Tip Jar Thursdays! No. 11 - Transfers • Art House Co-op

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Tip Jar Thursdays! No. 11 - Transfers

It’s that day of the week again, my friends! Welcome to the 11th Edition of Tip Jar Thursdays.

Seeking her expert advice on image transfer techniques, we got in touch with Sketchbook Project 2011 Artist, Nicole Gervacio, from Oakland, California.

Above: Nicole’s 2011 Sketchbook Cover

Below: The Back Cover

Nicole’s artwork may look a bit familiar to some of you from our Tip Jar Thursday post two weeks ago on Collage & Appropriation. This week, she graciously granted us an interview to discuss exactly how to do your own Transfer Printing in your Sketchbook.

As a warm up, we asked Nicole how she got involved with the Sketchbook Project in the first place:

NG: I found out about The Sketchbook Project from my older sister Stephanie. She’s always introducing me to new and interesting things. She is the reason why I even started drawing.

AH: Shout out to Stephanie! How long have you been making transfers?

NG: I learned how to transfer images about four years ago when I first started attending CCA (California College of the Arts) and really got into them when I took a painting and drawing class focused on collage. I knew basic xerox transfers but the collage class taught me how to use acrylic mediums to create transparent transfers. It is a really interesting tool for incorporating found images into my work.

Excited to try it out? So are we!

Here’s is what you will need to get started:

- A clean surface in a well-ventilated area (To avoid breathing in fumes!)

- Your Sketchbook (Of course!)

- Paper, fabric, or any interesting non-coated, absorbent surface

- Artist’s tape or Painter’s tape

- Colorless Blender Marker, Acetone/Lacquer Thinner, or Wintergreen Oil

- Cotton Balls / Q-Tips / Rags / Paint Brushes for application

- Protective Gloves (It’s important to keep those chemicals from getting on your skin!)

- Bone Folder / Wooden Spoon / Burnisher

- Xerox Copies (Toner based), LaserJet, or InkJet Copies (If you are going to use Inkjet print outs, it is best to use printers with Durabite ink) of your Images

Now you’re ready!

Here are the steps to Nicole’s transfer process, which she explained during her interview:

I make xerox copies [of the images] in black and white and sometimes color.

If I print from a computer I make sure the printer is a laser printer, a printer with regular inkjet will not transfer because of the difference in the ink.

If I plan to transfer something with text I copy the image and reverse it so when it is transferred it will read left to right.

*The transfer image will be a mirror image of what you started with.*

I place the image I want to transfer face down on a surface whether it is paper, fabric, or a textured surface.

Use tape to hold the image in place, especially if it is a large image and the transfer needs multiple sets of “coloring” and burnishing. It also helps so I can lift the xerox copy and check if there are any areas that did not transfer before completely removing it.

Next, I use a colorless blender marker and “color” over the back of the image or over the areas I wish to transfer. The paper will become somewhat transparent where the clear blending fluid has been drawn; it helps me see which parts I am transferring.

I also like to use acetone or lacquer thinner with a rag or paintbrush to apply, the fumes are just more intense. I have also heard Wintergreen oil works very well.

I burnish, or rub, the back of the image with a bone folder to help transfer the image to the opposite surface. I use a lot of pressure. The rounded tools help prevent indented lines from being made on the surface of the paper.

Nicole also had some extra advice to leave us with:

1. Be original:

NH: If what you want to transfer stands as a good image alone, either toss it or find a way to make it your own… sometimes you need to cut something up, blur the transferred image, or paint over what you have transferred to make it part of the piece.

2. Blow it up / Blow it out: