Category: Full Length Mixed Media Projects

FUN & EASY Mixed Media Project for Beginners with Derwent Graphitint Watercolor OVER Pencil

20/9/2022

Today's mixed media project is PERFECT for mixed media beginners, watercolor beginners, and anyone curious about the Derwent Graphitint Paint Pan Pocket Set.

Adding watercolor over pencil drawings is a super FUN and EASY technique that can really make your drawings look more sophisticated.

Grab your watercolors and your fairy drawing to create along with me as I lead you step-by-step through simple face shading, creating magical hair, and an easy background in watercolor!

WANT 30 FUN Mixed Media Project Ideas with SIMPLE, tried, and true art supply combos like Watercolor over Pencil? Click the button below to download my FREE Hot Dog Packet!

Each mixed media idea in The Hot Dog Packet reads like a recipe with ONLY 4 art supplies, so it's perfect for mixed media beginners! Click the button above, and I'll send it straight to your email.

Before we continue, super quick announcement: All product links are Affiliate. I may earn a small commission if you choose to order through these links but by law there is never any additional cost to the consumer for doing so. I thank you for your support.

Use whatever watercolor set you have on hand to paint along with me. Today I'm trying a new set - Derwent's Graphitint Paint Pan Pocket Set.

If you've never heard of Graphitint before, it's a "unique blend of graphite paint with color for dramatic tonal work," according to the package.

To me- this set feels like muted nature tones, which is perfect for today's mixed media project.

As soon as I start to swatch these watercolors, they remind me of my granulating watercolors by Daniel Smith. They also look kinda dirty, which isn't a bad thing - you can just tell they have gray graphite in there for sure.

There isn't a skin tone in this set, but I feel like the shade called Russet will work. Watch as I add a light wash of this onto my fairy face drawing. (Wanna draw this fairy? Watch this first.)

I'm using my Polina Bright watercolor brushes (get 10% off Polina's watercolor brushes here) for this project. They're the only thing I use now! Find out why here.

Next I added a little Autumn Brown to accentuate the nose and creases of the eyes to add dimension. I love this technique of adding watercolor to an already shaded drawing. It's got this messy, grungey feel.

It's so freeing because you don't have to be "precious" about your work - just get in there, drop a light wash where you want some color, and call it a day.

I switched to a larger Polina Bright watercolor brush to do the hair in meadow green. If you struggle with how to paint hair (or draw it), I add color from root to tip, leave some white space, and add more color from tip to root.

Make sure you click over to the video to see this in action. It's such a cool effect, and SO easy to do - even if you're a beginner.

If you've been following me for a while, you know I HATE to mix watercolors. I know - it's ridiculous. I'm the only professional artist who won't do this. LOL.

I'm just lazy like that - I love to work straight from the pan, tube or whatever. It's faster and there's no guesswork about what color I'm gonna get!

I feel like this Derwent set could've used a nice dark forest green. Since it doesn't have one, I went out of my way (LOL) to mix one for the leaves in my fairy's hair.

I'm kinda loving my new Derwent Graphitint Paint Pan Set! It's perfect for doing projects like this - just adding some color to a graphite drawing.

If you've been following me for a while or are a student in one of my art clubs, you know I'm obsessed with my pentel pocket brush for drawing eyelashes and outlining.

I know many of my students are intimidated by it because it can be unpredictable and take some getting used to.

Recently I discovered a little sister product, the Pentel Arts Sign Pen with Micro Brush Tip. This is perfect for adding some finishing touches to today's piece.

I think it will also help those students intimidated by the Pentel Pocket Brush. This one has a much thinner bristle tip and is way easier to control to create daintier lines.

I hope you enjoyed today's full-length mixed media tutorial! Remember, if you want to draw this fairy- watch this video first:

When you've finished your drawing, watch this one to watercolor her:

Thanks for hanging out with me today! If you enjoyed this lesson, you might just LOVE my entire #50FunFabFairies drawing challenge. Here's the playlist in case you wanna check that out.

