drawn on mainly
 DD<> white  canvas; there is much less of the striped and particolored
 DD<> canvas that we see today.

I have done alot of work on my pavillion with designs. These designs were
done with permanent marker and have been on my pavillion for over 2 years
with little fading.It looks great with scenes taken from woodcuts of knight
and ladies fair.

To get the designs in the first place, I use a technique similar to what
Michael Angelo used to do the Cistine Chapel.( All though the equipment used
in my shop is a little more high tech than what Michael Angelo used the
basic premise is the same)
I have an enlarger which puts the image on the wall on a piece of paper in
what ever size I need it to be.(it can go really big!) I then take the
pounce machine and with the pounce wand follow the design. The wand is like
a tiny arc welder and every 16th of an inch as you go along the design it
arcs and burns a small hole in the paper.When you've gone over the whole
design you have a very detailed stencil of the design. You then secure it
to the tent wall. With a loose weave cloth bag you pounce (tap) plumb line
chalk through the holes. (Micheal Angelo used coal dust) when you take the
pattern away you then go over the outline with marker or paint and color it
in or not.


From: CHRISTINE_McGLOTHLIN at smtplink.sagepub.COM (CHRISTINE_McGLOTHLIN)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: How do I colour a tent?
Date: 5 Mar 1996 12:29:15 -0500

It was mentioned recently the use of coldwater dyes (in bathtubs,
wading pools, etc.)...

Let me issue a warning [from experience, sigh]: Rit Hot-water dyes are
nice but not for pavilions! :) Okay, here's the Pansy-Pink Viking
A-frame story....

In college, my apt. was equipped with a stainless steel sink where I
found great pleasure using Rit hot dyes on muslin (nice, soft, cottony
muslin) to dye my beginner garb. So, when my (then) boyfriend and I
decided to make a Viking A-frame, I immediately planned to dye it with
Rit. I bought a 33-gallon Rubbermaid trash can for the project (since
I didn't trust the porcelain white bathtub method).

We used painters' dropcloths for the canvas (a cheap college trick)
and [HERE'S THE FIRST MISTAKE] cut the entire pavilion out and sewed
it together first. Then we set it up in the parking lot behind my apt.
in the trash can to start dyeing it [HERE'S THE SECOND MISTAKE] with
the Rit hot-dye method. I boiled water, dosed the pavilion until
soaked and floating, took a large wooden dowel rod to stir the
concoction of salt and the 8-10 bottles of liquid Rit dye (in Scarlet,
Black, Blue, and Purple) to attempt a deep Crimson, Burgundy color.

The cotton ropes and the dowel rod all came out lovely. Gorgeous Deep
Cherry Red Burgundy kinda thing. So, after letting the pavilion bake
in the California sun for hours, and seeing how lovely the rod and the
ropes were, I dumped out the dyebath and began rinsing the pavilion in
the cold-water spiget in the parking lot. All that lovely crimson
color?  It ran out into the street... and nearly and completely off
the pavilion. DID I MENTION THAT DROP CLOTHS ARE OFTEN TREATED TO BE
WATER-RESISTENT? ... oops.

We now had a PINK, not just pink but PANSY-pink Viking A-frame
pavilion. Oh, did I mention that it was a HOT water dye? Non-prewashed
fabric? Cotton? Already cut and sewn? Quick, what happens when washed
in hot.... A SHRUNKEN pansy-pink Viking A-frame.

Oh, do you remember what shape an A-frame is when set up? A triangle,
you say? What does the modern symbol of a pink triangle usually
represent? Homosexual unity and identity, you say? So, there I am,
in front of my VIKING, testosterone-exuding, rough and tough
boyfriend, and trying to explain to him that he currently has to sleep
in a pansy-pink triangle. [Editorial note: this is not to identify him
as homo-phobic.  But the irony was certainly poignant at the time]....

The end of the story -- we dyed it again (giggle) with lots of black
and purple and it came out kinda dirty-lavender. Oh and with some
splotchy areas that weren't evenly-treated with the water-resistent
chemical before we bought the drop cloths. Oh and a gaping hole on the
back and front walls where the doors no longer met. He later sewed
another strip of canvas in to make it fit...

How to colour a tent?  I now recommend:    Buy colored canvas.
Wonder why.....
--
Eilidh Swann of Strathlachlan        **  Darach, Caid (Ventura, CA)
Christine (Cat) McGlothlin Gurkweitz **  cat_mcglothlin at sagepub.com


[submitted by E. B.]
From hendle1 at aol.comFri Mar 29 10:20:02 1996
Date: 5 Mar 1996 09:31:54 -0500
From: Hendle 1 <hendle1 at aol.com>
To: sca at mc.lcs.mit.edu
Subject: How do I colour a tent?

