Mixed Media Art Tips And Ideas

What Is Mixed Media Art Journaling?

Mixed media art journaling is using different tools and supplies to create original and custom art pages in a journal. You use the tools and supplies that you may have to express your art. But it goes beyond that step. You also use materials that you recycle into your art like envelopes, junk mail, paper, magazines, old pages from books, and a lot more.

Think of an art journal as a visual diary of your life. Each page reflects a thought, emotion, or memory from that moment in your time. It is a way to express yourself and destress the whirls of stress around you.

It can also be used by artists to try out and practice new techniques.

This is a fantastic project for anyone to try because there are simply no rules. So beginners are unhampered by learning special art rules. It is a good way for families to spend some time together creating art from the heart!

You can create your art journal with a theme. Creating a themed journal can be all about the things you love and make you happy. It can be about your life every day. You can journal about your home or your family. You can journal about your hobbies, or just about anything. You can art journal about your faith. You can journal with quotes that inspire you. Whatever your heart leads you to, you can art journal about.

Materials Used In Mixed Media Art

There are several materials and supplies that can be used to create mixed media techniques and arts.

Acrylic Paints

Acrylic paints (artistic level tube paints) are fun to work with. But when combined with oil markers, you really have a combination that is fun to work with and very creative. In this case, the oil markers would be used over the acrylic paints. (The acrylic paint would have a hard time sitting on top of the oil markers.) Since the oil markers have a fine tip, they are easy to design with.

• First, you paint the acrylics on your paper and let it dry.
• Then use the oil markers to create designs like dots, lines, drawings and lettering.

Another way to look at acrylic paints is to pair them with oil paints. In this case, the oil paints would go over the acrylics. You can use techniques like underpainting, filling, glazing, and impasto.

Tip: Use a craft heat gun to speed up the drying process

How about using glitter with your acrylic paints?

• Apply the acrylic paint and let it dry
• Use white PVA glue on the paint to design any shape, letters or designs Make sure to use thin lines of glue
• Sprinkle the glitter on top of the surface of the paper.
• Shake off the excess glitter and let it dry

Acrylic paint and pastels also work well together. Cover your page or paper with diluted paint. Once the paint is dry, use the pastels to create any design that is pleasing to your eye.

Gel pens can also be used over dry acrylic dry paints. They can be used to dry and design any shape, drawing or lettering you may want to use.

Craft Acrylic Paints

These are the lovely rainbow of paints that are very reasonably priced and useful in mixed media design. It dries to a waterproof layer on your page. These paints are terrific to use with roller ball pens. You can also use ballpoint pens as well as fine liners. This combination could be used on any paper craft design as well as other craft applications.

Scroll to Continue

What is a "LOWES #00907 - 866-483-7521 NC" Charge on My Credit Card Statement?

Should I Watch..? 'Sonic The Hedgehog 3' (2024)

A List of Dams in Punjab

Watercolors

Watercolors are one of the most popular mediums in mixed media art. They are reasonably priced for everyone. You can get them as a simple pan set or as more artistic tubes. With a few brushes you can create art with ease.

They are fun to use when mixed with acrylic paint. When using these types of media together, you want to remember to use the acrylic paint over the watercolor paint. The acrylic paint is thicker, and the watercolor paint won't stick to the acrylic paint.

• Start with a base color or colors of watercolor paint on your paper.
• Let the watercolor paint dry completely
• Then paint or draw with the acrylic paint

Tip: Make sure to use heavyweight paper when trying this idea

Gouache also works well with watercolors. Think of gouache as the heavier, more opaque form of watercolor and you can see why they make a good match. They can be used alone, layered on top of each other, or mixed together without losing any of the aspects you love about watercolor paint or gouache. This mix has a matte finish when dry and a slightly muted color. Gouache can be used over watercolor much the same as acrylic paint.

How about watercolors and pastels? Pastels cover watercolors very well. Overlapping a pastel over the watercolor design will give you depth, dimension and detail.

Tip: The fragile quality of pastels does require the finished work to be sprayed with a fixative or covered with varnish.

You can also use rollerball pens with watercolors. Since most rollerball pens have permanent ink, you can create your drawings and designs and then go over them with watercolors to add splashes of color. The pens can also be used over dry watercolors. When you use a pen on top of wet watercolors, you can get streaks and “stars” from the pen, which can add another decorative element to your drawing.