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How to Make Your WATERCOLOR MARKERS BEHAVE for Mixed Media Projects!

29/8/2022

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Today's mixed media art tutorial might just blow your mind if you're a beginner. Not only will I show you how to use Faber Castell skin tone watercolor markers to shade a mixed media face, but you'll learn 3 UNIQUE WAYS to melt, blend and freeze the pigment from your watercolor markers so they BEHAVE in YOUR OWN gorgeous mixed media projects at home!

Got a new set of watercolor markers, colored pencils, pens or watercolors? It's SO important to SWATCH your new colors so you know what to expect when each color hits your page!

I've made this process MORE FUN for you by creating a FREE Swatchsheet! Simply click the button below, and I'll send it straight to your inbox.

LOVE swatching, and can't get enough?! Check out the book I created with my Facebook Group called The Fun Fab Swatch Pad. These playful pages will keep you swatching for days!

How to Use Watercolor Markers
to Shade a Mixed Media Face

I love using watercolor markers in my mixed media projects because I feel like I've got the control of a marker and the magic of watercolors in ONE art supply!

A couple of weeks ago I tried Faber Castell Watercolor markers for the first time and tested them against my Winsor Newtons. I was thrilled to discover the Faber Castell set has SO many colors, including SKIN TONES! I can't wait to try these out today...

To get the face shading of this project started, I studied my drawing reference to see where the darkest shadows sit naturally on the model's face. Then I strategically laid down brush strokes of color on my drawing to replicate what I saw. It's that easy!

How to Activate Watercolor Markers With Water

Typically when I activate my watercolor markers (or any water soluble marker, pencil or pen) with water, I simply wet a watercolor brush (these are my favorites, by Polina Bright), and run the brush over the lines where I want to create watercolor effects.

After I dipped my watercolor brush in water today, I pulled it through the skin tone brush strokes and pushed it around my portrait's face to create lighter skin tones throughout.

As you'll see in the video, the downside of working with watercolor markers is streakiness. Even if you try to blend streaks out with water, they never totally come out. When this happens to me, I usually reach for another art supply in my stash, like gesso.

When to Activate Watercolor Markers
With Gesso & Matte Medium

In case you're new to gesso, white gesso has a translucency to it that will allow an underlayer of a mixed media project (like collage or today's shading with watercolor markers) to peak through. White gesso also has just enough opacity to hide something in an underlayer that you're not crazy about (like today's streakiness).

White gesso is one of MY TRICKS that I use to make watercolor markers behave for my mixed media projects!

As you can see in the above pic, I dipped a different paintbrush into some white gesso to even out my underlayer of face shading. I changed my brush because gesso will RUIN your expensive watercolor brushes. Trust me!

HOT TIP: Whenever you work with gesso, make sure to use a cheap, stiff brush,like these.

Once my gesso layer was fully dry, I added a second layer of shading with my skin tone watercolor marker. This needed some blending too, but I wanted it to remain dark, so reached for my clear matte medium instead of more white gesso.

I almost always use matte medium as my "glue" for mixed media collage. Today, I'm using its adhesive properties to "freeze" my underlayers in place and to lightly blend my last layer of face shading. Cool right?

Using gesso and/or matte medium with other watercolor markers, watercolor pencils and watercolor pens can totally HELP YOU whenever these water-soluble art supplies aren't cooperating for you just by adding water!

How to Draw Hair with Watercolor Markers

If you're not sure how to draw hair with watercolor markers, make sure you click over to the video to see this in action. When I'm drawing hairstyles, I typically draw in a couple of pencil lines to guide the general outlline of where I wanted the hair to sit on my paper. If I'm shading in color, like today, I usually choose three different shades of the same color to create dimension with a light, medium and dark.

I activated the hair brush strokes with water to indicate volume and blend the shades together. Once this layer was dry, I added a few more brush strokes for definition and started shading the facial features.