Just a note, regarding the last few postings on this subject, most of the
tent manufacturers I've spoken to over the years say specifically to avoid
any of the methods that need to soak or seal the fabric as it interfers
with or removes either the flameproofing or waterproofing or both, even
ignoring the fabric's natural water repellant tendencies. And considering
that the favorite weatherproof ink favored by much of the silkscreening
industry is almost a rubberized paint, it seals all too well. One of the
best methods suggested was to either attach colored fabric outside the
tent's own or to paint designs or small sections with an acrylic paint
such as Liquitex or other artist's paint...but doing large sections would
hinder or eliminate the cotton's ability to breathe, so you'ld be in the
same situation as someone in a nylon tent.

Aelfric of Sarisberie


From: Andrew Tye <atye at efn.org>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Info on banners needed
Date: Sun, 19 Apr 1998 17:39:37 -0700
Organization: Oregon Public Networking

On 13 Apr 1998, Gyelle wrote:
>Not all of my books are unpacked and I can't find any illustrations in
>the ones I have out that show a French Bell pavillion.  I'm trying to
>decide what color to make it and my Lord and I are debating the color vs
>"they were all white with colored decoration" issue.  Can anyone out
>there help us resolve this issue?  I want to get the fabric ordered in
>time to make it for May Crown.
  
Ivar here,
 
At present I can find only one period depiction of a French Bell Pavilion.
It is an illustration of a military camp in the late 15th C. from the
Mittelalterliches Hausbuch, (Bodleian Library 247139 c 4), and can be
found reproduced on p. 38 of Osprey Publishing's _Medieval German Armies
1300-1500_ by Christopher Gravett, (ISBN 0-85045-614-2).  In it are two of
these tents.  The decoration on one consists of one set of
indistinguishable arms, (heater-shaped), above the arch-topped doorway.
The other shows two sets of arms flanking where the door would be on the
backside of the tent.
 
As far as I know, this illustration is in black-and-white so I cannot say
if the tents were made of dyed fabric or not.  However, most of the 26
other tents in this illustration have fairly elaborate decoration in the
form of architectonic ornament along the seamlines and around the base and
valence.  Some are fairly realistic in resembling a colonade with a series
of columns, capitals, and arches.  Others are more abstract with fine
lines and sharply pointed arches.   (If the truth be told, this drawing is
the source for the decoration I used on my TentSmiths' French Bell seven
years ago.)  Additionaly, most of the tentage has one or two arms depicted
on their roofs and ball-shaped finials on the posts.  Two of the large
oval markees also have fancy cresting running along the ridge.
 
Based on this illustration and other coloured illuminations,  (Romance of
the Rose, Froisart's Chronicles, et. al.),  I would venture to say that
the bulk of medieval pavilions were of one colour with a contrasting
colour, (whether painted or applied), providing decoration along the
seams.  (Or as a 20th C. architect would say, "celebrating the
structure".)  Of these, the most common combintaion is white or undyed
fabric, (probably linen or hemp), with blue decoration.  Red decoration on
white fabric seems to be the next most common.  However, there are
depictions, (most notably in Froisart), of blue fabric with gold
decoration.
 
On the other hand, I have also found some depictions of alternating
colours in tent panels in the Maciejowski Bible, (alternating red & green)
as well as undecorated white fabric.  In addition, many of the tents shown
in the Cantigas of Alfonso X  are of broad horizontal stripes in
alternating colours.  
 
There are precedents for both methods.  My preference is for the decorated
seams with all the pointed arches and pendants.  I like the way they draw
the eye upward and present an integrated sense of order and unity to the
tent.  (But then I have that messy architectural background and play 14th
C.)  From a practical point, this method also weathers better and is more
forgiving of construction errors in matters of appearance than the
alternating panels.
 
I have seen you are also asking about painting pavilions in another post.
Briefly I will state that I have found that Versatex Printing Paint to be
by far the best for tents.  It gets into the weave of the fabric and
dosen't crack or peel.  It resists fading quite well, is not expensive,
and is available in sizes up to a gallon.  The best source I have found
for it is the Dharma Trading Company.  The URL of their website on
Versatex is :  <http://www.dharmatrading.com/vt.html>.  (I have no
connection with Versatex nor the Dharma Trading Co. aside from being a
happy customer.)  I have written a couple letters before on pavilion
painting techniques so if you are interested in them email me privately
and I'll send them.
 
I'll probably also be at May Crown so I look forward to seeing your
results.  Let me know if there is any other help I can give.
 
Ivar Hakonarson
Adiantum, An Tir.
 

Date: Sat, 31 Jul 1999 13:46:38 -0500
From: Pamela S Keightley <shughes at vvm.com>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: fabric painting--?? Tents??

