Image transfer - tissue paper technique

[terri]

This was different, and fun. Also, relatively easy, which is always a plus.

I took an original photo of mine and printed it out onto plain inkjet paper, and increased the brightness and contrast to make sure a lot of ink was getting onto that paper:

Then I transferred it onto a sheet of plain white tissue paper, the kind you use in gift wrap, using a clear xylene pen. When I was done going over the image, I lifted up the copy paper and the transfer looked something like this:

This particular transfer is a little thin, so I repeated the process but didn't take another photo of the better one. But you get the idea.

I had painted a small, maybe 6x8" canvas with transparent fluid paint, and then glued an old sheet of music from a small old music book. It looked like this when dry:

I tore around the image transfer tissue to get the size I needed to fit over the sheet music. Then I applied a soft gel medium over the piece of sheet music and, while it was still wet, I pressed the tissue paper over the sheet music and smoothed it out (carefully!). I coated the tissue paper with more gel medium (matte finish) to seal it well over the sheet music.

Final piece:

If there had been any text in the original shot, I would have flipped the photo horizontally before printing, to account for that reversal, but here it didn't particularly matter. I do like the process, and may do something similar on a larger scale. Working with the wet tissue is about the only fraught part of the whole thing. Thanks for looking!

 

[SquarePeg]

Nicely done Terri! That’s a cool process. Can you explain more about how you transferred the image from the photo to the tissue paper? I love the use of the sheet music. I’ve wanted to try a watercolor on sheet music but haven’t gotten to that yet.

 

[smoke665]

This is a really nice project. Difficult enough to challenge, easy enough to not overwhelm. Reminds me somewhat of Decoupage.

 

[webestang64]

Neat project.

 

[JamesD]

Hey that's pretty neat. I like it even just on the tissue paper, that looks cool enough even on its own to frame up and hang. But the final product has an ambiance I can really appreciate. I think I'll have to add this to my list of things go try some day.

Do you think a photo made with lith film would be well-suited to this?

 

[snowbear]

Gel medium, like Liquitex and other acrylic paint media?

 

[terri]

Nicely done Terri! That’s a cool process. Can you explain more about how you transferred the image from the photo to the tissue paper? I love the use of the sheet music. I’ve wanted to try a watercolor on sheet music but haven’t gotten to that yet.

Thank you! I used a pen with a fat tip, colorless, filled with Xylene as the transfer medium. Kinda smells but no worse than nail polish remover. Let me look up the exact name.

Gel medium, like Liquitex and other acrylic paint media?

Exactly!

I started off by painting the 6x8" frame that reddish color. I used Golden Soft Gel matte medium to glue the little piece of music down, plus added another coat on top since I knew the tissue paper was coming.

Reminds me somewhat of Decoupage.

It's close enough in technique to call it that, agreed. Whenever I break out the gel medium I just think I'm doing Collage.

Do you think a photo made with lith film would be well-suited to this?

Sounds like it could be beautiful! I went with a plain B&W image so I could bump up the contrast and not think too much more about it. But why not try it?

Neat project

Thank you, Scotty!

 

[CherylL]

Cool project! Is the medium similar to ModgePodge?

 

[terri]

Nicely done Terri! That’s a cool process. Can you explain more about how you transferred the image from the photo to the tissue paper? I love the use of the sheet music. I’ve wanted to try a watercolor on sheet music but haven’t gotten to that yet.

Sharon, it's a Chartpak Ad colorless blender marker. Has the look of a regular Sharpie, so it's not intimidating to use.

The key is having a plain paper printout from a plain old laser printer (not dye or pigment print). Reverse the print (a laser copier is okay too) if there's text, then tape it face down onto the tissue paper to keep it from moving. You can see your image through plain copy paper so you know where to apply the pen. When the paper gets wet the image shows clearly, and you just burnish (rub in firmly) to get the ink to transfer.

A bone folder is good, so is the back of a plain spoon! You can lift up the paper while you go along to see how it's going. I stuck with a smaller image using the marker. Nail polish remover that's 100% (or darn close) acetone applied with a cotton ball is easier for larger images.

When you're done, that tissue paper isn't too fragile so you can set it aside if need be. It'll keep.

 

[terri]

Cool project! Is the medium similar to ModgePodge?

Yep, it is! Thank you, it was fun and different to do.

 

[smoke665]

pen with a fat tip, colorless, filled with Xylene as t

Okay little PSA here, Xylene is a potent industrial solvent. Extremely flammable and breathing in vapors can be harmful. You should limit exposure to fumes and work in a well ventilated area. The quantity and concentrations probably isnt ss strong as we used in the shop, areation fans and respirators were required. Wouldn't want your husband to find you out side swinging in the trees. LOL

 

[terri]

Wouldn't want your husband to find you out side swinging in the trees.

You say that assuming it's never happened before.

 

[smoke665]

You say that assuming it's never happened before.

 

[terri]

Okay little PSA here, Xylene is a potent industrial solvent. Extremely flammable and breathing in vapors can be harmful. You should limit exposure to fumes and work in a well ventilated area. Wouldn't want your husband to find you out side swinging in the trees. LOL

The pen is clearly marked with these warnings. And it's just the tip showing, similar in size to a larger Sharpie. I cap it while working and it evaporates rapidly. But point taken.

 

[smoke665]

pen is clearly marked with these warnings. And it's just the tip showing, similar in size to a larger Sharpie.

We live in a crazy world, would not believe the medic runs I've been on from people huffing Sharpies, paint, anything with Xylene or Toluene, ingesting drain cleaner, trying to smoke Raid soaked tobacco, anything to get high on.