I recently completed my personal art journal! There is a certain sense of achievement once that final page is done. It's a testament to me showing up for my art almost daily, even on days when I don't feel so good. I titled this journal "Faces & Collage" and I chose a journal with creamy-toned paper. I mostly draw expressive faces, in a loose and sketchy style and I love adding unusual colors to them. My favorite shapes are circles and hearts - a recurring theme throughout the pages. I'm sharing a complete flip through over on YouTube. So, grab a coffee or tea and enjoy a couple of minutes of my art work:
p.s. a like, subscribe and comment would help get my channel seen by more people who enjoy mixed media art. Thanks ♥
If you haven't noticed by now, I'm passionate about Mixed Media art. But what is it exactly? Simply stated, it's a type of artwork that mixes different media or materials into one piece. The possibilities are endless and this is precisely why I find it so exciting! However, I know it can be quite overwhelming when you are just starting out. So, I've compiled a list, a starter kit if you will, of essential supplies.
Substrates
Substrates are the surfaces you paint on. There are several options:
art journals
mixed media paper block
spiral bound block
loose sheets of paper
art panels
wood panels
canvas
It really is a matter of preference, but if you are at the beginning of your art journey, I would suggest investing in a good art journal or paper block with a weight of at least 200 gsm. In my opinion, the substrate is the most important of all supplies. Remember that mixed media often incorporates many layers and the paper needs to withstand wet media. My advice is don't skimp on the paper. From experience I can tell you you will be disappointed in your creations, no matter how beautiful, when the paper starts buckling or even tears!
Paints
The most common paints to use in mixed media are acrylic paints. The student grade paints are inexpensive and work perfectly fine. They come in a huge color range, however, if you are familiar with the color wheel, you won't need to buy tons of colors, instead mix the tones and shades yourself using the primary colors red, yellow and blue plus black and white. This is also a great exercise to familiarize yourself with how the colors work together. Learning by doing has been my lifelong motto :)
Acrylic paints are very versatile, as they can be thinned down with water to achieve a wash. They can be layered from light to dark and vice versa and they dry quickly. Once dry they are permanent.
Brushes & Tools
Of course, you will need some type of tool to apply the paints on the surface. These are the ones I use most often:
Synthetic flat brushes - large, medium, small
Synthetic round brushes - medium, small
Palette knife - good for mixing paints
Small rubber brayer
The brushes are usually cheaper if you buy them in a pack instead of individually. The student grade brushes work just fine. Pro tip: when you are finished with painting ALWAYS immediately rinse and then thoroughly clean (using a mild soap) the brushes under a running tap. Then lay the brushes on a kitchen towel to dry. This way your brushes will last a long time.
Collage
Collage is an integral part of mixed media art. Adding visual elements to create depth, convey a message or idea. The best part: you can make collage elements yourself! In my video below I am sharing how to make simple collage from tissue paper:
Other collage items that can be used are:
newspaper clippings
magazine images/titles
old book pages
photos
ephemera
found objects
I have a couple of types of glue, that I use to adhere the collage elements to my surface. A glue stick for
newspaper or regular paper scraps and matte gel medium for delicate and vintage paper and photos. For very thick paper or ephemera I use Mod Podge - this also acts as a good sealant, as more often than not, further layers are added on top of the collage.
Stamps & Stencils
As mentioned in the beginning, mixed media art often incorporates many layers, that invites the viewer to explore the artwork. I love using stamping and stencilling to add interest to my work. There's a huge variety of stencils to choose from, but I would suggest going with simple geometric shapes. My favorite way to apply the paint through the stencil is with a make up sponge. It's so easy to use and just as with the brushes I immediately rinse it under a running tap after use. As for stamps - I have one wooden stamp with vintage text and a set of silicone alphabet stamps that I use over and over. I mostly use a black stamp pad, but there are plenty of other colors available. Just make sure the stamp pad ink is archival and waterproof.
Mark Making
Mark making is an enjoyable way to add interest to your work and is often the finishing touch to your page. You can use the following to make marks:
regular HB pencil
wax crayon
paint pens
fineliner pen
paint splatters
And there are even more alternative tools to create marks, such as an old cork, a sponge, a bowl scraper, a wooden skewer, scrunched up foil, bubble wrap, corrugated packaging. I've used them all to make unique marks. Check your kitchen drawer!
That wraps up my break down of most commonly used supplies in mixed media art making! I've been asked in which sequence to build up the layers. Good question. You will need to determine your focal point or message in advance. Which area do you want to bring forward, which area to the back? Should it be overall dark or light? Busy or calm? I contemplate these questions before starting any of my work. And remember, there is no right or wrong...simply an exploration of how each element works together. Enjoy and have fun!
I was going to post a step-by-step tutorial for this art journal spread, but I was so in my element creating it, that I totally forgot to take photos! Sorry about that! However, you can still follow the process in my video here:
It's been four months, since my darling Leo passed over to the other side. I still feel the loss acutely. Leo came into my life in the summer of 2012. At first, I thought he was a "she", only because he was incredibly shy and wouldn't let me come close. He seemed to be a wildborn cat, barely a year old, who had survived the streets until he found my home.
It tooks weeks of patience and dedication to build trust with Leo, and it was going to be on his terms. Usually, he would appear at dinnertime , wolf down the food I had put out, and then run away into hiding. After about two months of this ritual, I noticed that he chose to linger just a little longer at dinnertime, eyeing me from a safe distance. I used to talk to him in a low voice, reassuring him he's safe with me. Then one day - I couldn't believe it - he came up close and very slowly I reached out with my hand and he rubbed his big, furry head on it. I was overjoyed!
