Time: 5 minutes + dry time
Materials: drift wood, photocopy image, white acrylic paint, brush, water
Friends, do I have a treat for you! Not only is Courtney Cerruti here to show us how to transfer images, but she is also giving away a copy of her book, Playing with Image Transfers, to one lucky reader!
I had the pleasure of meeting Courtney at Alt Summit SF and couldn’t be more excited about what’s she’s come up with (seriously, her work is amazing!). Without further ado, here’s Courtney’s project:
This transfer process will reverse your image, so keep that in mind if transferring a word or different image (get the bird images here). Transfers only work with a toner based print which means you’ll need a photocopy of your image. This transfer will not work with an ink jet print!
When working with found wood, start by painting a base layer onto the wood. Keep this layer even. If you want a soft painted edge, use a coarse brush to paint your strokes. Allow this layer to dry completely.
Add a second layer of paint over the first. While the paint is wet, place your photocopies image face-down onto the wet surface. Carefully press the image into the paint and smooth away any bubbles or air pockets. Don’t over press or you’ll push all the paint out from under the image and your transfer won’t stick.
Allow paint to dry completely! To test the transfers, tear away a corner of the paper and if the paint starts to pull up, then the transfer isn’t completely dry. If the transfer is dry and ready for the next step, you should pull away the back layer of paper and see part of the image below. There will still be a lot of paper left stuck to the driftwood.
Using a little bit of water and your hand, begin to rub away the paper fibers. Rub softly in circular motions. You can use a wet sponge, but if you are too aggressive, you risk rubbing away the image. Continue adding water and rubbing away paper until entire image is revealed.
Once all the paper is removed, allow the driftwood to dry. If any paper fibers re-appear, you can wet them and gently rub them away or you can use a few drops of olive oil to rub into the surface of the transfer. Using the oil will make fine paper fuzz disappear and it will condition the transfer giving it a satin shine.
Make a collection to display in your home or give as a gift!
To learn more about image transferring, pick up a copy of Courtney’s book here, or enter to win one below!