Scrub, scrub, scrub...

...a woman's work is never done!

Making a direct transfer of a magazine photo or a photocopy is a relatively simple process.

 You just place your support (in this case it's a mat board, but canvas or wood panel works well too) on a sheet of butcher or palette paper,

liberally apply liquid or soft gel medium to the support, and place your photo face down over top of it.  Use a brayer over all (this will squish out excess medium or gel - hence the need for palette paper!), and allow it to thoroughly dry (up to 24 hours, depending on how much medium you've used).

 Spritz the whole thing with water,

and lightly, lightly, lightly, start removing the paper from the back with a plastic scrubby (this will save your fingers for when you get down in later layers), re-moistening the whole thing as required.

 Continue to clean, moving the paper bits off to the side (I call these paper bits scrambles, goodness knows why!).

As you get closer and closer to a complete clean transfer, you'll likely want to use your fingers to avoid tearing holes in the transfer, although these can be painted in later, or incorporated into your mixed media painting.

Eventually you'll have a completed transfer and can begin to add additional layers to your painting.

And the scrambles that you so carefully set to one side?  Well, you can paint them, and incorporate them into your mixed media as well...everything is fodder in mixed media.

Here's a helpful hint - if you've rubbed and scrubbed and cleaned your transfer, and still have a 'bloom' diffusing it, try adding a liberal layer of gloss medium over all - sometimes this will clarify things a great deal.