Photo image transfers onto canvas tutorial with Gel Medium (with pictures!)

Dear passer-by reader,

Thanks for stopping by my unfortunate, inconsistently updated blog BUT I do try!!!

For those who stops by occasionally to see what I've made, thank you! :o)

I've started playing with image transfers onto canvas and it can be quite fun despite the "finger fatigue", splits from rubbing off paper fibres and the waiting time for the gel medium to dry!

Here are a few of the canvases that I have done for my friends: 

For a friend/colleague/photographer who took this macro shot

 For a friend's/colleague's first granddaughter

 For my best friend's wall, a picture of Venice that I have forgotten to print as mirror image

As you can see, there are some bits that rubbed off due to: certain spots being rubbed to hard OR have not dried properly OR no gel medium contact OR bubbles.

Here's the brief!

Goodies that I used:

• LASER toner printed mirror-image on photocopy paper (don't waste your money on the good quality papers!) NOT INKJET
• Liquitex Gloss Gel Medium (Purchased from SeniorArt.com.au)
• Liquitex Gloss Medium and Varnish (Purchased from SeniorArt.com.au)
• Sponge brush/applicator (poly brush they call it)
• Canvas (Sizes entirely up to you! I use primed canvases only)
• Card (Credit card size) or bone folder (Not pictured)
• Spray bottle with clean water 
• A clean, covered work surface OR craft mat (I use the Ranger Craft Mat)
• Hands (Not pictured)
• Lots of patience! (Spiritually in the pictures! haha)

Instructions:

• Print your selected image (colour or blank&white) onto CHEAP-O-SKATE photocopy paper. Make sure it is a mirror image, especially when there are words/letters. My husband has been bugging me for weeks for a picture of our two furry children so I decided to make him one to take to work. He's a manly man but a big softie when it comes to our furry kids!
• Prep the printed image and canvas with the gel medium. I used the sponge brush to apply the gel medium onto the canvas and the medium instead of just one or the other. 

• The paper (picture below) is warped because of the moisture from the Gel Medium. Not too sure if you could see the sheen on the canvas... I applied enough to make the picture look translucent.

• Slap (not literally) the printed image side down onto the canvas

• Smooth out the paper with the credit card or the bone folder OR your fingers (I use my fingers on the paper side and credit card on the back canvas).
• Do NOT press too hard when smoothing out the paper because it will rip due to the gel medium softening the paper. Trust me. IT WILL RIP!!! Do NOT press too hard when smoothing out on the canvas backside because that will move most of the gel medium to the sides making it all lumpy and raised (if the sides have kinda dried a little bit). IT WILL BE LUMPY AND RAISED!!! 
• Gently smooth out the bubbles from centre to side with your fingers on the photocopy paper then apply a wee bit of pressure with the card/bone folder when smoothing from the backside of the canvas.
• ***DO THIS STEP AT YOUR OWN RISK!*** I learned this from the Golden brand on Youtube (may not be a great idea but I did it anyway because I'm impatient!!!) that I can leave the canvas to dry for a couple of minutes then SLOWLY peel off one corner to reveal whether the image have latched onto the canvas. If the image has been "transferred" or stuck onto the canvas, you can slowly peel back the paper DIAGONALLY. It will peel off a layer of the paper and leave another layer that's attached to the gel medium. Less paper to rub off later! ;o) 

**If the image is still on the paper, it is not ready. If you pulled part of the paper where the image is still on the peeled paper, apply a tiny dab of gel medium onto the image then slap it down onto the canvas.... then try to peel from another corner to avoid peeling the image off the canvas**

 See the layer difference after you peel off the paper from the canvas?

• THEN LEAVE IT TO DRY! I gave it a few hours to dry. I can't wait 24 hours!!! There's my patience!
• Now's the fun part but you have to be patient as well. Spray the remaining layer of paper on canvas with water. Enough to dampen until image is translucent then start rubbing the paper off. You have to repeat this process a few times because when it dries, there will still be paper fibres on there. So be patient and slowly rub them off! **Some crafters use soft sponge or rag but I prefer my fingers so I can "feel" when I have rubbed most of the fibres off**

 This was the first rub off.. May have to do this a few times to get rid of most paper fibres!

• Once you reckon that most of the fibres are off the image, let it dry then apply the Liquitex Gloss Medium and Varnish with the poly brush. Let it dry and apply another layer of the Liquitex Gloss Medium and Varnish as the final coat of protectionnnnnn.

***You may still see some paper fibres on the canvas when it dries. I tend to rub LIGHTLY (after a few wet, rub and dry sessions) until I could actually feel that no fibres will come off the picture, even if it dried with paper fibres still on it. Then I test a small area with the varnish to see if the image will come up clear. If it does, OH EXCITEMENT TO VARNISH THE WHOLE CANVAS!!!***

Done Done Done DOOOOOOONNNNNEEEEE! :o) Enjoy your proud handmade product! :o)

New craft to play with!! Wooden beads necklaces! :D

I am still playing with my sewing machine but have also found another new craft to play with.

WOODEN BEADS NECKLACES! 


20/7/13 UPDATE EDIT: I have found that Jo Sonja's Polyurethane Gloss Varnish works the BEST without the paint coming off the wooden beads and the gloss stays on when you rub really hard on it. Unlike the Helmar Acrylic Sealer gloss that turns matte-ish when I rub really hard (even after a few days of curing). The Krylon varnishes (satin and gloss) sprays are absolutely useless even if I applied a few coats. The colours rub off on each other.

I have always loved chunky jewellery but didn't really get into it until I bought a nice chunky acrylic beads necklace a few weeks ago... then I thought, I should make my own!! Had to finally decide on wooden beads so I can customise my own colours rather than go with the acrylic coloured beads, although they are super cute!!

I used a few coats of acrylic paint and then varnished them with acrylic sealer. Some tutorials suggested that just the acrylic paint will do but sorry I don't think that's enough! The acrylic sealer protects the acrylic paints from rubbing against the other painted beads and lasts longer, if that makes sense... I tested a necklace I made with just the acrylic paint on.. doesn't work too well for me! :( So I "acrylic sealed" the wooden beads, they look and feel so much better without the chalky/raspy feel of the dried acrylic paint. Also there's no fear when the beads get wet (from the rain!) without a bit of the colour coming off! The acrylic sealer makes the coloured wooden beads look like lollies! :D

**Tested with the Krylon Satin and Krylon Matte varnish spray (both are toxic fumes until the varnish is fully dry..!?), the acrylic paints still rub off each other even if the beads were sprayed with 2-3 varnish coatings. The only way it works for me is to paint the acrylic sealer with a brush! More work but more satisfying to know that the colours won't rub off on each other! Plus the acrylic sealer is acid free and non-toxic.**

The necklaces are stringed with either hemp or waxed cotton cord and finished with button closure.

I call this AUTUMN necklace that I made for my friend/colleague who loves autumn colours!

Hand painted individually (except the dark brown and light wood colour: dyed) with several coats of acrylic paint and varnished, double stringed with brown cotton cord and finished with button closure (sorry, didn't take a photo of it!!)

I made this one for another friend/colleague who loves red and green. My initial thought was to alternate the colours but thought that would be too "Christmasy". So I painted red colour on 8 beads and 3 different shades of green on 3 beads. 

Hand painted beads with several coats of acrylic paint, varnished and double stringed with black hemp, then finished off with button closure.. (Sorry again! No photo of that...)

 Please excuse my doggie's ear photobomb. He loves to hover when I take pictures!

Anyway, thank you for looking at my blog! I truly appreciate it even if you came here by accident... :)