Monarchs in the Garden

The two hardest things I’ve learned about creating acrylic skin transfers is Patience and rubbing as gently as if you were rubbing a butterfly’s wing!  As you work thru the process keep chanting this to yourself!!

Step 1 

Unless you have copyright permission I would suggest you only use your own photos.  I like to use my own paintings as my photo material. So, take a picture of what you want to use for an acrylic skin transfer.  I used this oil painting I had done of a Monarch Butterfly in my garden.  I wanted a butterfly to transfer into a couple of abstract acrylic floral  paintings of my garden.  I edited the photo in Photoshop until I had the size and colours I wanted. Then I printed the photo out onto 8 by 11 paper on my colour ink jet printer.  I use an ink jet printer because then the colours are not heat set and can be lifted by the acrylic medium more readily. 

Step 2
This is important.  Be patient and let your new printout dry for 24 hours!

Step 3

Lay your printout onto a folded layer of freezer paper or  I like to lay my printouts on to a glass plate. You need to lay it onto a nonstick surface. Next you need to use artist tape to adhere your printouts to the glass plate.  When taping the image down give an ample distance between the image edges and tape.  Don’t trim the image too close.  When peeling off the tape there might be some tearing, so ensure the tape is applied to the paper border around the image.

Gac 800 by golden is great for skins.  
Now you get to paint on your medium.  I suggest at least 3 to 5 coats.  Let the medium dry between each coat.  You paint the medium onto the front side of your print out. First layer paint all in one direction. Let dry. Second coat. Paint all in opposite direction. Let dry.  Third coat paint all in original direction.  Let dry. Repeat up to 5 times.  Then let dry 24 hours.  PATIENCE

Step 4
Gently peel off the tape.  Then very gently blend a little bit of water on to the front of your transfer till the image looks translucent. About 2 minutes.  Next, turn the transfer over so it is paper side facing you.  Add enough water to cover the whole transfer.  I do this in a cookie sheet. Wait 5 minutes. Now the real work begins.  Remember those butterfly wings?  Starting in a corner, in very gentle circular rubbing motions begin rubbing off the paper.  Be gentle!  This is very slow work.  Too hard you will tear the transfer.  If you do tear don’t panic just don’t loose the segment.  Gently rinse away your rubbings.  The transfer probably doesn’t need to be submerged in water any longer but it still needs to be wet to ensure the rubbed paper comes off.

Step 5. 
This could happen!   Did I say Patience!  Well I don’t have it! I should have left it to dry for a Week!  Unfortunately, it looked and felt dry but wasn’t!  While in the wet process of rubbing, most of the inks rubbed off!  This happens if the inks are not dried into the medium!   Grrrrrrr

Step 6
When your finished acrylic transfer is completely rubbed off of paper, gently lay it flat.  When it is dry glue it down onto your painting surface.  I use acrylic matt medium gel for the gluing down.

Monarch On the Buddleia   

10 by 10

Mixed Media on Canvas

Monarch in the coneflowers 

10 by 10

Mixed Media on Canvas