Citrasolv Transfer Technique

Roses transfer from old edition of Style at Home magazine using Citrasolv. 

Though I love doing photo transfers using gel medium, acrylic paint, or gesso, using a different technique can open new creative doors. In this video, I did transfers from glossy, matte, and printer/cartridge paper. 

The video: 

Unlike the near perfect transfers which can be achieved using acrylic paints or mediums, transfers using Citrasolv have a soft focus quality, regardless of the type of paper (glossy, matte, printer) used.

Transfer from glossy pages of old Good Homes magazine using Citrasolv. 

Some of things I learned while making this video: 

These transfers did not work on pages covered with gesso. The best I was able to achieve on a pre-gessoed page was a dark smear; 

If you spill a few drops of Citrasolv, it will not damage a polished wood table; however, the orange scent will linger for several days; 

Take care with thinner papers, such as printer/cartridge paper, tissue paper, etc. Wearing through the paper as you rub the ink from the transfer paper unto your journal page will damage the the transfer;

And if, like me, you cannot resist taking a peek at how the transfer is progressing: 

Vector from Retrovectors.com printed on a home inkjet printer. 

While getting Citrasolv in the UK can be a bit of a trick, it is available through amazon.co.uk and in the cleaning supply section of a few markets which specialise in organic foods and products. 

Audiobook: Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. Read by Martin Jarvis. 

SUPPLY LIST & LINKS: 

1. Altered Canson XL Mixed-Media Journal (7”x10” or 17.7cm x 25.4cm), using a gesso-free, clean piece of paper
2. Cotton balls/cotton wool
3. Citrasolv (also available at amazon.co.uk)
4. Old Magazines: I chose Good Homes (glossy pages) and Style at Home (matte pages)
5. Vectors from Retrovectors.com
6. Martha Stewart Bone Folder
7. Home printer
8. Krylon Workable Fixatif (Difficult to find in the UK; however, Cass Art has a number of excellent alternatives, including Conte a Paris)
9. Liquitex Clear Gesso  (Also available at Cass Art)