Welcome to Mixed Media Arts

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If you are looking for inspiration and great mixed media ideas, then you have come to the right place!

Mixed Media Arts covers such a range of topics and techniques:

Have a look around and feed your inner muse – you never know when inspiration will hit. And remember; everyone can create!

To receive regular updates, special offers and freebies, join the Mixed Media Art community by entering your name and email over on the right to join our mailing list.  As a special bonus, you will also receive the free report on the Top 10 Tools and Materials you need to get started with Mixed Media Arts.

Happy Creating!
Mixed Media Art Team

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What is Mixed Media Art?

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The term “mixed media art” is a broad definition that covers many arts and crafts, including collage, assemblage (both 2D and 3D), altered objects, including books and boxes, handmade greeting cards, artist trading cards (ATCs) and tags, art journalling and book making.

Hanging Art

Hanging Art

The “mixed media” used includes paints, papers and board of all descriptions, glues, buttons, fabrics, found objects, photos, metal bits, fibres, things from nature, inks, pencils, crayons, markers, pastels and polymer clays, to name a few.


What materials do I need to get started?
The beauty of mixed media art is the flexibility to start with things around you and expend from there. To get started you need a substrate or base. This could be a clean sheet of paper, sketchbook, a cereal box or anything else that may be sitting still.  Then, if you are heading down the collage path, you’ll need something to stick with (glue sticks are fine to begin with) and something to stick on (coloured papers, newspapers, catalogues, and anything else that grabs you).

If you are heading down the drawing / painting path, then once you have your substrate, you’ll need something to make a mark, whether its pencils, paints, crayons, markers or pastels.

Any or all of these are all you need to get started. Just use the things you have around you

What skills do I need to get started?
Another attractive feature of Mixed Media Art is that you don’t need fine art or drawing skills. That doesn’t mean you are excluded from mixed media art if you do have these skills, but it opens up a world of creativity for the rest of us who like to make things but “Can’t draw”.

The skills you need to get started are as simple as being able to use a pencil, scissors and glue. These skills will expand and develop with practice, depending on which “branch” you follow.  More complicated skills of mixing paints and developing your “artist eye” will happen as you expand your own creativity. Specific skills for particular media or art types will present themselves as you move into these areas. As with many things in life, the techniques and teachers will appear when you are ready.

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Creating Layers in Mixed Media Art; Stencilling

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Stencilling is another way to add interesting shapes and dimensions to your mixed media art collage or painting. As with dry -brush gesso’ing it can take a little practice to perfect your technique, so practice before applying to your master piece.

To add a layer in stencilling, you need a stencil, some paint or ink and a brush or sponge. The key here is to go slow and steady (not always easy when you’d prefer to be throwing layers down). Add only a little paint to  your brush or sponge, and test is first to check it isn’t too globby. Hold the stencil firmly onto your work surface and move the brush /sponge in a circular motion, from the edge then across the stencil then move back again before you stop.  Check your results – if it is too feint, then apply a little more paint and repeat. Adding too much paint will cause the stencil to “bleed” where the paint runs our from under the stencil and your design will be lost.

Mixed Media art journal with stencil

With mixed media art, the feint stencil shapes can add a subtle layer of texture, so start slowly and build.

There are many different types of stencils available:

- make your own; there are lots of ways to do this – use a photo, punch holes in a piece of cardboard or cut out a shape. You can use cardboard or plastic sheet. The plastic is harder to cut but will be more durable. Paper stencils are easy and quick to make but will slowly absorb paint and become unusable as a stencil. These paper stencils can be left to dry and added in as another layer. you can also use your punches and cutting systems to create your own shapes and patterns

Handmade stencils for mixed media layering

- punchinella; you can buy sequin scrap and it works well as a template. While they tend to be circles, I have also seen start and hearts.

- bought stencils; of course, there are many commercially available brands available. Tim Holtz has his Masks; Michelle Ward has her stencil range.

Don’t feel you need to buy stencils when looking to add layers to your mixed media art piece – there are many simple ones you can make yourself!

Happy layering!
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Creating Layers in Mixed Media Art; Journalling

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Through our series of creating layers, we have been working our way from the backgrounds and moving through the layers towards the top layers of our mixed media artwork. Today we look at adding, not just a few words, but journalling and writing.

mixed media art journal writing

Deciding to add a larger amount of writing may seem a bit overwhelming when starting out with mixed media art. Some artists seem to add their journalling naturally with both their art journalling and mixed media pieces; others feel like their souls are being stripped bare.

If you feel the need to add inner thoughts and writings but not have them on display, the journalling can form a background layer that is then partially painted over. Alternatively you can write onto a separate paper then distress or tear up to reuse in your collage work. This will still show that there is writing in the piece but won’t be clear enough to read. If you do deicide to include journalling in the background and want to paint over it, make sure your writing implement will dry on the background you have. It may need heat setting with a heat gun or sealing. Testing which pens or markers work best is another great use of your art technique journal.

mixed media art journal

Journalling onto the top layers of your mixed media art piece is a bold statement about the words you want to add to your piece. As with journalling in the background layers, make sure you know your pens and markers. We need them to dry so they won’t run or smudge and ruin the piece. Then again, this IS mixed media art – smudging words may be the look you are going for. Scrapbookers often use journalling blocks (pre-lined stamps or smaller pieces of paper) to add journalling. They can also be used in our mixed media creations.

Happy layering!

mixed media art journal

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