Image Transfers (Art Journal)

How is it August already?!  I've used the collage sheets from Anna's Patreon to make my journal page this month.  Anna has created a really helpful You Tube video explaining how these work and what you get in this month's bundle.  There are some gorgeous pages this month.  I was drawn to the flower paintings and so decided to use them in my page.  Sometimes I like to use acrylic or watercolour paint over the top of the collage sheets, and sometimes (like this month!) I'm not really sure where my page is going to go - because of this I like to use an image transfer technique to add the image to my journal.  This means that any work I do on top is in my journal, so on mixed media or watercolour paper rather than on the printer paper I print them on.  It also 'feels' like it's part of the page if that makes sense.

I start by printing my collage sheets - it's best to do this on a laser printer if you can (images printed on ink jet printers tend to run when you add water - although if you use a packing tape image transfer technique you're safe to print however you can).    Remember that your image will be added to your journal in a mirror image here, so if you're printing anything with words just tell your printer to print a mirror image at the first stage.


Apply a generous coat of matte medium to your journal page (you want an even coat so I just use my fingers) and then add the page (printed side down) to your journal.  Don't get any matte medium on the reverse of the page.  Leave this to dry completely (don't use a heat gun because it can bubble the matte medium and make it brittle when dry).

Once it is all dry, start to rip around the edges so that you have a rough edge.  Spray the image with a thin layer of water, I just do a little at a time.  Start to rub the image with your finger quite quickly - you will notice that you start to roll away the top layer of the paper and that your image remains.  Do the whole page and leave to dry.  You might find that some of your image rubs away too - I don't worry about this as I quite like the texture it adds - if you don't like it you just need to be ultra careful with your rubbing.

Once dry you might notice a white layer on the page - this is because there is some paper pulp remaining - just wet your finger and rub again or do as I do and rub with a baby wipe.  You might need to do this a couple of times.

Eventually your image will be completely transferred - but you're fingers are likely to be quite sore and smooth!

I added black paint around the edges (I do this with my fingers as well because I like the smokey look it gives) and drew in some of the flowers I had lost - I felt like this embedded the images onto my page further and my art became mixed with Anna's.

I added some Tim Holtz clippings (I'm a big fan of found poetry lately).  The page really reminded me of a magical garden at night so the journaling reads: 'She could believe the little starts by the light of the moon.  I dream of stars that glitter.  Stars adorn the sky, never meant to last.'

Don't forget to check out Anna's Patreon and you can find more of my art here, or on my blog, or on Instagram.