Friday, February 20, 2009

Acrylic Medium Image Transfer Process

I am creating this new painting on paper. I am doing several acrylic under paintings including the transfers and then I will change to oils. I originally tried a Xerox transfer process by which you place a xerox image to image on the surface you are working on and then use nail polish remover (acetone) rubbing it on the back of the image with lots of pressure to adhere the ink to the surface of your image. This did not work for me...supposedly there are certain xerox machines that work better and the faster you transfer the better as well.

What worked for me was to use acrylic matte medium (they say gloss works better but I had no real problems with matte). I painted both the surface of the paper I was working on and the xerox image as well. Then I placed them together and used the back of a wooden hair brush to burnish them together using lots of pressure. The longer I let them dry the better result I had but I didn't wait more than 4 hours to rub off the paper. What happened is that the ink on the xerox adhered to the skin created by the matte medium. I first used my fingers and water to rub off the xerox paper but eventually they really hurt so I used baby wipes (non-oil type)
and water to wet the paper and take of all the layer except for the very last where I used my fingers. I did it this way because the last layer could peel off taking the ink with it without the control you have with direct touch.

This is were I am at with the piece. It is very different than anything I have done before but I am having fun playing right now. It feels great to be in the studio again!
I hope to finish the eye transfers today and to show this work in progress to my monthly critique group which meets tomorrow morning.

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Alicia Hunsicker's art is undeniably beautiful. She is an expert at extracting the highly-detailed textures and fibers of the human body, bringing them from darkness, into the light, with a technical precision that rivals any modern-day master.
David Aquino, Brattleboro Reformer