Visit a fabric store and choose a fabric to paint. Just about any textile can be painted, but for the smoothest paint application, choose tightly woven materials. Many beginners will want to start with 100-percent cotton fabric with a high thread count. To avoid shrinking, prewash the material and dry it on a high setting. Iron well.
Choose a still life drawing or painting to copy. Look in children's books, cookbooks or magazines for simple line still life drawings. You can also draw your own still life on art paper. Keep it simple at first; something with less colors and less detail will be easiest.
Cover the work surface with plastic to avoid splashing paint on nearby surfaces. Set up clean water to clean brushes between colors and paper towels to wipe excess water and paint from brushes.
Trace your drawing on the fabric with tracing paper, or use an art projector to project an image on the work surface. If you decide to use the art projector, follow the instructions in the projector manual. Make your drawing lines with a chalk pencil.
Pour small amounts of paint into a paint dish. Wet the fabric. Vary the amount of water added depending on desired effect; a wetter fabric will result in a watercolor effect.
Test the paint in a nonvisible part of the fabric or a test strip. Often colors may appear slightly different in the bottle versus on the fabric. When you're ready to start on the actual design, start painting small areas one at a time. Use varying size brushes for varying effects. Paint the entire still life in this way. Apply fabric markers to outlined areas or defined areas.
Heat-set textile paint with an iron once the paint is thoroughly dried. Consult the manufacturer's instructions on paint labels for specific instructions regarding the care of painted fabrics.