#106 MASTER CLASS — BRINGING PHOTOGRAPHY INTO YOUR ART with CLAIRE KENNEDY
Can photo transfers become part of your painting process? In this Master Class, Claire Kennedy shows us how. With warmth and clarity, she shares her approach to combining photography and paint through transfer techniques, and turning everyday visuals into expressive, layered pieces. You’ll learn how to choose strong photos, prep and edit your images, and thoughtfully integrate them into your compositions. Claire walks you through her full process, from capturing the photo to final touches, with insights on decision making, layering, and balance. Perfect for anyone ready to experiment, play, and add a powerful new tool to their creative practice.
Jump to a section:
Click the chapter icon (the bulleted list inside the video player) to see and select any part of the video.
Chapters and timestamps are also listed below for quick reference.
- Nature & Art Inspiration: 00:00
- Photography Techniques: 00:10
- Photo Integration: 02:19
- Photo Editing & Transfer: 09:34
- Layering & Finalizing Art: 30:55
Materials List
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Photo Editing Tools
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Photoshop Elements (used in demo)
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Alternative apps: Snapseed, Notanizer (for smartphones)
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Laser Printer
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Any home laser printer (basic models work well)
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Or: Email your image to a local copy shop for affordable prints—including large-format options
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Art Materials
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Acrylic paints
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Gloss medium
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Clear leveling gel
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Mark-making tools
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Masking tape
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Deli paper for texture (Logan brand “interfolded waxed paper,” jumbo size, available on Amazon)
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Hi Claire, thank you so much for these wonderful insights into your fantastic work, I am a big fan of your art. And the video itself was also a work of art, so professional, entertaining and simply beautiful. I’m currently working on a panel that I’m putting several transfers on and was struggling how to move on, your masterclass came at just the right time. Thank you so much, I can’t wait to see more of your work.
What a lovely comment Heidrun – that’s made my day! I’m so happy that you enjoyed the masterclass, and have found it to be useful. Thank you!
Hi Claire thankyou for your video. Your masterclass was amazing! I love doing photo transfers and your method is fantastic. But how do you achieve success on a canvas? I just cant get great results. Do you know any tricks or do you always use board?
Hi Antra, I’m really happy that you enjoyed the class! I always work on boards when transferring because you can be quite rough with them. But transferring should work on canvas too. I’ve not tried it, but I would imagine that the trick might be to build up enough layers of paint (and/or gloss medium) to create as smooth a surface as possible, as the weave of the canvas might affect the transfer. And if you’re working on stretched canvas, then a good idea would be to put some books or boards underneath when you are working so that you have a steady surface when rubbing off the fibres. I hope that you have success with this!
Loved your tuition Claire thank you
Thank you Tracey!
Very much enjoyed watching. Very well put together and clear. Thankyou
Thank you Annie, I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Well. that was a fantastic class…..beautifully put together, easy to follow and well presented.
Very much enjoyed this
X
Hi Krissi, lovely to see you popping up here!! Thank you for such a kind comment, I’m glad you enjoyed it x
Why does it show this master class video is not available
Hi Martha – there was a technical glitch yesterday which has now been fixed – you should be able to view it now. Thank you for your patience!
Such a great and inspirational masterclass. Thank you Claire.
Thank you so much Eleanor – I’m really happy that you enjoyed it!
What beautifully executed demonstration Claire. You explained the whole process so clearly. I also wondered about the use of other mediums but I see that that question is answered.
Thank you Caroline – and if you have any other questions don’t hesitate to reach out
Claire, your Masterclass was absolutely brilliant. I came away with so much more insight into image transfers—especially the idea of layering them and flipping the image so text reads clearly. Genius! Your use of Clear Leveling Gel and glazing medium really opened up new possibilities for me. I can’t wait to try your technique. PS: I’m a big fan of your work.
Hi William, thank you so much for your kind comment, that means a lot to me – I’m so happy that you enjoyed the video and are looking forward to trying out the techniques. Any other questions, don’t hesitate to ask!
Thanks so much Claire. A fantastic process to watch and to explore! Quick question: could I just use gel matt medium instead of ‘clear levelling gel’ to get the same outcome? or a gel medium instead of the glazing liquid you used. I ask the question because I have matt and gloss mediums on hand and wondered if they’d give me the same effect? Thanks
Hi there Debbie, I’m glad you enjoyed the video! If I was just going to have one medium in my studio, it would be gloss medium – it makes the colours underneath appear rich and crystal clear. Matt medium has a slightly more dulling quality, and many layers might start to give a cloudy appearance (though this might be what you are looking for in a particular painting). You don’t need the self leveling gel, it is just something new to me and I was enjoying experimenting and playing with it! It gives a sort of film-like quality which is nice to use beside texture, but it’s quite gloopy and difficult to work with (as you could see in the video!). You could get a similar effect by mixing white with gloss (or matt) medium to the transparency that you desire. I do like having glazing liquid in the studio though and I use it a lot. The reason I like it is that it stays ‘open’ for much longer than medium – which means that it takes much longer to dry – so you can take your time making a nice smooth glass-like glaze without it drying quickly and producing snaggy brush marks. Having said that, if I’m glazing a small area, I just use the gloss medium and work quickly! I hope this answers your questions!
Thanks so much Clarie. This answers all my questions and more! Thanks for taking the time to explain all of the above. Very much appreciated. x