Runs Good

[Terri]

An image transfer, using gel medium and an old photo. We came across this battered old camper in a junk yard in north Georgia, and I couldn't resist it! It runs good! $950!

First I painted a piece of watercolor paper, adding various color blocks that would show through. I ended up not liking my choices, but I resolved to just let it rip and see what happened. After the paint dried on the watercolor paper, I coated it liberally with gel medium and laid my print over it, face down, while the gel was still wet. The print was just made on plain copy paper. Used a brayer to get a good seal, and walked away for a couple of hours to let it all dry down. Then I sprayed the paper back with water to soften the copy paper, let it get sodden, and rubbed it all off using a washcloth and my fingers. Messy? Uh-huh. But the image gets revealed once the paper back is removed.

You can clearly still see the torn edges of the original copy paper - I tore it down rather than cut it before I glued it down. I think some of the gel medium slipped under, and that isn't going to rub off. A few other stubborn bits of paper remain. I'm likely to go over it with very fine sandpaper to see what happens.

This was a fun exercise, complete with mistakes, and I'll be trying it again. All comments welcome and appreciated. Thanks for looking!

 

[Enyaw]

That’s cool Terri. I like the abstraction surrounding your subject. Did ya take it for a run?

 

[Donna T]

This is amazing, Terri! I love the effects you got - a cool combination of loosely painted areas with photorealism. Did you use gloss or matte gel medium? Does the print have to come from a laser printer?

 

[snoball]

Kewl! And your yellow ties it all together. Love it.

 

[Terri]

That’s cool Terri. I like the abstraction surrounding your subject. Did ya take it for a run?

Nope - just let it model for me. Glad you like it, Wayne!

 

[Terri]

This is amazing, Terri! I love the effects you got - a cool combination of loosely painted areas with photorealism. Did you use gloss or matte gel medium? Does the print have to come from a laser printer?

Thank you, Donna! I used soft gel matte medium and a foam brush.

I've read that laser ink, like toner from a copier, being dry and carbon based, makes for a superior transfer compared to dye based printer inks. Those will not be as archival. Pigment based inks resist water and can have trouble transferring with this method. So apparently a laser printer or even a laser based copier, like an office copier, is preferable.

 

[Terri]

Kewl! And your yellow ties it all together. Love it.

Thank you so much, Sno!

 

[Triduana]

This is so good! I love the subject - great find! Love the colours and textures too.

 

[Terri]

Thank you for the kind words, Kay!

 

[Jo Castillo]

Much fun and wonderful to look at.

 

[Bongo]

Love itl Just the right treatment, just the right subject.

 

[Terri]

Jo, Bongo - thank you both so much!

 

[JennieJo]

Thank you, Donna! I used soft gel matte medium and a foam brush.

I've read that laser ink, like toner from a copier, being dry and carbon based, makes for a superior transfer compared to dye based printer inks. Those will not be as archival. Pigment based inks resist water and can have trouble transferring with this method. So apparently a laser printer or even a laser based copier, like an office copier, is preferable.

Thanks for the 'how to' Terri. I was wondering how you did it.

 

[Terri]

You're welcome, Jennie! Thank you for looking and commenting.