MIXED MEDIA ART MIXED MEDIA ART Imagine creating artwork using different materials and different techniques That’s what mixed media art is all about For example you could combine paint ink and a technique called collage to create a portrait or use clay stamps and found objects to create a model or diorama Artists use color texture lines shapes space and dimension to create their masterpieces The nice thing about creating mixed media art is that you don’t need to be an artist or to be able to draw to create something special To get started you just need to be able to use a pencil scissors and glue that’s it Another great thing about creating mixed media projects is that you can use all kinds of materials in your art from buttons beads and glue to paint paper photos stamps stickers and yarn The possibilities are endless You can have a lot of fun creating art using mixed media Try using the techniques in this book to make a mixed media work of art 4
THE HISTORY OF MIXED MEDIA ART People began using the term mixed media in the early 1990s However the idea of mixed media art has been around for centuries For instance artists in the Byzantine Empire 330 to 1453 b c e added gold leaf to their paintings mosaics and texts Gold leaf is gold that has been hammered into a very thin sheet and then used to cover statues picture frames or other parts of a piece of art In ancient Egypt artists used gold leaf on their oil paintings to make the sky look shiny HOW TO USE THIS BOOK The projects in this book are meant to inspire you to create your own mixed media art You can follow the steps provided or use your imagination to add your own ideas to a project Many famous artists from history used mixed media to create their artwork Experts consider Pablo Picasso’s piece of art called Still Life with Chair Caning as the first modern mixed media artwork Picasso used paint cloth and rope to create a 3-D masterpiece using a new technique called collage The term collage was coined by Pablo Picasso and his colleague artist Georges Braque in the early 20th century Creative Huddle Pablo Picasso said All children are artists The problem is how to remain an artist once he she grows up What do you think Picasso meant by this IT’S ALL ABOUT THE LAYERS Artists who work in mixed media use layers of different materials to create their art They might glue found objects like feathers sticks or stones to a painting done on canvas Others might choose to add layers of different colors of paper or photographs to create a 3-dimensional 3-D effect You can also use mixed media techniques to decorate books or boxes or to create greeting cards and gift tags Mixed media projects are a great way to recycle things that would normally go in the garbage Start collecting boxes paper buttons and other bits and pieces to use in your next masterpiece 5
MATERIALS AND COLORS TO FIT YOUR STYLE You can make many of the mixed media art projects in this book with recycled materials found around the house Collect scraps of fabric and paper newspapers egg cartons mailing tubes magazines toilet paper and paper towel rolls and stickers You might also want to use things such as buttons clay yarn beads and string You can also use different kinds of art supplies such as paint pencils markers clay crayons pastels charcoal ink glue and scissors watercolor paint and brushes old magazines acrylic paint and brushes HOW TO CHOOSE It can feel overwhelming when you are starting a project What materials should you use The possibilities seem endless Start by brainstorming a list of materials that you know will be easy to find around your home or neighborhood or that you can borrow from a friend Decide which materials are the best fit for what you are planning to create Gather all your materials so they are handy Start creating Just use your imagination 6 sponges and sponge brushes oil pastels ink pad markers
WORKING WITH COLORS Artists use the color wheel as a tool to help them mix colors The wheel shows how colors are related to each other and how they can be combined to create new colors It also shows which colors will look best with other colors The color wheel is divided into three types of colors primary secondary and tertiary The primary colors are red blue and yellow These three colors cannot be made from mixing other colors together so they are called primary which means first The secondary colors are green orange and violet or purple These colors are made by mixing two primary colors For example if you mix red and yellow you get orange Tertiary which means third are colors made by mixing primary and secondary colors next to each other on the wheel COMPLEMENTARY COLORS When you are choosing colors for your art project remember that colors from opposite sides of the wheel complement or balance each other For example red and green yellow and violet and blue and orange are sets of complementary colors Using these types of colors will make your project stand out USING THE RIGHT COLORS The color wheel can also be divided into warm and cool colors Warm colors such as red yellow and orange appear bright vivid and energetic Cool colors such as blue violet and green are more calming and tend to create a soothing impression Think about the impression you want to show through your art and pick the right colors to create the proper mood P s Creative Huddle Follow these steps when creating your artwork Brainstorm research and think about what you will create Plan choose your project and gather your materials Create put it all together Reflect think about what you created and what it means to you S T P T T P S T T S T P P Primary colors S Secondary colors T Tertiary colors P Yellow and blue are two neighboring primary colors Mixing them together will create the green secondary color Green and blue are two neighboring primary and secondary colors Mixing them together will create the blue green tertiary color P s T P 7
