Transferring images...

[Monica]

Ruth Ann... these are both amazing! I haven't dabbled in collage yet (too intimidating), and I'm in awe over the beautiful creations you've done!

Monica

[ChristyB]

thank you for sharing. even if you aren't 100% happy (even though they are both fantastic) you are so helping us all with what works and doesn't work. And maybe doing a bit of inspiring along the way

[Ruth Ann Landry]

christy, that's exactly why I always post (usually in numerical order) what I do, what I've tried, what works and doesn't...because I'm hoping othrs try and share what they've learned along the way so I can improve what I'm doing. As soon as I get out and get a couple tubes of oil paint, I have another method to try. Might work on toner copies today...they do transfer easier and a little more completely, but I still like the worn, vintage look of this method too.

[pbp908]

Ruth Ann - you're blazing the trail for us with techniques to try! I knew that I'd read about this somewhere else and had thought the same thing about the copier images - it's in one of my Bernie Berlin books. She uses ink jet prints on light weight photo paper and either water or gesso for the transfer. I've had it on my "to try" list for a while but haven't gotten to it. Now that I see your great results, I've got to get offa my rear and do it!

[Ruth Ann Landry]

Ok, here's today's experiment...this is just a transfer...BUT, the exciting thing is.....it is a photograph of a very small photo that I enlarged, photoshopped to lighten and contrast and then transferred onto watercolor canvas (only because it was laying right here)....oh...this opens up a whole slew of possibilities!
Sorry for the glare...this is a photo of my grandfather sitting on a bull with pistols in hand. He was a farmer all his life, and the background makes me think this was at a beach somewhere...don't remember him ever going anywhere in his life.

[Holly]

RA-- that is a great pic...I expect you could use it on an ATC. Shrink it down.

[troublesmom]

Oh Ruth Ann these are all wonderful creations! I have a terrible time with directions, I am a gotta see it in the works type of person. I do hope to soon try this technique.

[Ruth Ann Landry]

Holly, the original photo is about 2 x 3 inches...this is now enlarged to a 4 x 6 or postcard sized....

[Holly]

Great It is the right size ---- Anyone for a Wild West swap?

[troublesmom]

Ruth Ann when you print out your images do you print them on photo paper or just regular copy paper?

[Ruth Ann Landry]

It depends on which method on here you are referring to cheryl???? The first ones were printed on regular copy paper or printable cardstock which i get at walmart.....I think the oriental images were cardstock paper and the large image of the child with basket was copy paper....None of these images were rubbed off afterwards...all are just as they printed and image was lifted while gel was still a little tacky. If gel dries, then the remainder paper must be removed with water. Mist with a misting bottle until quite wet and gently rub your finger in a circle over the paper..keeping the paper wet at all times or you will rub off some of the image. This is a little more time consuming..I use my heat gun between each wetting and rubbing so I don't wipe off the image that I want. I could post more of the water release samples, if you'd like.... the last image on page two is a different technique altogether.

[Ruth Ann Landry]

Here is a photocopy of a pix of my dad when he was a schoolboy...this one was done on a photocopier with toners, transferred with gel and rubbed off with water. I discovered that it is really difficult to get every bit of paper without rubbing off some of the image, BUT...EUREKA! I took a tiny smidgen of microglaze and rubbed it into the copy when I had removed all the paper I could (and there was still a haze when dry). I then took heat gun and ran it over the microglazed portion until I could see the wax melt and it dried clear and semi shiny. Again, just an experiment, so the background has not been done with anything. I want to get the transferring down before I waste too much time and materials on failures!

Again, the original is sharper and darker as it photographs with some glare.