Easing into Mixed Media
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Mixed Media can be intimidating to jump into when you have never tried it before. An easy way to start is to make some small projects using some supplies you have or cheap ones from a dollar store. This project today uses some product that you might not have but I will suggest replacements so you don’t have to invest a lot to give mixed media a try.
I’m using an MDF 6×6 plaque for this project today (less than 5$), a canvas from the dollar store, a cut off of wood from a home project or a piece of printer paper would work. I’m also using some Faber-Castell big brush pens, 6×6 scrapbooking paper, old book paper & matte gel for my adhesive.
An easy background to start with when your are just starting out is torn paper. It adds great texture to the background when you adhere the pieces with some overlap. I really like this pieced together look. You don’t have to have a gel matte medium to glue your papers down something like Ranger’s gel Medium or modpodge works very well.
Once the plaque was covered I applied a layer of matte medium to the top to seal it all in and then I let it air dry. I used my fingers to apply this layer because I did not want brush marks. Don’t forget to cover the edges too 
Next I added a very thin layer of gesso with a baby wipe. White craft paint works just as well for a whitewash look but I didn’t have any on-hand. I wanted tone down the yellowing book paper.
You can skip this step all together if you want.
Choose a simple shape like a heart, triangle, flower or circle. I hand cut my shapes from 6×6 scrapbooking paper. They are imperfect and wonky and I did that on purpose. If you like a little more precision trace a household item or print something off the internet. Once everything is cut out, glue it down and cover with a layer of matte medium or modpodge.
Now it’s time to add some more colour with paint, markers, gelatos or watercolour paints.
I used big brush markers but the same can be done with any media you choose to work with. Use colours that are close to the paper colours that you chose and maybe a few complimentary ones to make the main colour pop.
Because I put a layer of matte medium on top of the entire project, the surface is nonporous. The markers I am using will not adsorb into the paper but rather sit on top, & they will dry permanent. I did not cover the entire sun with makers, I kept it around the edges to help define them and add some shadowing.
Now things are not always going to look great while you are creating, 2-3 times this project looked like a hot mess while I was working on it. Keep working at it, add some more paint have baby wipes on hand to get rid of the things you don’t like but just keep going and it will get there.
I used yellow & orange on the sun and two different shade of blue to add a touch of ‘sky’ in the background.
One of my favourite things is adding black to my projects. I love to use pens to help define shapes and add some doodles. For this project I chose a fine tip to outline the sun in a very sketchy or messy way. A crayon, paint, charcoal pencil would also be great options for this.
After I finished I also cut my sentiment out of black cardstock using my Silhouette Cameo. Letter stickers or a stencil are great options for this step.
This next step is not necessary but it adds some nice detail. You can use; paint, inks, or mists anything what will work with stencils that isn’t to watery.
I opted for ink and a make-up sponge.
I added a fun little stamp with under the word sunshine for a finishing touch with some black stamping ink.
Mixed media doesn’t have to be scary, just start small with a few simple supplies like paper, paint and a cheap canvas. Thanks for stoping in, I hope this inspires you to experiment with a little bit of mixed media.
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