Transparency Collage

There is an amazing technique for transferring images and designs by using gel medium and even mod podge. The results can be quite impressive. But if you have ever had one incident where you rubbed off too much of your design then you can become a little skiddish. If this has happened to you then you know exactly what I mean. Nothing is worse than having invested a lot of time on a collage only to mess it up in the 9th hour.

So I came up with a solution.

I built out my collage and even some gel medium transfers on the background.
   The hollywood hills and music notes.

How to make a Gel Medium Transfer:

• You need an image and acrylic gel medium. Your image can be uncoated magazines/newspapers or laser prints. Ink jet prints do not work.

• Paint your surface (canvas, watercolor paper, etc...) with gel medium (In my case it was the transparency sheet). Apply several coats allowing to dry in between. 

• Also paint a layer of gel medium to the face of your image- face up.

• After you paint the third coat of gel medium to your surface, while still wet,  place your image face down into it. So it is gel medium to gel medium.

• Allow to dry. Usually overnight 

• With a spray bottle spritz the paper back of the image with water and rub with your finger tips. Your goal is to remove the paper pulp and leave the toner from the image in the gel.

• I also use a Magic Eraser to help rub the paper off. You will spritz with water as needed. Don't get it drenched but wet enough that the paper pulls away. This is a gentle process. If you rub too much you can also remove the image. 

• When you think you have all the paper pulled away, let it dry. You ay see areas with paper still there when it dries. You can keep going or you can add some gel medium to the front. This can make some thin areas of paper more transparent and invisible.

Then...

Do your final Gel Medium transfer steps on a sheet of transparency paper.
   The image of Jane Russell is on the transparency sheet.

You can then use spray glue to attach your transfer sheet to your background sheet.