MIXED MEDIA

Greetings once again!

While my future Artist guests are assembling their future Posts, I have been sorting out my numerous teaching charts developed over the years and decided to add in some more tips in case they are useful to any of you Artists out enjoying exploring options.  Although these apply to mixed media, they are all painting techniques.  Drawing & other basics will be covered in future posts – so stay tuned if you are interested in that.

Note: For suggested painting methods or procedure (as opposed to techniques) see Post No.18.

OK – now let’s start with some textural examples - either acylic or oil is suitable and these are applied with a painting knife.  A painting knife has a raised handle as opposed to a palette knife which is flat. There are 3 main ways to use a painting knife – loading the paint on the side of the blade for thin lines, on the flat for broad areas or the tip for smaller controlled areas.  (If your acrylic is too fluid, you can add some modelling paste to it for body).  A good way to learn is to use any leftover paint at any time to practise with.  A light touch is needed usually and if you are layering one colour over another for broken effects, you need to be so light that you can think of not so much “putting the paint on” as “leaving it behind”.

In this first little demonstration, I first laid down a thinly washed undercolour of light blue. By getting rid of the white at this stage I have given myself liberty to leave knife textures alone without fiddling – whereas if I were trying to cover the white board I would be overdoing the number of times I apply each knife load.   There was a lovely moment when I overlaid blue across the top of the reflection of the reddish-orange sail.  That is the magic I look for in knife paintings, when it “works”.

The foliage on the side was applied with the tip of the knife in a “jiggling”or “tickling” action … the masts with the side of the knife and the rest with the flat part loaded with paint.

In this next exercise, broad brush strokes were applied first to indicate the body of the buildings in a cityscape.  Then, using the side of the knife blade loaded with pale yellow the rows of “lights” were applied quickly and loosely. Then the same vertically with dark paint to define the buildings and spires.  This is just a small segment of a larger painting but should give you an idea to try.

Sometimes you may wish to give the texture of corrugated iron…

Here is the modelling paste I mentioned earlier, this time on its own – though you can mix it with the paint as well.   Using it this way, paint can be applied to the surface once it is dry.

Now rough, tufty grass effects…

and shorter grasses…

You could try using a sponge for texture (one with nice holes in it preferably) …

This method creates texture with 2 layers of paint...

Once you have the effect you want, you can paint over with various foliage/flower effects closest to the bottom of your painting to make a readlly interesting foreground area…

Now -here is an effect created by wax resist using a plain uncoloured candle… 

Then there is the wonderful world of collage to explore…

Of course once you have the texture there, you can paint over it as I have done in the painting below which features water texture created with unwaxed lunchwrap paper.

These are great fun to do with the kids…

 

Then there are Masking techniques to try…

Now for finishing a painting, why not try…

Stippling is a nice way to apply paint without leaving brush strokes showing. Use undiluted paint preferably…

Want to paint still water reflections?   Mirroring the imaged above the waterline is easier if you turn the painting on its side while you do that.  One way to get a watery effect is to paint everything in the water area with strokes going towards the bottom of the painting.  Then, with a clean soft dry brush, gently blur it all taking your brush horizontally.  You can then add slivers of light or drifts of weed etc. to suggest a bit more of the water surface “over” the reflected images.

Now a little change of direction…

No doubt there will be more to add to this Post as I go through the rest of my charts, but I will publish it now as is, and wish you….

Happy experimenting!  What a joy it is!

Julie