This surprisingly easy technique for transferring images into a plastic yields a wide variety of possible uses. The thin nature an flexibility of the gel makes it well-suited for incorporating into artworks. It's transparency gives some interesting possibilities... think light boxes or night lights (I did a multi-piece light installation with gel medium transfers as part of BFA work). The malleability makes it well suited for jewelry and other small craft projects. This tutorial shows the basics - more the process than a final product - your imagination can take it from something simple into something amazing. There's almost an infinite number of applications across the arts and crafts spectrum. And i realize the image of the BMW isn't the most artistically dynamic, but it works pretty well to show the process.
step 1Materials
The '''basic materials''' list is pleasantly short. What you'll need: - acrylic gel medium - brush - dish or tray - water - scissors (in case trimming is necessary) - an i…
step 2Apply first coat of gel medium
Place the image on a work surface (dried acrylic gel can be difficult to remove from unwanted areas). Apply a thin coat of the acrylic gel medium with the brush, being car…
step 3Wash your brush!
There's little worse than a brush that has dried acrylic medium gummed up in it! Wash the brush in warm running water after each application. Enough time for the coat to d…
step 4Continue applying coats of gel
Apply the second coat of gel medium, alternating the brush direction to ensure an even application. Each alternating layer should be brushed in a perpendicular direction to…
step 5Allow the image to fully dry
It's critical that the image coated with the gel be allowed to fully dry, which usually takes around 48 hours. If you can wait longer, up to 72 hrs, it will be to your adva…
step 6Soak the image
After the image has fully dried, it's time to soak it in water (as contradictory as that may seem) to dissolve the paper. If the gel hasn't fully set, the acrylic will begi…
step 7Gently remove the softened paper from the gel
A relatively straight-forward step: Gently rub the paper side to break up and dissolve the paper from the gel medium. Be sure to keep working at the gel, getting all of t…
step 8Dry the gel image
After carefully scrubbing all of the paper fibers off of the gel, give it one final rinse in fresh water to remove all paper residue and allow to dry. I usually place the …
step 9The final product, ready for use
After drying, you're left with the transferred image in the gel. It's ready to use however you chose... incorporate into art projects, paintings, etc., treat it as an objec…