Markers

There are many options when it comes to art markers. They often come in variety packs. One of the best ways to use your markers is to pair them with colored pencils. smooth out their shades, create subtle shadows, increase the richness of their colors, sharpen their lines, and to add embellishments. Colored pencils are used over markers to add details and designs.

Use Variety In Your Mixed Media Pages

Mixed Media Guide

Using Layers

Reasons To Create A Mixed Media Art Journal

With our busy days, there never seems enough time to be creative or time for ourselves. So you might be asking yourself, why should I take time to create an art journal?

Well, I can tell you from personal experience, there are reasons to take a little time in your schedule, even if it is just 30 minutes several times a week just to have some creative fun.

Instead of watching TV, why not take a little time for yourself?

• Having An Art Journal Is Fun! Remember when you were a child and loved to mess with crayons, paints, and paper. Well, art journaling will bring back some of that fun in your life. You can mess with paints, inks, and special textures.
• You can create something every day without the pressure of having to finish your project and meet someone's standard of excellence. You start on the page and if you do not finish it, you can go back to it another day.
• You will grow both artistically and personally. As you create your pages and learn more every day, you will get a sense of satisfaction. It is like a diary of your feelings through art. Like a diary, you do not have to share it unless you chose to.
• You can share the creative time with your kids and grandkids. Open the communication lines and spend time with the children in your life by setting some time to work together in your art journal.

Types Of Art Journals

Altered Books

The altered book is an art journal that you create from an old book that you are willing to paint, draw and collage in. All you need is an old book that has reasonably strong paper. This can be a great project for a beginner because you may have a book at home. There are also books available in your local dollar store and thrift store for very reasonable prices.

Things To Look For In Old Books

If you are planning to use some old books to alter into a mixed media art journal, there are a few things to consider:

• Check the spine of the book. If the spine appears loose or the pages appear thin. it probably will not be a good art journal.
• Find a book that will lay flat when opened. This will make it easier to work in.
• Pick a book that has smooth strong pages. That way the pages will not pill when you add wet medium.

One fun thing to do in an altered book is to blackout words to create new statements or stories.

You can also use the covers from old books to create your own art journals'

Let's Start With Mixed Media Tools

You can grab things as you go, but it is easier to have the tools at hand where you can access them easier. If you do other papercrafts, you may have these tools in your craft area.

If you are a beginner to this art form, I suggest that you keep these tools in some kind of box or storage where you can lay your hands on them when you need them or when the creative force hits you.

Brushes

You will need a selection of different brushes for the different media that you will be applying to your pages. You need some larger brushes to cover larger areas of pages and smaller detailed brushes as well.

You should consider both flat and round brushes. Flat ones work well with acrylics and round ones work well with watercolors.

Just buy a few brushes at a time. I know they sell bags of brushes at a lot of the local craft stores, but it has been my experience that those sets of brushes do not give the same results. Getting 2-4 better brushes, to begin with, will be fine to get started.

Crayons And Markers

You can use any crayons or markers that you may have, Crayons give more texture to a page.

Markers are so much fin to use. There are so many options and price points when it comes to markers, The Crayola markers are a good choice to start with.

Kitchen Sponges

This is one of my favorite tools. You can use them more than once and the price is good on the craft budget. You can use these with acrylic paint and gesso. It can create a lot of texture on your pages.

• Daub acrylic paint
• Use a circular motion to create a more blended effect
• Mix different colors to create a textured effect
• Distress paper edges with acrylic paint (tip: use only a tiny amount of paint here)

Brayers

Brayers come in different shapes and sizes, Basically, they are rollers with handles on them. You can use them as is to spread paint or even glue ( make sure to wipe them off right away)

A light touch with the brayer will give you a light bit of color when you want to highlight a texture. A heavier hand-applied to the brayer will give a complete coat of paint.

Try wrapping some twine or some rubber bands around a brayer with paint to get an interesting effect.

Palette Knives

Palette knives are easy to use and can create an unlimited amount of texture and design. They come in metal and plastic. They are reasonable in price and of course, can be used over and over again. They come in different sizes. A larger one and a smaller one will be fine, to begin with.

Palette knives can be used to apply paint, mix paint and create textures in paint and Gesso. You can draw all kinds of lines through your paint and gesso. Take time to experiment with this tool. You will find that you will use it as much as a paintbrush.