Hot Press vs Cold Press Watercolor Paper
for Mixed Media Projects

Today's mixed media project is on hot-press watercolor paper. This paper is really smooth and can be quite beautiful for portraits. If you plan to do lots of layering (or collage), cold press watercolor paper is your best choice because it's kind of like working on canvas.

You can throw whatever you want at cold press paper, and it's gonna survive. Hot press is a bit more delicate. If you're not careful or get a little too aggressive with your paintbrush - you can work a hole into the paper. Learn more about mixed media paper for beginners in this video.

I hope you enjoyed today's project, and feel empowered to know you can use MORE THAN JUST WATER to get results you LOVE from your water soluble art supplies!

Remember, all mixed media projects are kind of a big experiment. They're free-flowing. Sometimes things go well, sometimes they don't! Don't freak out.

Keep going, try to chill out, and enjoy the process!

Thanks for hanging out with me today!

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Create DREAMY Skin Tones with Caran d'Ache Luminance Colored Pencils for Your Mixed Media Portraits!

16/5/2022

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Today I'm trying Caran d'Ache Luminance colored pencils for the first time to create a mixed media portrait ("Hot Dog Style"). I'm not normally a colored pencil artist because I prefer art supplies I can work quickly with, but YOU HAVE to SEE the DREAMY skin tone effects these colored pencils create - especially when burnished with a Derwent Drawing Pencil in Chinese White. SO glad I tried this idea on page four of my FREE HOT DOG SYSTEM packet from my talented artist friend, Sharon Holmberg!

Click the button below to download this FREE 32-page stack of ideas just filled with "Hot Dog System" tried and true mixed media art supply combinations created by myself and 20 of my artsy friends!

Today I'm trying some new colored pencils recommended to me from artist, Sharon Holmberg. Her favorite mixed media art supply combo is shared on page four of the FREE 32-Page Hot Dog Packet. Sharon loves to combine Caran d'Ache Luminance colored pencils with watercolor and a bit of collage for the mixed media faces she creates in her Strathmore Mixed Media Visual Journal.

Instead of drawing a girl's face from scratch today, I decided to save a little time, and cut out one of the female faces from the coloring pages packet in my Skin Tone Secrets book.

Before I start shading this face in, I need to swatch out my colored pencils so I know exactly what colors I'm working with.

Even though the swatch sheets in my coloring pages packet (you can download this for free if you buy my Skin Tone Secrets book), are from a book all about using alcohol markers- the swatch pages can be used for ANY art supply, and honestly, the shading patterns presented in this book can also be used with any art supply - as you'll see in today's video.

This is my "I -hate -my -life -right -now -and -my -hands -hurt -face." LOL. If you've been following me for a while, you likely already know I kinda despise colored pencils because they honestly just take too long for me and it's very detailed work, which I'm just not that into. I think I stuck it out for like 5-6 layers of face shading, and had to move on with my life. HA! That's just me.

If you have the patience for working with colored pencils- you do you!! I know they can create some absolutely gorgeous portraits, even from the little shading I did with them today!

The part that really makes Sharon's faces flawless (and something I tried today!) is "burnishing" - which basically means blending the skin tones shades and layers together to create a smooth, finished look. Sharon's favorite tool for this is a Derwent Drawing Pencil in Chinese White. Watch the video to see how beautiful this colored pencil blending technique and tool are in action!

I finished off my girl's face with alcohol markers in the lips, hair and eyebrows because I had to give up on the colored pencils. Even though colored pencils in general are NOT my favorite art supply, they seriously do create a dreamy look for skin tones so I'm super glad I tried it!

Next, I used a simple adhesive spray (shown above), to secure my mixed media face to a sheet of watercolor paper so I can watercolor a background around her. I used two watercolors by Daniel Smith to create my watercolor background: Ultramarine Turquoise and Sap Green.

After my watercolor background is fully dry, I cut some cute flowers out of scrapbook paper I had lying around and glued those down with matte medium ( another STAPLE in my mixed media art studio).

