Batik painting is an ancient and beautiful art form. It has been practiced in India for over 2100 years now. Batik painting is usually done on cotton and silk fabrics. Use of single, dual and multi colored vegetable dyes makes the final batik product look attractive and eye catching.The process of batik painting involves three processes viz waxing, dyeing and de-waxing. The first step includes giving the cotton cloth a thorough washing and to remove the starch. The cloth is then dried, ironed and stretched on a wooden frame. The second step includes making a rough charcoal sketch which serves as a guide for the painting. The design develops gradually with each coat of waxing.
The third process is a pretty lengthy one. It includes the application of the wax that is a protective agent in the dyeing process. The wax is a melted mixture of paraffin, resin and yellow beeswax and is poured into a brass shaped pen called Tjanting. The Tjanting is a brass pen shaped is like a small cup with single or double spout. This pen is used in coloring the negative way by filling the space where the painter does not want the color to appear. The process is quite tedious and has to be done with care. Thus for each and every different color to be used on the fabric the painter has to use the Tjanting pen and the protective wax ink.