Look at pictures from your time period, especially battle scenes to
find decorated tents. But are the decorations embroidered, appliqued or
painted? Only an inventory of royal households might contain that
answer and tell us whether painters or sewing women were paid to create
the tents.

 Just opened a couple of books from my library and found one on King
Henry, VIII and Francois I. I was looking for pictures of their famous
meeting at The Field of Cloth of Gold, 1520. This event had some very
large elaborate tents which included banqueting halls and a chapel. The
picture I found shows several tents. One tent has a border around the
upper canopy. It  has a lovely Tudor Rose surrounded by a floral
tracery. From the top of the tent blue bands snake down to the border. A
conical tent has been attached to a rectangular one has red strips where
the panels connect and an over all brocade like pattern. Way in the back
there are a could of conical tents where the panels alternate green and
white to give a wide stripped effect. This picture is found in Desmond
Seward, _Prince of the Renaissance: The Golden Life of Francois I, New
York: MacMillan publishing Co. Inc., 1973, P.70.)

 In Neville Williams _Henry VIII and His Court_ New York: Macmillan Co.,
1971, there are three pictures I found showing tents. Page 41 shoes the
Battle of  the Spurs, August 1513, when English and (Emperor Maximillian
I of the Holy Roman Empire) Imperial calvary routed the French. This
shows what looks like an encampment of connected tents. Some are conical
tents with alternating green or blue panels, some are plain rectangular
ones. There are also just panels of the alternating colored panels that
appear to have been pitched like a pup tent without end coverings.  A
painting from Hampton Court records shows the Battle of Spurs also on
Page 21-22. It  shows the meeting of the two monarchs and on one side a
yellow tent with a coat of arms on the roof,  Maxmillian's Imperial
double headed eagle with a large crown over its head. On the roof of  a
large white tent of equal size has England's or Henry's coat of Arms
surrounded by a garter, a Dragon and Ermine(???).  Shouldn't that be a
Unicorn, hey, I'm not a herald. Painted or Appliqued? That is the
question. Page 48 shows Henry on horse back  escorted to a tournament in
1511 from the Westminster Tournament Roll. He is in full armor and a
tent like canopy with its walls spread out is held over and around him.
The canopy seems to have panels of  Ks all over it alternating with
panels with pineapples? The picture is rendered in black and white.
Great idea for Ansteorran summers, eh, what guys? Get your household to
make one now!

Pamela Hewitt, the Harper


To: Gleann Abhann (mail list) <gleannabhann at yahoogroups.com>
Subject: Re: Painting a canvas tent
Posted by: "Ceara" flnanglsfire at yahoo.com
Date: Thu Apr 29, 2010 8:30 am ((PDT))

<<< I bought a revival round pavilion and really want to paint it. Any
suggestions on the best way to tackle that? Should I set it up and paint it
over the weekend with the help of friends? Or leave it inside and paint the
panels one by one in my basement so it stays dry and in a controlled climate
while the decorating is going on? I think I have enough room to stretch it
out for the side arches I want to paint, but for the conical top....that'll
be harder to to unless it is set up properly with the hub. 

Thoughts?

Oh, and stencil suggestions? Paint purchasing sites?

Giada >>>

If you're comfortable letting others paint your ideas (some artists aren't) then check the weather and set it up outside. 
That way you'll SEE what the finished product looks like as it goes, and can change your design if you need to.

For stencil suggestions, I recommend a projector for something that large. 
Hook it up to a laptop, and then you can have any design that you can find transferred to your pavilion. 
Trace it in pencil, then paint.
Having Kinko's blow up a design can get pricey, but if you only have one picture it's not bad.

Ceara


To: Gleann Abhann (mail list) <gleannabhann at yahoogroups.com>
Subject: Re: Painting a canvas tent
Posted by: "Diane Wagner" brianna950 at gmail.com wagnert42
Date: Thu Apr 29, 2010 10:08 am ((PDT))

You must understand that canvas fibers need to remain supple to remain
Water[repellant] the fabric swells during rain.  Therefore, do not apply
thick globs of paint that will dry stiff and keep the fibers from swelling.
If you do, you may find the water pouring in through the edges of your
painted areas!

I use Basic brand acrylic paints.  (Wal-mart carries that brand.  You can
also find it on the Panther website, I believe.)

I put a couple of heaping spoonfuls of paint into a clear plastic cup and
then dilute it to about the consistency of chocolate milk.  (Maybe something
close to 1 part paint to 7 parts water?)  Oddly, I haven‚t noticed the
dilution to affect the strength of the color, but it‚s always easier to add
more paint to a solution than to remove it.