As you'll see in the video, I had a little mishap with my cut out flowers while my watercolor was still wet and it made a tiny drop of green watercolor land smack dab in the middle of my poor girl's nose! Not to worry- I'll show you exactly how to fix a watercolor painting mistake.

First I tried adding a little water on top of the spot to lift the color with a paper towel. That didn't work because this particular color is very staining. I decided to try white gouache because this is super opaque and I know will do exactly what I need it to do. Luckily the watercolor mistake I need to fix is located right on the nose of my portrait where a highlight would naturally go anyway- so it's all good! The gouache worked perfectly.

Since I was already using a bit of gouache on the nose of my colored pencil portrait, I decided to use more to tie the piece together by pulling a few streaks of white through her hair, to enhance her eye shine and make her lower lip pop. So fun!!

What I LOVE about this whole Hot Dog System, is that it encouraged me to reach out to other artists in my community to ask them about their favorite supplies and processes. If I hadn't done that, this exact project and video wouldn't even be happening!

So a huge thanks to Sharon Holmberg for sharing her secret, gorgeous process for shading adorable mixed media faces using only 4 art supplies! I totally love how this project has turned out.

SO stinkin' cute!!

Thanks for hanging out with me today!

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QUICK & EASY! Mixed Media Portrait in Stabilo All Pencil, Pan Pastels & Paint Pens ["Hot Dog" Style]

10/5/2022

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Creating mixed media portraits is one of my FAVORITE things to do! When I don't have a ton of time to art, I'll use my quick Hot Dog System to layer just FOUR mixed media art supplies.

I asked 20 of my artsy friends about the simple mixed media art supply combos THEY love and have TONS of FUN ideas to share with you in a FREE 32-page PDF (you're welcome!). This packet contains our BEST, tried and true, 4 art supply combos- "HOT DOG" style.

Click the button below to download this FREE 32-page stack of ideas just filled with Hot Dog System inspiration!

Today I'm testing a new-to-me mixed media art supply combo recommended by one of my artsy friends, Alexa. Straight outta the Hot Dog Packet on page 3 - we're combining my beloved stabilo all pencil with pan pastels and paint pens on cardboard. If you're a beginner in the world of mixed media art, or just curious about these tried and true art supply combos - today's video (and FREE 32-Page Packet ) are FOR YOU!!

Today's combination of mixed media art supplies comes from page 3 of the Hot Dog Packet, and is a recommendation by artist, Alexa Ali Doebler.

She's suggested we create on cardboard. Feel free to use the back of a cereal box, an Amazon box, whatever. You can also just as easily do this project in an art journal (preferrably one filled with watercolor paper because we'll be activating a water soluble pencil with water). It's up to you!

I'm using cardboard like Alexa suggested. To get this party started, I'm covering my cardboard "canvas" with some swaths of white gesso (skip this step if you're working in a watercolor sketchbook or journal).

As you'll see in the video, I'm using a cheap foam brush to apply it. These are amazing for SO many applications and can easily be washed out and reused for a long time.

Typically gesso is used as a primer for acrylic paint, and absorbent ground is the primer for watercolor and water soluble products. However, because I know the Stabilo All Pencil in Black SO well as a product, I know it will perform beautifully when layered over white gesso.

To draw in the face for today's mixed media portrait, I'm sketching her in with my mechanical pencil first. I find this super helpful because I can erase if I need to. If you don't have an eraser you love, this one is my favorite.

Today's sketch is quick and dirty because I'm more into trying out the art supply combo and seeing how the layers work together, than making the drawing my life's work!

I know her neck is totally wonky, but I'm just letting it be since I'm in a hurry. Try to ignore that for now, LOL.

To activate the stabilo, I'm using my favorite watercolor brushes by Polina Bright (check out this video for a full product review of them!). If you'd like to get a set for yourself, Polina has extended a coupon code to my followers for 10% off if you enter my full name in caps (KARENCAMPBELL) at checkout on her website or in her Etsy shop.

