BACKGROUND PAPERS

PASTE PAPER

MATERIALS
Large paint brushes Wallpaper paste or Methylcellulose paste
Palette (CMC)
Spray bottle with water Acrylic paints
Sponge Paper
Mark making/texture tools

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Place about 120ml (8 tablespoons) into small container
2. Spoon some of the paste into the palette and add 1 or 2 teaspoons of acrylic
paint. Do this again with a different colour
3. Wet the paper by misting with water
4. Wipe the paper with a damp sponge
5. Brush one colour on the paper
6. Brush second colour on top
7. With a texture tool make marks in the paper
8. Hang to dry

FROTTAGE:
Textured paper and/or stencils
Old credit card

1. Put textured paper or stencil underneath the paper to be pasted

2. Paint paper with two or three colours (light, medium, dark). Cover paper with
lightest colour, then paint edges with medium colour and add the darkest colour
to create depth.
3. With the edge of an old credit card or similar scrape over the surface of the
paper, change direction
4. Wipe the card when it is too full of paint

The finished papers can be protected with:

Beeswax – rub a cake of solid beeswax over the paper and buff with a soft cotton cloth
Acrylic Varnish – best applied with a foam brush
Acrylic Wax – also apply with foam brush

paste paper, coated with InkAid (clear) and overprinted

paste paper with sequin
waste used for texture

From: Painted Paper by Alisa Golden, Sterling Publishing (2008), ISBN: 1-4027-3193-0

Off the Shelf Mixed-Media

Jen Henley
Art Van Go, 28 November 2009
ENCASED PAPER

MATERIALS
Copy paper
Lightfast water colours (Koh-i-Nor) or Procion dye mix
Pipettes
Spray bottle with water
Acrylic gloss medium
Foam brush
Freezer paper (Reynolds) or baking parchment

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Spray copy paper with water
2. Crumple wet paper
3. Carefully lay flat on freezer paper (wax side down) – this can later be used for
collage
4. Drop water colour/dye onto damp paper with pipette or round brush
5. Spray with water to keep colours moving
6. Blot dry with a paper towel
7. Leave to dry completely
8. Using a foam brush coat both sides with a thin application of gloss medium
9. Dry paper on waxy side of freezer paper or on baking parchment

encased paper paper scanned and used as background for a digitally

enhanced image

Off the Shelf Mixed-Media

Jen Henley
Art Van Go, 28 November 2009
ALTERED MAGAZINE PAGES
CitraSolv is a natural cleaner & degreaser made from orange
peel, orange oil and biodegradable surfactant (derived from
coconut).

MATERIALS
CitraSolv poured into a small foil or ceramic container
National Geographic magazine
Latex gloves
Old paintbrush
Heat gun or iron

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Paint CitraSolv to one side only of a National Geographic double-page spread

2. Place the "wet" side face down on the other page & rub the back a little
3. Use a heat gun to dry the back of the wet page (or an iron)
4. Peel the pages apart before they stick

In the UK CitraSolv can be bought online from 21st Century Health – I get the large 32oz
bottle, expensive but works out more economical in the long run.

http://www.21stcenturyhealth.co.uk/productdetail.asp?category=&prodid=30

Metal Polish Wadding

Metal polish wadding is a great way of distressing magazine photos – just

wipe a small piece of wadding over the image. Some magazines work
better than others, the National Geographic is the best. Otherwise it is
trial and error on glossy magazines.

In the USA many collage artists use Nevr Dull

http://sallyt.typepad.com/imagine_this/2009/02/whats-next.html

ADDITIONAL TECHNIQUE:
For both CitraSolv and Brasso you can paint/stencil a pattern first using Acrylic Matte
Medium as a resist. This way you will leave areas of the original colour.

USES
The papers can be used for collage, for scanning and then used as a background in
digital art, decoupage, or the scanned image can be printed onto fabric.

Off the Shelf Mixed-Media

Jen Henley
Art Van Go, 28 November 2009
IMAGE TRANSFER METHODS

HAND SANITISER WITH INKJET PRINTS

MATERIALS
Alcohol gel hand sanitizer
Paper – experiment with different types
White fabric – again different types
Chosen image printed onto an Inkjet OHP transparency (mirror image if necessary)
Old credit card for spreading
Brayer or large spoon for burnishing

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Spread the alcohol gel onto smooth paper/fabric. You should be able to see the
gel on the surface but there should be no pools of gel
2. Place the OHP transparency ink side down on top of the gel
3. Roll the back of the transparency with a brayer or use the back of a spoon to
smooth out any air bubbles
4. Wait 60 seconds, lift a corner to see if the image has transferred
5. Rub the back again to transfer any areas that had not fully transferred
6. Remove the transparency and let image dry
7. You may be able to get a second print from the transparency

From: Book + Art by Dorothy Simpson Krause, North Light Books (2009), ISBN: 1-60061-154-0

ACRYLIC GEL TRANSFER WITH LASER PRINT/PHOTOCOPY

MATERIALS
Acrylic Regular Gel (matte)
Paper/fabric
Chosen image – this has to be a toner copy either laser printed or photocopied
Old credit card

