Step 1(a)- Grab your surface. Wood panel works best to capture all the detail as it’s a flat smooth surface, but canvas will work just as well. Here we have 3 wood panels
Step 1(b)- Get your images. Images like newspaper, laser print and uncoated magazine pages will transfer directly without having to photocopy them. Ink jet prints will not work, use laser prints instead and experiment with it to see what works best for your desired look.
Step 2- Prime your wooden panel, as the white with sometimes peek through depending on your image. If you’re using canvas, they are already primed with gesso and ready to go!
Step 3- You’ll need a gel medium. Apply it generously and evenly to the surface, and make sure to cover the entire area where you want the image to be transferred. Shop Gels and Mediums here.
Step 4- Position your image face down onto the wet gel medium. Press it down and press down gently from the center out to remove any air bubbles or wrinkles. You can use a card, or a silicone tool like our catalyst wedges/blades to smooth it out as well.
Step 5- Let it dry completely (I know the suspense to peek is getting to you, but let it dry entirely before moving on). This can take around 24 hours. Once the gel medium is dry, take a damp sponge or cloth and wet the back on the imagine.
Step 6- Begin rubbing the paper gently away in circles. The goal is to remove the paper while leaving the transferred imagine behind! You may have to keep wetting the paper as you finish getting all the paper off.
Step 7- Get some disposable containers and place your panels in propped up in the middle. For this, you’ll need some kind of top coat. A pouring medium works great, or resin, or top coat gloss. And pour that over your images and allow to dry for 24-48 hrs. It’ll saturate any bits of left over paper you couldn’t get off and will mask them as well (yay for a way to hide any imperfections!) And once dry, you’re ready to display! Shop Gels and Mediums/ finishers here.
Finish! Remember, image transfers can take practice, so don’t be discouraged if your first attempt isn’t perfect! Sometimes it’s as simple and changing your pressure when rubbing the paper away. Have fun creating and experimenting!
