We have been home from our Outer Banks trip for almost two weeks now and I still have not caught up 100 % at work. Crazy. Working to clean up before you go on vacation and then catching up after it - oh well, it is what it is, no use whining about it. Moving on.
The weekend we got home I cleaned up my creative corner because I was itching to do some traditional art-ing. For the past few months I have been using the iPad pretty much exclusively. And it was fun but I guess I work in cycles. I have noticed before that I really enjoy switching up creating digital painting and traditional artworks.
So, right now I am in the phase of traditional and today I finished this mixed media piece - I guess I better tag the post #nsfw.
Here is what I used
- Strathmore 300g mixed media paper
- charcoal
- different kinds of
-- scrap papers
-- washi tapes - white gesso
- stencils
- water colors
- micron pens
- gold pens and
- glitter in different colors
You can find the whole process in the gif below. I started it all with a charcoal sketch which I fixated because I had the idea to see it through to the final picture. Then I filled the subjects with watercolor and for the background I ripped and added papers and washi tape and fixed them with gesso. To pull it all together I applied more gesso to most of the piece. I did this with a foam roller to get an irregular pattern partially covering the scrap paper and washi tape.
Also with gesso and a stencil I applied two of the three butterflies and let everything dry. Next came another layer of watercolors in dark purple and blues. Once I was happy with how deep the colors were, gesso always seems to suck up watercolors a little, I traced some of the patterns and the subjects with black micron pens.
The second to last step was golden - hah - I really enjoy adorning my mixed media pieces with stars and a bit of gold. Sometimes I use leafed gold but this time it was pens. And finally, I felt like this image could do with a bit of a pattern in the moon and with a bit of glitter. This is a little hard to photograph but if you look closely you will notice it. Maybe I added a little too much but - hey, it's sparkly!
If you click on the pictures below to enlarge them, I am sure you'll see the shine especially in her hair.
With mixed media it may seem strange that we are adding all those things to then just cover them up and paint over them. Why apply those things in the first place? Right, well, trust me when I say that there is something very cathartic about the whole process. From deciding which pieces to add to the picture, to ripping the papers to pieces, glueing everything and then bringing it together again with gesso and colors.
It is a little bit like magic. Nothing of what I added got lost but adds to the whole feel and even haptic of the picture. To me there is something wonderful to this whole process and the final product.
Maybe try it out on a smaller piece for yourself. If you have any questions at all, please ask me in the comments.
Till next time!
Have a great rest of your day!
Cheers,
(Ocean)Bee
Published with PeakVault
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Oh, I love it! That looks great. I always find mixed media to be incredibly beautiful, but I have never started it myself. Not because I wouldn't want to start, but somehow I always have other ideas that "have to" be done first. An iPad has been on my wish list for at least five years ... Unfortunately, I don't have one in my possession yet. Maybe at the end of this upcoming bull run?
Thank you so much! Almost makes me happy to hear friendly words about my art 😍
You sound like someone who has always a lot, way too much to do on their plate, hopefully, one day you'll get to create some mixed media art. It truly is a lot of fun and relaxing to make. In many ways, it's the journey rather than the final picture.
Fingers crossed 🤞 for the bull run. And an iPad (get the iPad Pro and pencil) it is great for drawing/painting and a lot of other things, too.
Nice painting, I’m not familiar with the mixed medium style but it does seem like a lot of work. If the end result is of this caliber though then that’s a pretty decent thing to do!
To me 'mixed media art' is mostly fun dabbling in different media but for the beginning or curious artist it can also be a very forgiving art form because you can always add and paint on top until you get to a result you like.
I love it ! Adding something even if it then gets covered up is a nice touch; you'll know it's there, and if the painting ever gets slightly damaged (which hopefully it won't !) it might reveal hidden secrets...
You pretty much got the essence, or one of them, of mixed media art. To many people it is soul-finding, by writing words, truths on the painting, maybe after a meditation and then covering it up but - they know it is there. That can be quite powerful.
I haven't really thought about the damaging aspect - thankfully - but you are right, if something were to happen the picture could be restored (after possibly revealing secrets 😀).
Thank you so much, makes me very happy that you like it!
What a great piece, I saw you started to create it and it has turned out really great. Sometimes you cant beat to have some real life materials in your hand, even with the limitations compared to digital work.
I'm glad to hear that you like the final outcome. Trust me when I say there were moments when I lamented not having finished it as a charcoal piece.
Oh, absolutely. Digital is so very great for mobility, an iPad is an art (and other things) powerhouse in your bag but getting dirty fingers every once in a while just feels so good, so back to the roots and I'm loving it.
Have you done any art-ing at all over the past few?
I haven't been so motivated recently but hope to get back into again now.
Que bellaza
I'm glad you like it.
@oceanbee, you're rewarding 5 replies from this discussion thread.