How To Become Pro With Mixed Media In 10 Minutes?

Mixed media is an artwork using more than one medium or material. It’s a really cool technique to achieve different effects, and it’s a really fun way to create. You can use as much as mediums you want, cardboard, fabrics, newspapers, paints, wood, pastel…the list is countless, the only limit is your imagination. So if you haven’t tried it yet, that’s the time.

Today I will share with you the quickest process ever of making a mixed media in brown and blue using tea bag. Yes, that’s one way as well, and such a nice one. From the time I discovered t-bag technique I use it whenever I can, for art-journaling, mixed media, making different decorations. It’s so easy to use, and how unique effect you can create with it!

So let’s get started! If you do it with me, following the instructions, add your own style as well, so it will be your unique art-work. I give you ideas about the materials and how to build up the pic, but feel free to change the order of the process, the number of mediums, using additional colors or even less. You don’t plan anything, just follow your heart, and do what it tells you, that’s the way it work. Image may be NSFW.
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Material list:

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Canvas or Wooden Board
Acrylic Paint:
Hobby Line Matt color, 48 Turquoise
Hobby Line Matt color, 43 Mint Green
Hobby Line Matt color, 67 Bamboo
White Gesso: I use Vellejo or Dina Wakley
Mod Podge
Newspapers, old book pages / prints
Tea bags
Fabric
Old Credit or other Card to apply gesso: Optional

If you have old newspapers, books, dictionary that you can use for creating, it’s perfect. If not, an alternative solution is to print out some pages. That’s what I did, and it also works really well. If you wish, to have an older look, crumple it a couple of times. I just simply applied them.

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You can use canvas, or wooden board as well. I had a board left from a shelf…I always have some left stuff to recycle lol. So I cut that board for size, and used it as a canvas. I have already calculated the size, as you’ll see at the end, it will be between my 2 Flower Vase Wall Decor we made last time. If you missed, it check it out to complete your perfect mixed media you’ll have really soon. Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Mine board is 20 x 20 cm (7 7/8” x 7 7/8”) but of course yours depends on your choice, the wall you put it…etc.

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First using my fingers I applied White Gesso on the board. Then using an old card as well I applied a second layer. In this post, you won’t need any kind of brush, only your hand, it’s much more fun! Mixed media is really about mixing, nothing has to be perfect. Just keep in mind not using too much medium or colors avoiding the mess. But feel free to use your fingers and different objects to apply the gesso and colors!

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When it’s dry, tear some newspapers, and apply some pieces on the board using the Mod Podge. On the left-hand side I began with the newspaper and glue a piece of tea bag above, on the right-hand side you see, I began with a lighter tea bag, a darker one over the first layer, and finally a piece of newspaper. Then I applied some fabric beginning on the left.

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You don’t really have to dry with these layers, the Mod Podge dries superfast, and even the fabric you can glue with it. Don’t worry, if you soak the whole fabric, you can crumple the fabric easily like that. Apply some more newspapers, or old book pages, tea bags in different colors, and some more fabric.

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And here you go! I actually like it like that. If I had a flat in brown or Scandinavian colors I would just leave it like that. It was fast, right? Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. But I need some blue, so that it will fit into the environment as everything is blue and yellow now. It’s not a problem to mix some different styles in one flat, basically when you have a small one, and of course you would like to have different ambience, but make sure you use the same 2-3 colors to have a nice result.

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So I applied some Acrylic Paint starting with the Mint Green than adding some Turquoise and Bamboo at the edges smoothing the colors a bit.

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Now if you like minimal style, you can already stop here. I can imagine you already have a perfect artwork. Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. But if you feel like playing a bit more, let’s just add some more colors again. I added some more turquoise, and some more gesso to fade some blue where it was too much and give some more white color with texture.

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That’s why I like tea bag. It’s transparent but also has a nice subdued color, and see how nice look it gives painting over it? You can just paint over the crease and keep the original color underneath. The same with the fabric but unlike the tea bag, here you’ll keep the white ground color of the fabric.

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And here it is! I won’t touch it anymore, it’s great like that. How’s yours? I hope you made a really nice mixed media painting in your home. If you like it, you can also give it as a gift to someone you like, a friend, or your family, it’s really a nice gift. If you give it to someone else, think of what colors they have in the flat, and what style they like, so that they’ll have a really nice surprise! If that was your first mixed media, it’s time to just try out different materials and colors again! Image may be NSFW.
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Image may be NSFW.
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