When you use a palette knife, the paint will be thick, so you would need to allow extra drying time.

You can also use a palette knife to apply ink to paper, Experiment and have fun playing with this tool.

It is also useful when you are applying embossing paste to a stencil. It will give you an even layer and enable you to save left over products.

You can use it with a gesso and paint. If you do not have one, an old credit card or gift card can also be used.

Your Fingers

One of the most fun and perfect tools is the fingers on your hand. Remember when you were a child and enjoyed finger painting? Well, you can embrace that messy fun again! You can wear gloves if you want to save your manicure.

Pens And Pencils

These are tools that are as important as the brushes for your mixed media. You can journal with them. You can doodle, add marks and designs, and a lot more.

• Micron Pens are waterproof so they are perfect for your art journaling. They come in different sizes and nibs. They are a must-buy. They last for a long time.
• Paint Pens come in different varieties of colors and packages. Just make sure that the pens that you choose are waterproof.
• Drawing pencils- Just have a couple of #2 pencils to draw with
• Watercolor pencils are a fin way to add some color to your pages

Stencils And Stamps

You can get terrific designs and textures with these tools on all of your pages.

They will help you get backgrounds for your pages with little effort. There is no limit to what you can do with them. Also, you can use stencils with different tools for different effects (kitchen sponges, make-up sponges, brushes, palette knives/credit cards).

If you use a stencil with acrylic paint and an old credit card, you’ll get a raised effect and, of course, texture. There are other media that you can use with stencils, You can use them with gesso, stencil paste, and acrylic paints.

You can use stamps with acrylic paint stamps, but you have to clean the stamps right away.

Of course, if you have stamps, you need stamp pads.

Archival Ink- They come in different colors and are waterproof. Waterproof products are very important when it comes to mixed media pages. Black is the best color to start with. Make sure that the ink you are buying is waterproof.

Distress and Distress Oxide Inks-They are not waterproof, but there are dozens of techniques that you can do with them.

Scissors

You need two pairs of scissors, if you do not have two pairs, they are easy to come by. I would use these scissors specifically for the paper if you can. One good pair of regular scissors and a pair of detailed scissors, for fussy cutting.

Detailed scissors are used to cut detailed and small areas that you want to cut close to.

Glues

• Glue Stick-They come in different sizes. I recommend that you find a stick that has a color when you apply it. Makes it easier to work with
• Collage/Decoupage Medium- This is an important addition to your toolbox, You can add all kinds of images, napkins, and more. Sticks and decoupages and paper to your pages. You can use Mod Podge or Ranger Distress Craft Medium. A bottle will go a long way.
• Tacky Glue is used to add heavier items to your pages. There are a number of different choices, I like Alene's Tacky Glue.
• Glue Pens- Controllable application where you want just a little glue
• PVA Glue-a general white glue used for general glue applications

Art Journaling On Fabric-Another Alternative

Free Materials In Your Home For Art Journals

There are tools that you have in your home that you can repurpose for your mixed media projects. Grab them and add them to your mixed media tools.

1. Toothbrush-we all have extra ones or ones that need to be replaced. You can use these to splatter paint or spray paint on paper.
2. Cereal And Cardboard Boxes-Create DIY art journals with cereal, macaroni boxes and more
3. Old Credit And Gift Cards-you can use them to spread gesso, paint and other media. Great for spreading materials on top of stencils too.
4. Toilet Paper Rolls- You can use these to create circles on your pages, then cut off the end that you used and keep using till you are done. You can also use them wrapped with twine to create a design and you roll them covered with ink or acrylic paint.
5. Straws- Use these to create small circles on your pages. You can also blow ink or paint around your pages to create different patterns
6. Bubble Wrap-Put some paint on it and stamp it away. It is so much fun to see what happens with it.
7. Hair Picks And Forks-Use these to make patterns and add texture to media like modeling paste and texture paste.
8. Parchment Paper-Use it as a cover for your workspace. It also can be used on art journal pages to add texture.
9. Baby Wipes- A must gave for any mixed media artist. You can use them to clen up your tools, You can also spread paint with them. If you have done the paint thing, let them dry and decoupage them onto a page to add extra texture
10. Used Softener Sheets- I love to add color to these and then decoupage them onto a page for extra texture
11. Paper Towels-Paper towels are another piece of paper that I like to add to pages, especially the ones that are white and have texture in them. You can also roll them into a ball to wrinkle them and then decoupage them onto your page.
12. Bill Envelopes-The inside of bill envelopes has designs that can be glued onto your journal pages
13. Magazines- There are all kinds of useful images in magazines. You can also cut out words to use on your pages
14. Aluminum Foil- want an industrial look to age page. Use aluminum foil for a background page.
15. Dry Wall Tape-Use strips of dry wall tape as a stencil. Apply texture paste over it. Then gently remove the tape to reviel the design.