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Completely cover image with acrylic gel
2. Place face down on paper/fabric
3. Burnish – an old credit card is good for this
4. Do not leave too long as the gel acts like glue and is quick setting. Lift a corner to
see if the transfer process has taken place.
5. Burnish again if necessary
6. Peel off the backing paper. Any residual paper can be rubbed off gently with a
finger

Off the Shelf Mixed-Media

Jen Henley
Art Van Go, 28 November 2009
THINGS TO DO WITH PAPER

• Brown envelope crumpled > wash of paint > rub with Markal paintstick
• Brown paper crumpled > baby oil
• Brown paper crumpled > graphite > baby oil
• Brown paper crumpled > paint white
• Brown paper crumpled > rub with candle wax > ironed
• Cartridge paper > punched
• Cartridge paper crumpled
• Cartridge paper crumpled > rub with baby oil
• Cartridge paper crumpled > then paint
• Greaseproof paper crumpled
• Magazine page > heavily crumpled (crumple – smooth – crumple etc) > rub
with baby oil
• Printed paper (page of an old book) rubbed with candle wax and ironed
• Rub rough/smooth paper > graphite > baby oil
• Tissue paper > PVA/water coated both sides (50:50 mix)
• Tissue paper painted
• Tissue paper stamped with acrylic > dry > cover with PVA/water mix >
place contrasting sheet of tissue on top
• Tracing paper crumpled> coat with beeswax
• Paint paper with Quink ink > bleach > scratch while wet
• Acrylic paint on paper > scratch while wet
• Watered acrylic > sponge paint onto textured wallpaper & print on to paper
• Texture rubbing with candle > paint over with Quink > bleach
• Single colour oil pastel > paint with Indian ink > scratch in to
• Layer several colours of oil pastel > scratch in to with skewer
• Texture rubbing with oil pastel > wash over with watered acrylic
• Texture rubbing with oil pastel > wash over with Indian ink > if too thick
blot with paper towel

Off the Shelf Mixed-Media

Jen Henley
Art Van Go, 28 November 2009
BERYL TAYLOR’S FABRIC PAPER
MATERIALS
Cheesecloth/muslin cut to size
Printed papers such as magazines, photocopies, gift wrap, tissue, text, music etc
Plain white tissue paper
Fabric dyes or liquid acrylics
PVA
Water
Plastic sheet

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Place your plastic sheet as protection on the work table – the finished piece can
be easily peeled off without sticking.
2. Lay fabric on plastic sheet.
3. Mix PVA with water in 60:40 ratio – more water will make the finished paper
softer; less will make it harder.
4. Paint the whole fabric with PVA mix – place torn printed papers onto fabric,
brushing more PVA on top as you do this. Choose between leaving spaces and
covering all the fabric.
5. Make sure the whole paper covered fabric is covered with PVA mix and then lay
torn pieces of plain tissue on top to make another layer. Use a sponge to press
the tissue down and remove air pockets.
6. While the fabric is still wet apply dyes/paints with a sponge brush allowing colours
to blend.
7. Dry overnight then remove fabric from plastic sheet.
8. When dry, rubbing the textured surface with a Markal paintstick, adds further
colour.

Taylor, Beryl (2004), Making Fabric Paper, Cloth Paper Scissors, Premier Issue, p21-23
Taylor, Beryl (2006), Mixed-Media Explorations, Quilting Arts, LLC, p39
Perkins, Kelly (2009), Stitch Alchemy: Combining Fabric + Paper for Mixed-Media Art,
Interweave Press, LLC Acknowledges Beryl Taylor as her inspiration source and takes the
making of fabric paper further by demonstrating over 80 recipes for paper cloth.
Includes ten projects.

Off the Shelf Mixed-Media

Jen Henley
Art Van Go, 28 November 2009
FOIL ART

MATERIALS

EMBOSSING – Found objects, not too thick, such as old keys, coins, foam shapes –
anything that will make a raised surface.
GLUE -- Strong glue – a ‘structure gel’ such as Golden Heavy Gel is good or a hot
glue gun
ACRYLIC PAINT
WHITE SPIRIT
FOIL -- Kitchen aluminium foil or coloured foils. Foil from sweet/chocolate
wrappings.
SHOE POLISH -- Put a small amount of White Spirits into a metal/ceramic container
and crush the shoe polish into the white spirits until you achieve a thick cream
like consistency.

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Glue the embossing shapes to a box lid/canvas.
2. Once this is dry apply an even coat of glue over the entire surface
3. Apply the foil to the glued surface making sure to press firmly with your
fingers around and over all objects. If it tears just add a small piece of foil
with more glue.
4. Apply the acrylic paint across the entire surface. Work quickly as acrylic dries
fast.
5. Once completely covered with paint, take a damp wet cloth and wipe back
the excess paint. Then use your heat gun to dry the surface quickly
(IMPORTANT: Don’t over heat the surface other wise it will bubble up).
6. Apply a second coat with a different colour.
7. Take the shoe polish and rub over the surface, wipe off with white spirit.
8. Alternatively use black acrylic paint or black gesso and wipe off immediately
with a damp cloth/baby wipe.
9. Leave to dry for 24 hours and then seal with an acrylic varnish.

Adapted from a technique by Gary Reef http://www.garyreef.com/

Gary has a Mixed-media social network, Art from the Heart, at

http://garyreef.ning.com/

Off the Shelf Mixed-Media

Jen Henley
Art Van Go, 28 November 2009