Gel Transfer Technique

So... I started this project with the intention of using photocopy acetate to transfer the images onto a gel covered surface. The trouble I experienced with this technique was that it was just a bit too unpredictable. I wanted to preserve the quality of the image, but with the acetate, I was only getting a faded and sparse image.

Aiming to achieve a different effect, and with some advice from my Mansfield professor, I started painting thick layers of gel over a paper image. The image has to be toner-based, but can be color, b&w, or even from a magazine or book. After the gel layers dry sufficiently, I submerge the entire paper into a bowl of water (as seen on the video clip). After the paper fibers have softened enough to be removed, I carefully work the paper away from the gel. The toner has already bonded to the gel, so when the paper is removed, the image stays on the gel.

In the video, I begin removing the paper from an image that has been coated with gel, and I finish up paper removal on a smaller gel that has already been worked once. No narration, just the artist working with the birds happily chirping in the background!

I've found that this technique is working well with my "femmage" collages... and I have been able to successfully control the results to some extant.