Paper For Your Mixed Media

As you start doing Art journal pages, you will need to consider the type of paper that you want to use. You need to use the right paper with a weight that will hold the extra things that you plan to add on. Paper is graded by weight, So so the higher the number, the heavier the weight of the paper.

You can create your own art journal. There are simple techniques to create your own, The advantage to this is that you will get the paper in your journal that you need. This is creative and will be a project in itself, so it will take you more time. But you will get a custom art journal of your own making.

You can buy a premade art journal. This is probably the easiest for beginners to try. Look for a journal that is well made and has the paper for the media that you plan to use, You may find them in cardstock ( make sure it is 90-110lb ) Watercolor paper tends to be a little heavier. And mixed media paper which is my personal favorite. Just make sure to carefully read and understand what you are getting so that you are not disappointed.

• Cardstock will have more weight than copy paper but will be thinner than watercolor paper. You want to stick with heavier paper. Nothing less than 90 lbs.
• Mixed Media Paper can be had as paper that you can bind yourself or as an art journal. Works well with all media
• Water Color Paper comes in a variety of textures. Hot Pressed Water Color Paper has a smooth surface. and an even texture. The paint will dry quickly on this paper. Cold Pressed is rougher than Hot Pressed paper. (it is a great paper for beginners). Rough is very rough and not for fine details.
• Standard Notebooks can be used just to sketch with some art journaling pages. You can use colored pencils, sketch pencils, crayons, and oil pastels.

I would shy away from things like copy paper, printer paper, or notebook pages, They will rip and bleed. Even with gesso added to them, they will not be strong enough for mixed media.

You can try gluing pages together to strengthen them, but you will get frustrated with the wrinkles and uneven texture that will result.

Start With A Good Art Journal

How To Make Your Own Art Journal

You can make your own art journal with just a few supplies. The binding for this project is very easy. Even if you have never bound a book, you will be able to make this custom journal.

Supplies

• A3 watercolor sheers (11.69 x 16.53 inches)
• Awl
• Waxed string ( you can use dental floss)
• Fabric or duct tape
• Masking tape or mixed media tape
• Large needle like an upholstery needle
• Bome folder
• Pencil

1. Fold A3 pages in half, to A4 size.( A4 size is21.0 x 29.7cm, 8.27 x 11.69 inches,) Crease fold firmly with a bone folder or a ruler). Separate into 3 signatures with 4 folded pages in each.
   Set 2 signatures aside and work on one.
2. Taking one signature, open to the middle role, and mark locations with a pencil for binding holes. Here I center the ruler on the page, with 2mm out either end then I have marked in the middle at 15cm, the top and bottom holes (at 2cm and 28cm), and then between the other holes (at 8.5cm and 21.5cm)
3. Using the awl, stand the signature up to help make sure the holes go through the center of each page. Gently much awl through each marked spot to make 5 holes. Make sure you push the awl into a cutting mat or appropriate surface.
4. Now we are ready for the binding. This is called pamphlet binding and can be done with 3 or 5 holes; I prefer 5 here as the journal is large. to cut your binding string to length, use the signature as a guide, and cut the binding string 3 times the length of the spine.
5. From the center of the signature, thread the string through the middle hole, from inside to out. Pull through and leave a tail of about 10cm.
6. On the inside thread the spring through the bottom hole.
   m the outside thread the string in the next hole down. Pull firm.
7. From the outside, thread the string in the next hole up, through the same hole that we have already threaded the string through. This can be a bit tricky. Use the awl to enlarge the hole if needed.
8. On the inside, run the thread up the middle, past the center hole, and into the next hole.
9. Thread the string back through the second top hole from the inside to out
10. And finally, thread the string through the middle hole, from outside to in.
11. Check the tension of the string. We want it firm but not pulling on the holes.
12. Adjust the string so that it is tight

