Using samples of Dacron sailcloth, provided by the sailmaker, I experimented with various media to see what worked and what didn’t. This included tubes acrylic paint, spray paint and permanent markers. I left the samples with the various media applied in glasses of water overnight, tested how they looked against the light, how they responded to crumpling and various other tests.

In the end the material that worked best was acrylic ink – specifically Liquitex acrylic ink which adhered to the sailcloth better than others and also gave a richer colour and more even coverage, both when used neat and diluted.