Preferred methods of image transfer?

Your preferred method of image transfer?


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I see this thread goes back a few years interesting, most of my efforts are on thick white card A1 or around A2 size I use a `Kwik Draw` projector most of the time to size up a drawing or a printed photo snaffed from pinterest or similar site the image is sharp enough for decent detail to work with
 
This one’s all depend on the kind of art you’re doing. Back in the 90s I did on one of those Artograph opaque projectors, which is about the size of a small suitcase. These days projectors are a lot more compact. Or you can simply use a computer projector and do all your line work in a raster program like adobe illustrator prior to transfer to your work service. One method that I’m currently using is to print an entire image onto frisket film. The film can then be applied directly to the work surface.
 
raster program like adobe illustrator
Not a raster program, but a vector program. Raster program would be Photoshop.
raster_vs_vector.jpg


I'm not picking on you electric, I'm expressing love. :laugh:
 
What is your preferred method of image transfer? If you have another, please let us know and we may add it to the list.

I voted on the three methods (slide and bulb projectors, and pounce) I know from experience at the beginning, more than 25 years ago, but evolved my approach with the passing of time and as new technologies became available. This was when I was painting in oils, mind... I am new to airbrushing. But in the case of image transfer, the skillset is shared, whatever media one works with.

Below follows one of my Project lifecycles, which I have used several times. You all probably know this already, I'll just share in case it is useful to anyone, shall I?

I started to use a drawing pen tablet connected to a PC via USB at one point. I still have one, a newer tablet (HUION Q11K V2). The method:

  1. Draw or trace or whatever you wish to transfer later, using the pen tablet. This produces a file, which you...
  2. Save or convert to your preferred format on your PC or laptop;
  3. If required, you can then edit the file with a vector editing app, or a photo editing app. Save it again.
  4. Send the file online to a suitable commercial printer, to print on canvas or whatever choice of paper, aluminium, and even wood panel, specifying:
    1. The type of support you want as I said; and...
    2. The exact size, which may or may not be a standard, or alternatively an image split across two sizes if you wish to work on a diptych.
  5. Think about your Workflow Execution Plan while you wait for delivery of the printed support and order any colours or materials you might need;
  6. The printed image is now ready to be isolated with your isolation coating of choice, whatever suits the support you have and what follows in terms of execution. Here, what is valid for oil painters and traditional method artists is equally valid for the airbrush crowd, probably. The drawing must be isolated, though to ensure it does not bleed through during execution of the artwork.
  7. Mount the support. For example, if it is a canvas you might want to have it stretched, or marouflage it on panel; or if it is paper, mount it in your preferred method, whatever that may be. This is the last step, because the isolation of the base image involves wetting and this may cause some shrinkage, at least up to 5%. If it is stretched, mounted or marouflaged first, there is a risk of tearing.
Note that what you are going to have printed on the support is the amplified image of your initial drawing. Or it could be a photo for example, which you traced using your pen tablet, or an image which you used the pen tablet to help you simplify or modify, adjust the values, etc, etc, etc... The possibilities are almost endless. Just as an example, I liked to send the file to the printer in a Raw Umber tone and when the canvas was delivered, I isolated the drawing with a Yellow Ochre overall tone, to kill the white background and give me a key for value during execution of the painting. It is probably less of an issue with airbrushing? Value gradations may be simpler to achieve with airbrushing, by controlling distance to the surface, paint volume being sprayed and number of passes or overlaps?... I am new to airbrushing so I don't know for sure, but you will know what I mean.

The above process is a very efficient method of arriving at the amplified image on the final support you are going to use, free from messy handling, image distortion and a lot of time spent doing the transfer manually, a process that's not pain-free a lot of the time. At least for me it definitely was not pain-free as the straining on my neck often gave me backpain and tension headache.

Also worth saying that you can do the printing part yourself, if you have a really good inkjet printer capable of printing to A3 format, on paper. But when you plan to work to really much larger scales, a professional printer is the right choice, because they have large plotters and can print to very large dimensions.

Any decent Fine Art commercial printer will have a choice of canvases and papers from reputable manufacturers. You will find the full paper ranges from Hahnemühle, Canson, Awagami, etc. Canvases from Hahnemühle (eg Art Canvas Smooth) and from Canson (eg Infinity Museum Pro) are usually available. They are heavyweight, 375gsm and over; it is good stuff.

Anyway, I just thought it might be useful to some. I'll shut up now. :laugh:
 
Some other interesting methods for doing image transfers not considered here:

-Directly printing an image onto a mask or frisket.
-Camera Lucida
-Acetone transfer
 
I paid $10 for the sewing machine. Singer 6136 from around 1981. Came with a whole bunch of other stuff too . Works great :).

I'll post a pic in my Different Tangent post.
 
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