What is Mixed Media?
What is mixed media? I call myself a mixed media artist, because I use lots of different media. Wait, maybe I need to back up a bit and explain what "media" means in the art world, and not just toss around jargon. Media is the supplies that you use to create your art. These are usually applied to a type of substrate, like a canvas or paper, and then you use your media like paint, pencil, ink, marker etc. on top. But media can also be collage paper or found objects. It can be pastels, leaves, fabric and thread, buttons or wire, tissue paper or little bits of rusty metal. Anything that you're using on your foundation is "media". It's not the tools like brushes or palette knives, those are used to apply the media to the page or board or canvas.
Therefore, mixed media is just like it sounds, using a mixed variety of mediums to create your work. Study.com says that there are six major types of mixed media. They are collage, assemblage, sculpture, installation art, altered book art, and wet-and-dry media art.
In my work, I tend to lean towards collage or assemblage (adding in more than just paper to my collage pieces), altered book art and wet and dry media art.
For many pieces, I start with adding some collage papers for breaking up the white page/canvas. I love adding vintage inspired papers with sheet music, letters, ledgers or maps. Then I add some texture with stencils and molding medium. This is a thick paste which holds it’s shape after being spread through the stencil with a palette knife.
Next, I’ll use my fingers (usually) and lay down some washes of acrylic ink or fluid acrylic paints. These might cover up some of the papers you’ve collaged, and definitely will go over the (dried) stenciled areas, but it will also start to lay down the next layer.
After this, I’ll start to create a composition. Adding in more collage elements, like flowers or butterflies or bees. Those three things tend to be an anchor for me, showing up in much of my mixed media work. I’ll use different types of papers, playing with translucency, cutting out images from magazines, or my own stamps or drawings on tissue papers. More paint, pencil crayon or marker will be added again. Layer by layer, the mixed media piece will grow in depth.
Below you can see the leaves are drawn onto a thin paper. They are adhered to the panel, and then colour is painted and drawn on top, and the leaves outlined with black and white pen.
Finally, my last layer is always mark making. Yes, that’s another bit of art jargon. Mark making is, as it sounds, making marks. I love adding little dashes of colour, Xs or crosses, dots and little squares to my work. There are added as if I was doing little touches of sparkles to finish off my pages. I think they add so much dimension, and little bits of magic, like the stars in the night sky. Something to look at in awe, not quite able to grasp.
These are just some of the ways that I use mixed media techniques in my work. There’s hundreds more out there. Next time you’re looking at a painting, take a look to see what it’s made of. If it has more than one supply used, you’re looking at a mixed media piece of art!
Click the button below to see me create some mixed media pages in my art journals in real time.