Sunday, February 12, 2012

canvas transfer.

Ssssssh, this is a gift for my husband for Valentine's Day. We don't usually exchange gifts, but I wanted to try this project. He never reads my blogs, so don't worry.

I used this tutorial from Elsie Larson.

I really wanted to do this with a wedding picture of ours. It seemed antique enough to match up with this technique. So, first you print a picture onto photo paper. I think you need an inkjet printer. Not totally sure on that, but I have one, so that is cool. I printed this one, which is one I love, but got overexposed in the corner, so I can't use it very much.



I printed this on 8.5" x 11" photo paper, then trimmed it to 8" x 10" I bought a simple, cheap canvas at Michael's. I think it cost me $5.99.



I used this Utrecht acrylic--matte gel. I had bought some a long time ago, and really have never used it. You cover the canvas in this. Make it a rather thick coat. then press the picture into it, lining it up. Now, remember that your image will be reversed. There is a feature on many basic photo programs that allows you to mirror flip your image. I think you can do this in MS Paint. So, if you want to do it the proper way, you can. I didn't care.

You allow this to dry to several hours. I did overnight. Then you get a spray bottle of water, and spray the back. Now, I have done a similar technique for art journaling to make stickers. (Hey, should I do a sticker tutorial? Does everyone know how to make stickers?) I am just warning you that this part is very time consuming, messy, and tedious. But I like the results. This is what it looks like when you first start rubbing and start seeing your image.



Now, remember that the rubbing is a kind of rough process, and yet, you don't want to rub too hard, because you will rub off your picture. So, find a kind of middle road of rubbing. (Oh, geez, like you know what that is.) You'll see what I mean. Unlike me, start at a corner that can bear to be rubbed to the canvas. Once you see the picture without a film, stop and move to another area. I rubbed some parts of my photo off, but it actually makes it look very antiqued.

And the finished product:


Hanging on a wall.


Which looks exactly like the one on the desk. Awesome. I forgot to mention that you should put a layer of gel medium on top of the picture after you are done rubbing to protect. That is all.

5 comments:

Sweetie Pumpkin Kitty said...

You did it!!!! That is awesome. So wait, what is that stuff you spread all over the canvas called?

still life angie said...

Matte gel medium. There is also satin, gloss, semi-gloss gel medium, I think. Basically, it is acrylic paint without the pigment. You can add it to paint to change its properties, like turn it shiny, or over a finished canvas to seal it and give it texture. If you ever see like prints on canvas that have a texture, it is acrylic gel medium on top of a print. Matte gel medium tubes look like paint tubes, sold near paint. It also works like glue when you are doing mixed media work, so you can add a layer, then put things into it. Hope that helps.

Tina said...

That is beautiful!

HereWeGoAJen said...

Ooh, I love that!

Hope's Mama said...

He is going to love it!