 |
|
Intimate Gathering by Russell Irwin, 2002,
acrylic and torn paper on board, 48 x 60. |
|
When I was flipping through the
American Artist magazine archives for mixed media art inspiration,
I was prepared to do some pretty extensive digging. I assumed that most artists
tend to silo themselves in their media-specific practices and don't really
diverge. But I found that artists do mix it up. Literally.
Mixed media painting is way more common than I gave it
credit for. In fact, most artists mix media without even thinking about it.
Doing a charcoal or pencil sketch on your canvas before applying paint?
Technically that's mixed media. Combining washes of watercolor with pastel in an
urban landscape painting? That's mixed media art, too.
To sink my teeth into all the mixed media techniques and
possibilities that many artists nowadays are taking up, our newest free eBook, Mixed Media Painting Techniques: Combine
Media to Create Inspired Mixed Media Art profiles two artists who blur the
edges between media to create some really standout work.
Janet Cook's paintings of New York City pulse with life and
rhythm, partly due to the fact that she is able to mix the vibrant colors of
pastel with the expressive fluidity of watermedia. It gives each of Cook's
scenes a sense of drama that the artist really craves, and allows her to create
detailed underpaintings that have a strong enough structure so that she can put
a lot of gesture and movement into the final pastel layers.
|
 |
|
Steppin' Out on Broadway
by Janet Cook, 2009, pastel over
gouache and watercolor on paper,
27 x 20. |
|
|
For Russell Irwin, painting is more like mosaic art, as he
uses mixed media collage elements like torn paper in combination with acrylic
paint to form a richly textured surface on his paintings. The artist
acknowledges that this process forces him to approach his work as if it was
abstract art, where the relationship between shape and color dominates.
Art—mixed media artwork at that—is all about freethinking
and experimentation. Mixing media is the gateway to the kind of exploration
that allows each of us to discover how we really want to make our art, and not
just what we've been taught or what is most comfortable. Mixed Media Painting Techniques: Combine
Media to Create Inspired Mixed Media Art could be the first step toward
this kind of growth for all of us. Download your copy now! Enjoy!
