Mixed Media is something I have always been fascinated with, but never really sure what to do. Hand me a medium and I will figure it out. Hand me a bunch of mediums and I’m completely lost. However, I find myself drawn to a lot of mixed media pieces by other artists. I’ve decided to do some experimentation with mixed media.
This week, I thought I would start simple. I would just mix two mediums: ink and acrylic paint. I started with a plastic palette (paint is easy to peel off after it dries), a pencil ( for drawing an initial design), paint brushes, acrylic paint, canvas board, and a permanent ink marker with thin tip. It’s important to find an ink that won’t smear with paint.
I first decided on a subject matter. To keep it simple, I decided on some wild flowers. I began by painting a background of green and yellow, representing grass.
I think drew in some rough flowers with my pencil to give me an outline to work from. It’s important to remember that I’m attempting to experiment and enjoy this process, therefore, I’m not trying to make this perfect. Some of my best work has come from me experimenting.
I began blocking in color. I’ve learned from experience that I like vivid colors, so starting with a white background in best. I filled in my drawing with white paint.
Once the white background dried, I started to mix colors and fill in my flowers. In this situation, I am painting in a hotel, so I not only put my paint on my palette, but also used it as a backdrop for my small canvas.
Once I had the flower painted the way I wanted, I added ink. This is unfamiliar territory for me. I ended up loving it. It gave definition, but I was also able to create grass that didn’t exist in my original painting. I look forward to creating more complex paintings in the near future with acrylic and ink.
