We’ve not used watercolours in our art journal sessions for some time, so this month felt like the perfect opportunity. I combined fresh washes of colour with toner transfer art journaling techniques, using laser printouts to add layered imagery and texture to the page.. Here’s the sample layout I made for the session:
Step-by-step tutorial: toner transfer for art journaling
Start off by laying down a dilute wash of watercolours. I chose to dry between colours so they did not blend together. Overlaying wet-on-dry watercolours can still mix colours, but they have more distinct edges. I chose colours to emulate the image I had chosen to transfer.
- Renesans Intense watercolours: Transparent Yellow / Phthalocyanine Blue / Scarlet Red / Purple Magenta
- Winsor & Newton Professional watercolours: Opera Rose
Use spare watercolour puddles to pick up and splatter across the page. Rinse the brush between colours, but I didn’t bother drying between the splatting.
I printed out some black and white collage images onto copier transparencies. Remember to mirror the image first if there is any text.
Lay the transparency on the page with the toner side down (slightly matte finish). Cover with greaseproof paper/parchment and using a hot iron warm up the area to transfer and then use the edge of the iron to apply pressure. Lift the iron, remove the parchment and fan the page about to cool it down before lifting the transparency.
Some toner will transfer nicely, other bits won’t – that’s just the way it is and adds to the grungy effect. If you want to try again, using the transparency means it’s fairly easy to line up the image and repeat the transfer process. Cover the pages as much as you wish.
Next, we’ll be transferring colour prints. Mirror the image again and print it onto plain paper.
Lay the printed side down and apply xylene thinner to the back of the printed area. Burnish with the back of a spoon. You can carefully lift a corner to see if the transfer has taken. Burnish a little more and then lift the paper away.
CAUTION
Xylene thinners are flammable and not very good for you. Ensure good ventilation and that the soaked paper and applicator are put outside until the solvent has evaporated.
‘Steam’ off the remaining solvent from the transfer using a heat tool, bearing in mind the caution above.
For the sentiment, choose a complementary ink colour and stamp it onto a piece of watercolour paper. I used a stamping platform so I could stamp it twice for a full and crisp image.
- Ranger Archival Ink: Mountain Lake
- Tonic / Tim Holtz Stamping Platform
- Stampers Anonymous / Tim Holtz cling stamps: Life Quotes [CMS227] / Random Quotes [CMS182]
For the mat under the sentiment, I used a stronger wash of the same watercolours around the outside edges. Stick the sentiment to the mat and then place on the layout to your liking.
Melt the bonding powder with a heat tool – it will go clear and will feel slightly tacky.
Image sources
I used Creative Fabrica as the source for the black and white collage pages and the butterfly image. I adapted the collage pages, choosing four, desaturating them in Photoshop and reducing each of them to fit in a quarter of an A4 sheet (i.e. four to a page). I then mirrored the image before printed it using a black and white laser printer. For the butterfly, I again mirrored it, adjusted the size to my liking and printed 6 to an A4 sheet on a colour laser printer. Please note that the transfer techniques described rely on toner – inkjet printouts will not work.
For the visual learners
Here’s the link to my YouTube video recording my sample making: https://youtu.be/ZT3Q2KtaRn4
Fancy joining us next month?
The Studio hosts an art journaling session on the first Monday of the month, between 7:30pm and 10pm. Booking is essential (so I can prep materials and tidy a space on the table). It costs just £5, with your first session free, and journals can be purchased on the night for £2 if you do not already have your own. All materials are provided and hot and cold drinks are served. For October’s session, we’ll be playing with strips and stripes – keep an eye out at the end of this month for the teaser image on our socials.