image transfers

Image transfers are an amazing way to incorporate images into your art and they're very, very easy.

Materials & Tools
Surface*
Image - photocopy or laser print*
Acrylic gel medium, matte or gloss*
Brush
Water
Sponge (optional)
Towel (optional)

Step 1
Coat your image with a good layer of gel medium.  Then lay the image on your background and rub it firmly to ensure that every bit of the image is in firm contact with the background. 

Step 2
Wait for it to dry.  No, put it down and let it ry!  It will probably curl up as it dries, looking a lot like this when it's really dry. If in doubt, let it dry some more.  I always find this the hardest part.  Sometimes it's easier to go to bed and do step 3 in the morning!

Step 3
Use clean water to wet the image.  Some people use a spray bottle, but I use a paint brush or a sponge to dump a large amount of water on it!

Let the water soak in until you can see the image through the paper.

Step 4
Use your finger to rub the wet paper away.  Be patient and go slowly, trying not to rub too hard or you'll remove the image instead of just the paper.  Sometimes I wrap a bit of my towel round my finger and then rub.  It stops me getting friction burns if I'm working on a large piece, or a lot of pieces. 

Step 5
When the paper is wet, it's going to be hard to see, so let your piece dry to see what bits of paper are left.  

Then wet the piece and rub some more, remembering to be gentle and patient! 

Step 6 
At some point you may have to give in and just accept that you're going to have some bits of paper left.

Some people find a coat of gel medium can hide the bits.  Others add a wash of paint or ink.  I tend not to worry about it! 

Notes
Your image should be nice and fresh; if it isn't, the image won't transfer as cleanly.  I copied this image the day before I did the transfer.  I wouldn't want it more than three or four days old, but the fresher the better.

Please don't try to use ink jet prints for this technique.  I'll show you that technique another day!

Your surface can be anything that acrylic paints and mediums will stick to.  I'd recommend starting simple, but once you've got the hang of it, why not go wild?  Try wood, metal or even fabric. 

What Next?
While this could be considered a finished piece, it doesn't have to be. You can use it in a collage; stamp or stencil it; draw on it; add more transfers...  Basically anything goes with technique. 

Questions?  Leave them in the comments section and I'll answer you.