Last of the image transfers with the tree image (no, really)

[terri]

Okay, as I mentioned in this thread I came across a couple tissue paper image transfers I had set aside while teaching myself the process, and decided to have a play.

This one is a little different. I had read about a "peeling paper" technique for layering in collage and thought I'd try it.

On a 6x9" canvas, I glued down a piece of sheet music and painted gel medium over it to seal it. Then, using the same gel medium as glue, I glued a plain piece of white copy paper over it to cover it completely. Before letting the gel/glue dry completely, I applied strips of plain old masking tape from side to side of the canvas, letting the ends hang over the edge while burnishing firmly onto the white copy paper. I did this in two or three places. After another minute or so, I lifted one end of the dangling masking tape and pulled gently along and across the canvas, until the top layer of the copy paper started to pull off. Then I gently was able to take a piece of the separated paper and pull freely in any direction, using the other strips to start the tear in other places. (How far this gets is a decision you make as you go along.) I ended up with some of the white paper still completely there, and quite a bit pulled back by a top layer so I could see the sheet music faintly through the thin remaining layer.

I let it all dry down completely. Then I did a tri-color wash of watercolor paint over it. It was nice to see it settle into the torn areas and leave lighter color in other areas. I'm a terrible watercolor artist but do have a cheap Crayola set to play with, and they worked just fine for this process.

Here it was at this stage:

I almost stopped there but was really trying it for a background, so after letting it all dry from the water, I coated the fragile torn paper top with the gel medium to seal it. Then I laid down the tissue paper image transfer of - you guessed it - the tree:

The tissue paper muffled out the sheet music even more, and I had hoped it would show better. Oh well. After a final seal with the gel medium, I hammered together another little frame and painted it an acrylic blue that matched the watercolor dark blue.

It was several steps, but overall pretty easy to cobble together. I'll try this process again for something other than the tree, which I'm kinda tired of looking at by now. But I did want to use them all up.

All comments welcomed and appreciated. Thanks for looking!

 

[snowbear]

Once again, you show you are the master of this technique. I almost want to see a little more of the sheet music, just a little.

 

[CherylL]

Thanks for posting the steps and the photos. Love the colors! The tree pops on this!

 

[terri]

Charlie, Cheryl - thank you both so much!

@snowbear : I agree about the music sheet. It was irksome to see that one little tree branch cover the largest torn piece of the music showing, but once the tissue paper hits that wet gel medium, you can't move it around much. Too friable.

 

[snowbear]

@snowbear : It was irksome to see that one little tree branch cover the largest torn piece of the music showing, but once the tissue paper hits that wet gel medium, you can't move it around much. Too friable.

chainsaw.