Hey there, if you have checked out my previous posts you know I am a mixed media artist and ceramcist. I love playing around with mixed media to create fun color combinations, patterns, and visual textures that I then apply to my ceramic wares.
I started off my blog as a way to try and break out of a creative block, and I plan to share more on that in the next few weeks, but you may have noticed I went a little MIA. Well, I have two young kiddos and all the summertime ambitions for my studio went a little wonky. We had the busiest summer yet and honestly it was a blast but it left very little time for creative freedom. Now that school has started again and I am settled into my new schedule I find myself with a little more time for studio practice.
So today while I get some other things set up in the studio I thought I would share some of my favorite things I use when making mixed media works.
First, What Mediums Do I Use?
I dabble in many mediums with my 2D work. The materials I use most are:
Watercolor/Watercolor Markers
Acrylic Gouache
Acrylic Paint/Paint Markers
Oil Pastels
Wax Pastels
Gel Pen and Artist Pens
Ink
I really enjoy working on heavy duty mixed media paper or water color paper and artists panels. I have made some work on canvas and I like it sometimes but I often find that I don't get as much detail as I would like with some of my pieces. Plus the papers are nice for some of my wet mediums.
Getting Started
First if I am using a canvas or panel board I always gesso the surface first. I will sometimes do this on mixed media paper if I plan to do some wet on wet work with acrylic or sometimes gouache.
I really like Liquitex products their gesso, varnishes, and matte mediums have been my go to for a while. This Liquitex Acrylic Gesso works great for the mediums I work with. You should always do research on what you plan to use and if you need other specific materials for your work. Golden brand gesso is also fantastic however I do feel like I can stretch the Liquitex further for the cost, you ended up with double the oz of the Liquitex to Golden.
I have also used store brands like Hobby Lobbies Master's Touch and it honestly does fine. I have beef with some of their products. For example their alcohol markers are trash.
As I mentioned earlier, I really like working on wood panels. Birch wood panels are really nice and relatively affordable. You can even make your own pretty easily. I know some folks who make theirs using masonite board. Personally, I prefer the birch. Normally I don't buy the pre-gessoed ones but I happened to pick this one up on sale at Jerry's Artarama. I like the edges to be a little thicker since I tend to carry designs over the edge of the picture plane. I also really like how they look on the wall compared to the 3/4".
[If you are an Oklahoma City metro local I can't recommend Porch School & Art Supply more!!! The folks over there are great and super helpful. They tend to have some great pricing overall but espcially on the panel boards and canvas. I like to shop local when I can and you couldn't get a better place. Jerry's Artarama ocassionally will have good sales as well, and we now have one locally in OKC the folks working over their are really great too.]
On To The Good Stuff
Ok, up first we have gouache. Think of gouache like more opaque watercolor. The way you work with it is very similar. When I teach color theory I have students work with gouache because it has a matte finished and allows you to really see that color. Another good aspect of gouache for students is like watercolor, traditional gouache can dry out and be reconstituted with water.
Acrylic paint has more of a sheen on it which in my opinion makes some of those undertones harder to understand for students.
While I like traditional gouache, in my personal work the ability for it to be reconstituded doesn't play well when you are layering mediums. So I use acrylic gouche. It behaves like regular gouache but it dries permenantly like acrylic. So layering is super easy and I don't have to worry about it becoming muddy.
My two favorite brands are Holbein Acryla Gouache and Turner Acryl Gouache. These two are very comprabable in my opinion. They have rich opaquecolors, they blend nicely, and are smooth. For traditional gouache I recommend Windsor & Newton or M. Graham Gouche both the Windsor & Newton and M. Graham are pricier but have great quality. I have found the best price for these at Jerry's Artarama's website.
A note to beginers, If you are just getting started and aren't sure if gouache is your thing, because it does take a little learning curve to get used to the consistency and application, I have used and have had students use the HIMI pallette on amazon. I won't lie to you or pretend that this is quality product. However, it is decent enough. I wouldn't expect to make anything that you hope to last a long time but for practice it is a decent product for the price. It is also water activated so if your colors dry out you can rewet them and explore how to not layer in a way that will muddy the colors. I recommend that once you decide you like gouache and want to explore it more that you find a better quality product.
Products with the AP logo are usually decent bet on the quality. These products have to meet certain standards which also means they are non-toxic.
Acrylic Paint
I really don't have a favorite for acrylics, Liquitex is typically a good go to as far as being quality and affordable. I have also used some of the Master's Touch from Hobby Lobby and for my purposes it works fine but its not great.
Watercolor
I am sadly not a picky person when it comes to watercolors but I also use them periodically. So, if you are using primarliy watercolor you want to make sure that it is high quality. I have played with some of the craft stores brand name watercolor pans and they are okay. I have used Winsower & Newtown watercolors and I really enjoy them. They do tend to be pricier but it's worth it. Personally I like their pan set over the liquid tubes. For me personally, I feel like I waste more of the liquid ones that if I use the pan sets. Luckily, watercolor can be recontsituted if it dries out so it's not really a waste of product but when you are mixing colors it can go quickly.
I am going to make this a two part blog so that it doesn't get too long. In the next one I walk talk about markers/pens and dry mediums I like to use. Let me know in the comments some of your favorite mediums. I am always looking for recommendations.
Thank you for reading!
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