MIXED MEDIA ART

With simple mixed media techniques you can literally turn trash to tresure! All you need to get started is a piece of cardboard, glue, various recycled or inexpensive materials and some acrylic paint. Here's a list of top 12 easy ways how to create mixed media art with lots of texture. Great art project for beginners!

MIXED MEDIA TEXTURE IDEAS

IDEA 1: WRINKLED PAPER - One of the cheapeast and easiest way to create interest to a blank background is simply glueing down pieces of wrinkled paper. Any paper will do - use your trash and junk mail!

IDEA 2: CORRUGATED CARDBOARD - Corrugated cardboard is easy to cut, it creates structure to your art work and it looks gorgeous dry brushed with acrylic paint!

IDEA 3: BURLAP - Burlap in various forms is great for creating rough patterns to the background. If it doesn't stick properly with regular craft glue, a little bit of hot glue here and there will help.

IDEA 4: LACE - Recycle old lace clothes and left over pieces of lace in mixed media art! Check out the ideas on the video tutorial, see the link below.

IDEA 5: GEMS, BUTTONS, BROKEN JEWELRY - Gems, buttons and broken jewelry make nice details to your art work, either covered with paint or as added details to a finished piece.

IDEA 6: FABRIC - Old clothes and other textiles create subtle texture to the background. Very easy to use!

IDEA 7: STRING & YARN - Wrap to a circle or create whatever shapes you want!

IDEA 8: RICE & CORN - Rice and corn are small enough to be used in mixed media art. Create patterns or fill in small gaps between elements on canvas - looks gorgeous when painted with metal paints!

IDEA 9: STICKS & TWIGS - Grill sticks, tooth picks, ice cream sticks and twigs from nature can be used in many ways in mixed media art.

IDEA 10: WOODEN EMBELLISHMENTS - Small wooden embellishments are very easy to use for beginners and inexpensive, if you haven't got them in your stash already.

IDEA 11: PAPER ROSES & SILK FLOWERS - Both paper roses and silk flowers can be painted or they can be used as they are to bring some color to your mixed media canvas.

IDEA 12: CEREAL BOXES - Let's not forget the mother of all recycled crafts - the cereal box! You can cut out or punch out various shapes and use them on top of other texture layers. If you paint them with metal paints, they turn into beautiful, metallic looking embellishments!

HOW TO MAKE MIXED MEDIA ART ON CANVAS

There are many ways to paint and add color to mixed media art - check out the video tutorials on the mixed media playlist or the mixed media project list on this site.

If you like to see how all the 12 ideas were used on the example piece above, please check out the video tutorial (9 minutes):

• Youtube: Mixed Media Texture - TOP 12 IDEAS

Related ideas & tutorials:

• Projects: Mixed Media on Canvas
• Video tutorials: Mixed Media Playlist

© Auer Media 2020-06-12