Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Foil Imaging

I've just recently attended the 17th Annual Foil Imaging Workshop, a week-long workshop here at the University of Iowa that introduces the ethereal art of foil imaging. It utilizes foil, a double-layered polymer film, to add color and texture to a print or drawing. This heat-transfer method of applying colors is used commercially for book covers (hot stamping) and greeting cards, but Virginia Myers has developed the tools necessary for artists to utilize it in their own studios, by using a hot plate and a heated roller. Most people recognize the foils that come in gold and silver metallics or brightly holographic films, but there is a lot of variety, including opaque colors, translucents, pearlescents, and even a wood-grain. Some of my favorites are the translucent foils that can be layered for richer colors with more depth. For any curious artists looking for new materials to try, I highly recommend coming to the workshop next summer! You can see some exceptional examples of foil imaging in Jason Snell's artwork at RustyScissors.com.

2 comments:

luckycreature said...

i like your cat with wings. very scary.

Anonymous said...

Hi there, I'm writing this comment for my mum Shella who was very interested in Foil Imaging. She is a print maker from Bristol, UK.

She was interested to learn about Foil imaging, as she had never heard of the technique. She's also excited to read your blog. Looking forward to more posts, thanks!