Acrylic Gel Transfer Guidelines

Below are instructions for the process that I demonstrated in class today (Monday 3/4). This process will be used in the final drawing portion of your Midterm assignment, due next Wednesday 3/13.

Acrylic Gel Transfer guidelines:

First, I’d recommend making a few photocopies of your original image before attempting the transfer. Ideally, you’ll want to transfer the original image, but it will be good to have a couple photocopy backups in case things go wrong on your first try.

Keep in mind that your aim is merely to transfer some pieces of your image onto your final drawing. It by no means needs to be a beautiful, clean transfer. This process holds many possibilities, but it is also a very unpredictable one, so don’t get frustrated if things don’t go perfectly, just improvise and do your best.


How to do a transfer:

1. Take your surface and make sure it is relatively clean. (Remember this will work best on nice, heavy watercolor paper. Lesser quality paper will tend to pull up when you pull off the image; essentially it will do the opposite of what we are trying to achieve.) Next figure out what image you are using and where you want it to go. You can apply the gel medium either to the surface or directly onto the image.

2. Apply the gel medium onto the image (either with a foam brush or just with your fingers) until it completely coats the surface. Different amounts get different results. Sure, you can just glom it on there, but you will have to wait awhile until it is completely dry. This can, however, achieve a thick, glossy surface with the transfer sitting on top of it. If the surface is uneven and toothy, this can be helpful. If the surface is flat and smooth, then you really need just a thin layer of medium in order to make it work.

3. Once you have the proper amount of medium going, then its basically like gluing one thing to another - pretty simple. Lay down the image, and then press it down firmly into place. Then, either with your hand, the edge of a scissor handle, wooden spoon, etc. begin smoothing and pressing down the image from the middle out. Here's where excessive medium can harm the process. If there's too much, the image will slip around on the surface. You want the image to really be sticking in place. One method is to use a roller to flatten the image, just lay down a piece of paper on top otherwise the gel will ooze all over the place. At any rate, smooth down the image with your hand or other tool until the image is solidly stuck down. No air bubbles or blobs of medium should be underneath.

4. The idea here is that the image or photocopy is 100% in contact with the gel and the surface in a perfect layer. Once the copy is firmly in place, wait a second and then peel up a corner of it. After just a few seconds, parts of the copy will begin sticking to the surface. If it doesn't stick and the gel is still wet, press the copy back down and wait. The time depends greatly on the image your using (whether it’s newspaper, magazine, photocopy, laser inkjet print, etc.) If the medium is not too thick, your transfer will be ready almost immediately. What you should see is your photocopy separating apart. The black toner and the layer of paper facing it should be stuck to your surface. The rest of the paper in your hand should have the toner removed from it. If you have perfect timing, you can potentially see your image, but normally the image is somewhat visible and covered with fibers of paper. Be sure to let you transfer dry for at least a few hours, but preferably overnight, BEFORE moving onto step #5.

5. Now comes the fun part - bringing the image back out. Take a small dish of water and get a half a drop on your finger and then moisten the layer of paper that is stuck on your transfer and rub it off. Repeat this process until all of the little fibers of paper are gone and you have a clean transfer. There are different methods for different circumstances, but just a tiny bit of water works well because you can get more friction and remove the paper more easily. This step can be kind of tricky, as you can rub away the transfer if it is not completely dry. But you can also get the paper off more easily if it is fresh and still a little moist. Your best bet would be to wait an hour, try it out, and then just give it some more time if it seems like you’re rubbing away the transfer.

6. Once your image is revealed and all the paper fibers are rubbed away, give your paper some time to dry before you start drawing and working back into the image.