Binding The Signatures Together

1. Use bulldog clips to hold the three signatures together.
2. Cut a strip of tape 15mm wide and tread under the string and, pressing the signatures together, stick the ends down onto the covers of the journal. If the binding is tight, use the awl to guide the tape under it.
3. Repeat three times so there are 4 pieces of tape holding the signatures together.
4. Use a ruler and post-it notes to mark a line and make it easier to align the tape. This will keep the tape straight on the front cover.
5. Run a piece of tape the full length of the art journal, using the post-it notes as a guide. Cut to length.
6. Place the journal front down and wrap the tape around the spine and onto the back cover, keeping it firm.
7. To finish binding the art journal, use the masking tape or Dina Wakely tape to tape the spine between two signatures. This makes the binding firmer and makes it easier to decorate with the spine sealed. Repeat with the second the third signatures as well.
8. You may also want to tape the center of each signature to secure the binding string.
9. Your art journal is finished and ready to decorate.

   
   

Project Tips

• Use good quality mixed media or watercolor paper for your signatures

DIY Art Journal For Beginners

Binding Options And Ideas

• The Nature of Things - a stitched mixed media art journal - Linda Matthews
  During February as part of my year-long commitment to making daily art, I made daily nature-inspired art journal pages using The Nature of Things printable…

Mixed Media Paints

Paints are a staple when it comes to mixed media. Again, since there are no rules, you can use any paint that you may have. You can literally use any paint. Here are the most common ones used:

1. Acrylic Paint- These are vibrant and come in so many colors. They are a thicker paint. They are used most often in backgrounds.
2. Watercolor Paints-These is more see-through (translucent) than acrylic paint.
3. Gouache Paints- These are a thicker version of watercolor paint.
4. Gesso-One thing that you should have in your stash. It comes in white, transparent, and black. It comes in different thicknesses. Medium would be fine for most pages. It gives strength to any page and gives a good base for other media. Think of it like primer paint.

More Paint Technique Ideas

• Art Journaling on Purpose: Ways to Use Gesso
  Learn techniques and ideas to use gesso
• Art Journaling Technique: Create Negative Space with Gesso - YouTube
  Creating a fun and simple art journal spread with lots of colors and gesso! I love using this technique to create a bright pop of color and texture to my ill...

More Mixed Media Products

There are other mixed media products that can be used in your art journal composition. Many of these can be added as your journey into an art journal progresses.

Gelatos

These are like watercolor paints but in a crayon form. They come in a variety of colors and are available online and in some craft stores. They are really very soft and you can mix them with your fingers. You can also use them with water. They are a little pricey, but well worth the cost.

Distress Crayons

These are also water-reactive and come in all the colors of the distress line by Ranger, They are more affordable than the Gelatos. I really like their color range and how they work on paper.

Oil Pastels

Oil pastels are highly pigmented and work like chalks so they blend extremely well.

Spray Inks

There are some acrylic ink sprays that work very well as backgrounds for your art journals. There are a variety of different spray inks, so find the colors and lines that work well for you.

Glitter And Glitter Glues

They are so much fun to add just about anywhere. You can get them just about in any color you can imagine.

Crackle Paste

Adds a crackle effect when used on a page. Lovely when the paint is added over it. Comes in a jar and will last for a long time.

Modeling Paste

Adds smooth dimension to a stencil. Comes in white and metallics. Perfect for letters and numbers when you want them to stand out You can allow them to dry in the air, If you chose to use a heat gun to quickly dry them you may get bubbles. That is an effect that you may like.

Keeping Your Journal Pages Flat

As you work on your pages and add more bulk to your journal, you will find there will be a bit of a challenge to keep pages flat to make it easier to work on them. Here are our favorite tips to help you get the most out of your pages:

1. Use less water. The more water or wet media you add, the more likely the pages will curl.
2. Use heavier paper. The heavier paper will more likely hold the weight of your mixed media than the lighter paper.
3. Paint the other side. That will balance the weight of the paper
4. Paint both sides with gesso. It works the same as paint to balance the weight of the paper.
5. Use painter's tape. artist tape or washi tape to hold down the pages. That way you will be able to work easier.