Crash the Stash with Nicole Austin: Image Transfer & Collage

I find that the simplest techniques are my favorite and they produce the most fun, unexpected results!  In this tutorial, I’ll show you how easy it is to create a simple “resist” looking background using stencils, gesso and paint.

 I’ll also show you how to add collage images directly to your surface using a gel medium transfer technique. Gel medium transfers can be a little tricky when you first start out.  I suggest practicing on plain, gessoed paper first to try it out and get the timing right.

My best advice is to use high quality gel medium such as Golden brand. It is a bit more expensive, but I find that I have more luck with this brand than any others.  It’s also important to let the paper dry just a bit before you begin wetting the back of the paper and that you also rub the paper off gently so that you don’t life the image entirely!

Trial and error is your best friend on this one! And if that doesn’t work, good old fussy-cutting and gluing is a great alternative, too!  Whatever the technique, I always encourage you to make it work for you, and take a break when it doesn’t feel “fun” anymore! Art can be fun, challenging, enlightening, etc, but it can also get frustrating, too! And that’s all part of the journey.

What I find is the pieces I love the most are usually the ones that I didn’t fuss too much over, or the ones that I let go of expectations and just played around for fun.  Experiment and take the time to find what works for you! 🙂

Enjoy the video

List Products Used:

Stencils: Doodle Leaves, Doodle Flowers 2

Collage Pak: Collage Pak Sunday Inspiration 7-2-17

Paint: Dina Wakley Media (Night, Turquoise)

Golden high flow acrylic (Teal)

Paint Pens: Liquitex 15mm (Cadmium Red, Bright Aqua Green, Vivid Lime Green, Fluorescent Pink, Fluorescent Red) & Sharpie Extra Bold (Black)

Dina Wakley Media Gesso

Stabilo Marks-all pencil (black)

Stabilo Woody 3-in-1 pencil (red & black)

Waterbrush

Paint scraper (old gift card or a palette knife)

Baby wipes

Makeup sponges

Dylusions Journal (Square Kraft)

Golden Soft Gel Medium (matte)

Old rag

Mod Podge and/or glue stick

Collage paper scraps (old book pages, scrapbook paper, gelli prints, etc.)

You can see more from Nicole here: