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Photo Transfer Art — an Emerging & Fascinating Form of Modern Abstract Art
One of the most interesting and creative forms of contemporary abstract art around at the moment is Photo Transfer Art. This short article considers the process of transferring an image onto canvas or wood with links to useful videos from two artists who make great use of Photo Transfer Art in their work.
If you want to learn how to transfer an image (either a photo you have taken or one you have found) there are two main ways to do it. You can add paint layers afterwards or mix in other images to create an original piece of mixed media artwork. Both of these processes involve using a laser print of your image because the ink from an inkjet printer dissolves in water but the ink from a laser printer is fixed.
In terms of extra materials beyond the obvious painting materials, you will need an acrylic gel medium or PVA glue, olive oil or baby oil, a small sponge, and some water. You will need to start the day before as you need to leave the image to dry overnight.
Direct Photo Transfer
1 Start by using Photoshop or an equivalent platform to reverse your image to a mirror image. If you have never done this before there are plenty of tutorials online. You may wish to use a photograph you have taken yourself for authenticity.