I have painted tents that were erected as well as tents that were spread out
on a floor.  I *always* do them on a flat surface in a climate controlled
room now!  It's difficult to keep a steady hand while balancing on a ladder.
And you want to paint in a way that is as comfortable as possible while
getting gravity to work in your favor!

I use painters tape for straight lines.  When I use stencils, I prefer to
sponge on the paint.  I usually paint with only one color a day.  Because my
paint is highly diluted, I simply cover the cups of paint with plastic wrap
and rubber band securely when I‚m finished painting for the day.

When the paint is dry, I run a very hot hair dryer over it to "heat set" the
paint.  (I've used an iron, too, but the hair drier seems to work just fine.)

brianna


To: Gleann Abhann (mail list) <gleannabhann at yahoogroups.com>
Subject: Re: Painting a canvas tent
Posted by: "Leonard Hollar" lhollar at comcast.net ibriham2000
Date: Thu Apr 29, 2010 12:47 pm ((PDT))

Inside is always better, if you have the room.  On that note; if your
basement has exposed supports for the floor above, use a rope tied to the
very peek of your tent and raise the top using the supports.  Then, if I'm
visualizing your tent correctly, use some sand filled buckets at the points
where the normal tie-down ropes are attached around the edge of the top -
should only need two or three at a time for this - to stretch it out a bit.

You won't be able to do a large portion at a time, but you should be able to
do large enough of an area to keep things where they should be.

The same thing should work for your sides, too.

Ebrahim/Leonard


To: gleannabhann at yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: another tent question
Posted by: "Catherine Koehler" hccartck at yahoo.com hccartck
Date: Mon Dec 12, 2011 8:00 pm ((PST))

I am no expert at all but can offer a tiny bit of information.  If anyone finds my info inaccurate based on your own experiences, please chime in!!  I would like to know more as well since I, too, will be looking into painting a white canvas tent in the near future.

Regular latex house paint in the gallons are the "acrylic" paints that people are talking about when they say they are the best and they truly are.  Don't use oil base paints unless you are prepared for a major messy clean-up and strong odors that will stay with your tent for quite a while.  A huge NEGATIVE to the acrylic paint on the canvas is that it will often stick to itself when you fold your tent and will, on occasion, destroy the paint job.  This will happen especially if you store your tent in a non-climate controlled place like a shed or garage.

Painting the tent will destroy the tents ability to breathe somewhat which can make it hotter in the summer.  For that reason, it is wise to not paint the top of the tent at all, or at the least, completely (stripes might be a good alternative to a complete coverage)  Last but not least, one thing that I wasn't prepared for and was disappointed by on other projects is that the paint coverage may look consistent on the outside but it will show differently on the inside.  You might see splotches of color on the inside where the paint was the heaviest and went through.  Painting a primer coat first will solve that problem...I think.  Artist's use gesso to prime canvas for paintings so it might be an alternative but it is expensive.  It is available in large sizes like a gallon, though.

Last but not least, prepare for a very thirsty tent!!  Painting on canvas uses way more paint that you would expect!

Aine


To: gleannabhann at yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: another tent question
Posted by: "Miranda Jordan" aureliamedici at gmail.com aureliamedici
Date: Mon Dec 12, 2011 8:36 pm ((PST))

I have used these paints on canvas, they are very good. I have not painted an entire tent with them, only banners etc, but I have heard of others who have painted tents with this paint . It does come in gallon quantities. 

I got mine from Dharma Trading, but I am sure they are available elsewhere.  Here is the link for more information: http://www.dharmatrading.com/vt.html

Aurelia 


To: gleannabhann at yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: another tent question
Posted by: "John Higginbotham" revhigg at yahoo.com revhigg
Date: Mon Dec 12, 2011 11:41 pm ((PST))

We used acrylic craft paint and textile medium on the tent canopy and on the canvas floor cloth. The canopy is green and gold. The floor cloth is an adaptation of a prayer rug.  Shopped the sales for the paint and have been very pleased.

Marcilla


To: gleannabhann at yahoogroups.com
Subject:  Re: another tent question
Posted by: "Brian Wagner" hrothgar950 at gmail.com bkwagner2001
Date: Tue Dec 13, 2011 11:22 am ((PST))

We used the paints from Dharma and also some of the same that we found at
walmart.  We found it to be key to greatly thin the paint, so it is
absorbed rather than creating a thick stiff layer on the surface.

Hrothgar


To: gleannabhann at yahoogroups.com
Subject: another tent question
Posted by: "Barbara Sterling" barbara at unclejohns.com bbaroness
Date: Tue Dec 13, 2011 7:51 pm ((PST))

Fronicka;
Uncle John gave me a comment on the time needed for the paint to cure, depending on the conditions of heat, cold and humidity.  Then, even better, he suggested this link.  

http://midtown.net/dragonwing/col9809.htm

Barbara

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