Facing a blank canvas can be daunting, especially for the beginner. But creating mixed media art is fun and limitless so you don't need to be worried about where to begin or what is the next step. There are three simple techniques for creating layers in your mixed media art and moving between the three will produce amazing effects.
Technique 1: Paints and Gesso
A simple collection of acrylic paints and some gesso is the best way to get started with your mixed media painting. Choose two colours that are matching, with some white and you will be able to make a nice range of colours as your layering progresses.
Before we begin to add colour, start with a layer of gesso. Gesso is a clay-based paint and is a versatile undercoat and sealer. Apply a generous coat of gesso across your canvas. Before it dries, take a wooden skewer or pen lid and "draw" into the wet gesso. You can add words or journalling or just swirls. Leave to dry.
Now we can begin to add the colour. There are many different painting techniques that you can use. Practising your own technique will add a uniqueness to your paintings. Some artists like to blend the paint on the canvas and use thick layers. Other artists will use light washes and allow each layer to dry before adding the next. Experiment and see what suits your style and tastes.
Technique 2: Paper Ephemera
Paper ephemera includes all sorts of text papers, old book pages and memorabilia. We can tear it, rip it or cut out shapes and add these pieces to our canvas with a pva glue or gel medium. This layer adds interest to our mixed media collage as we build up the layers. Some pieces may be visible when we are finished; other pieces will be hidden or partially peeking through.
Consider how much of your ephemera you would like showing through. Add layers underneath the paint to build texture; often this will become obscure as the paint layers are added. If you have a special piece you would like to be seen, add this after most of the coloured layers have been added.
When we gaze into a layered piece of mixed media art, our brains are searching for recognisable elements, words or symbols. These hidden pieces of text ephemera give our brains something to try and decipher; a puzzle tat we can't white work out. That's how we grab the interest of the observer.
Technique 3: Impressions with Found Objects
Some of my favourite techniques for adding layers to my mixed media paintings is using found objects to "stamp" shapes onto my canvas. These found objects may include a bottle lid, an old credit card or some bubble wrap. Firstly, make sure they are clean and dry. Take some of the contrasting paint and carefully apply some paint to your object with a paintbrush. The skill here is getting just the right amount of paint on the object to make a good impression; too much paint and the impression will be blurry or fuzzy. Too little and the impression will be incomplete (which isn't always a bad thing with mixed media art!). For those artists who are paint more like a tornado, it is still worth the effort of slowing down for these layers and impressions. Taking a little extra time to find a clean paint brush and slowly add paint will pay off with better impressions.
Use your bottle lid to add circles to your work. Use the old credit card to add lines by applying paint to the edge and dragging it along your canvas. Use the bubble wrap to add textured dots to your layers.
Rinse and Repeat
These three techniques for adding layers to your mixed media art can be used in any order and then repeated to add depth to your artwork. As silly as it sounds, the best way to create a very layered and interesting mixed media art piece is to continue to add layers. There are not rules about the number of layers or the order. After you have created a few pieces you will find that there seems to be a natural limit to the number of layers of paint, ephemera and found object impressions you can add. I can't define it in a number but you will know when you've reached it. Once you cross that threshold, your piece will begin to get muddies and cluttered, rather than adding interest. The skill of every mixed media artist is to know when to stop adding layers. And you will only find this point with practise.
Happy layering!
Michelle Brown is a mother and an engineer, who is passionate about all aspects of mixed media art.
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