From this day forward Leo accepted me as his friend and never strayed far from the garden. In fact, over time he became "King of the Garden" as I joked with family and friends. He absolutely loved it here. In later years he would come indoors for a bit, especially in Winter, but he was still wild at heart and preferred the great outdoors, no matter the weather conditions. We had built him a little wooden house with a snuggly blanket inside, which he slept in on the few extremely cold days. In Summer, Leo enjoyed lounging on the warm terrace tiles, only getting up to chew on some grass and lapping at the fresh water bowl. He spent hours snoozing and I spent many happy hours watching him.
Leo had a sweet personality. He was always friendly and sometimes reminded me of a lap dog - cute and cuddly and very layed back. It has been a great honor and privilege knowing him and more so, since the "wild" part of him had never really left and yet he chose to trust me completely.
His death came suddenly and truly shocked me, as only a week before we played hide and seek in the garden and all seemed normal. I tried everything to help him in his final moments to no avail.
I will never forget you, Leo. Say hello to Muffin, Samson, Beauty, Sammy and Sumi from me, if you see them.
I'm back with a cute DIY idea for Valentine's Day. For me, this day has always been about spreading kindness, joy and love to all my family and friends. It's never been about just couples. While I endeavour to be kind all year round, I like the idea of a day dedicated to love. If you are thinking of gifting the special people in your life, why not embellish your gift with a handmade tag? Here's how:
Gather your supplies. You'll need a piece of white card stock or mixed media paper. The size depends on how many tags you intend to make and the type of tag punch that you may have. Alternatively, you can simply cut rectangular tags to your preferred size. Mine are 2.5 " (6,3 cm) wide and 4.5 " long (11 cm)
You will also need:
• a heart stencil
• super heavy white gesso
• a scraper (or old credit card)
• red acrylic ink
• spray water bottle
• alphabet stamps
• red stamp pad
• red ribbon
• scissors
If you have a tag punch, go ahead and make as many tags as required or alternatively cut rectangular tags. Next, line up your stencil on the bottom part of your tag and using the scraper thinly apply the heavy gesso. Make sure the hearts are filled in. Carefully lift off the stencil. This needs to dry completely. It will take a couple of hours, but you can use a heating tool to speed up the process.
Once dry, add a couple of drops of red acrylic ink onto the raised hearts and spray them with water. Move the tag from side to side to make the color spread. I placed some used copy paper underneath, so as to not get any paint on my table. Mop up any excess ink with a paper towel. Then set the tag aside to dry.
Now grab your alphabet stamps and red stamp pad. I have a set of silicone stamps, which I use in many of my mixed media projects. I placed my letters on acrylic blocks. If you have wooden stamps you can forego this step. I chose to stamp my word three times to the top part of the tag.
And finally, cut a piece of ribbon and loop it through the hole in the tag. If you have cut your tag into a rectangular shape you will need to punch a hole with a regular hole punch first. And now your tag is ready to attach to a gift! I hope you have as much fun to make these as I did ♥
I'm back with another mixed media art tutorial. My tutorials are oriented towards those who are just starting to explore the world of mixed media and are curious about all the different techniques. Of course, seasoned artists are welcome too! What I love about mixed media is you don't actually need a lot of stuff to get going. A good quality art journal or pad, your favorite paint colors, some brushes, your favorite stencil and stamp, and a couple of pens/pencils. All of these can be student grade except the surface. It's the same principle as in sewing. The fabric might be a bargain, but the thread must always be high-quality. So, be it a journal or paper pad - make sure you buy heavyweight paper atleast 200 gsm. Because if the paper is cheap, your work will look "off" and you'll be very disappointed at the result. That said, let's get to it:
For this tutorial I grabbed my square journal and taped off the edges, which you can skip. I just like the clean finish when the tape is removed. To ged rid off the blank page I stamped my postcard stamp in two areas. Then wet the page and dropped in some Sky Blue acrylic ink. Using the mop brush I spread the paint until it resembled a cloud like finish.
I layered a stencil on top using three acrylic paint colors. Remember that each layer needs to dry before adding the next layer. You can use a heat tool to speed up the process.
For the top layer I glued down bits of collage paper - tissue paper, vintage-style paper and gelliprints - from my stash. I usually rip the pieces by hand to make them blend into the page better. I then added my focal image and the title for this page. Would you like to see the whole process from start to finish? Watch it here:
If you have any questions please leave them in the comments below or on my channel. If you liked this short video tutorial please give me a thumbs up. Thank you and have a beautiful day ~
This is my first post of 2025 and one of my goals this year is to boost my blog! I know blogging seemed to be on the downward trend a few years ago, but personally, it had always been my favorite form of communicating. So, trendy or not, I will endeavour to increase my posts this year.
We've been having exceptionally cold weather and even a light dusting of snow. I have been in my studio working on a series of small paintings on wood panel. Like with my other crafts, I enjoy mixing things up and in between paintings I have done some art journaling and created a few mixed media pages. Some of these I share the process on my YouTube channel. Here is one of them. Since I'm working in my A6 journal the page is easily done and includes fun tools and plenty of layers with an assortment of stamps and stencils.
I'm mainly working with acrylic inks in this tutorial. I find I like the ones from Liquitex, as they are highly pigmented and come in a large color range, including neons and metallics. Using an old, small plastic bag I spread the inks randomly on the surface.
Applying scraps of collage, grungy stamps and fun stencils. All supplies are listed in the video description. You can watch the entire process from start to finish here:
Creating this art journal spread with its many layers and textures was enormously satisfying. Are you a fan of "messy art"? Let me know in the comments.
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