Something to remember about the stabilo is that is WON'T stop activating. Some of my students LOVE this... and some HATE it. I love that feature, but I just want you to be prepared for how it will behave before you try working with it if it's a new art supply to you.

Now it's time for pan pastels. I'm still SUCH a newbie with these- but that's ok! I'm ready to learn!

There's a cute little pan pastels applicator that looks like it fell out of an eye shadow compact. This will help you dab color on wherever you want it, and do some blending.

I spent a little time playing with the pastels - incorporating shading into the face and hair to add dimension. At this point in the project, I was also just experimenting with what the pan pastels were capable of and how they worked. They're actually really fun!

Then it was time to bust out the paint pens. I'm just using whatever is hanging out on my art table. I've got a white sharpie paint pen and dabbed on a few highlights with that, then added some outlining and scribbles with my black posca paint pen. Simple, fun and done!

I hope you enjoy this quick mixed media portrait tutorial! Have fun experimenting with your art supplies, and make sure you post your version in the Facebook Group if you do the project too!

Thanks for hanging out with me today!

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EASY & CUTE Mixed Media Idea for Fall [Full Length Tutorial - Easy Enough for Beginners]

15/4/2022

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If you're new to the world of mixed media art, you're in THE BEST PLACE!! I have so many mixed media ideas, tutorials & tips for you.

If you're intimidated by mixed media, or struggling with how to layer your supplies, I'd love to teach you my SIMPLE mixed media technique for layering my supplies (it's the exact process I used to create this adorbale fall fox!).

Simply download my FREE Mixed Media Hamburger Cheatsheet. I know, "hamburger" sounds funny - but I pile on my art supply layers one by one - like I'm making the perfect burger. Click the button below, and you'll see exactly what I mean!

After you click the button above, you'll get an email with your cheatsheet. Make sure you print it out because it's an awesome reference to keep at your art table.

Now you're ready for action and have TWO choices...

#1: Learn how to make this adorable fall fox (stay right here & keep reading).

OR

#2: WATCH my entire FREE Mixed Media Hamburger Playlist on YouTube. There's a video for every single layer of the cheatsheet (you printed that out, right?!) to help you learn my signature process from start to finish, step by step.

Yay! I'm glad you stayed. Let's get moving on the fox project!

If you haven't met me yet, you'll soon learn I love hoarding art supplies as much as the next girl, but I ALSO love saving money and upcycling thrift store finds for my art.

One of my tricks is to purchase old record album covers to turn them into canvas! Kinda brilliant right? They're dirt cheap and I love the square shape.

You can also create your own mixed media fox on canvas, canvas panel, or in an art journal (just make sure the paper is super thick -preferrably watercolor paper). Do what YOU love!

If you're upcycling any old surface like a once glossy record cover, we need to cover it with a light layer of gesso.

Now it's time to start painting!

Apply a thin layer of orange acrylic paint. I love acrylic paint by Lukas Cryl. I discovered it years ago when my kids were tiny and I was REALLY on a budget. This stuff is gorgeous and lasts forever. I've been recommending it to my students ever since.

I wanted an edgey look, so instead of using a paint brush- I used the edge of an old credit card to spread the paint around. Looks cool, right? If you prefer using a paint brush, that's cool. Use whatever you have on hand. If you're looking for a new acrylic set of brushes, this is a great one.

Another cool element to upcycle in your mixed media art for collage is phone book pages or thrift shop books! I always look for the books that are on their last legs. The paper is thin and perfect for mixed media collage.

For the fox, I ripped up a page from an old phone book. Does anyone even get these anymore?! ?

Lots of people use mod podge to adhere collage pieces to their art journal pages and canvases, but I actually use matte medium. Why? It's designed to work with acrylic paint, and it actually has secret adhesive properties! I paint a thin layer on the bottom of my collage pieces, and another right on top.

Napkins and tissue paper are also excellent for mixed media collage. For this project, I had an adorable, floral napkin I was dying to incorporate. I peeled the napkin backing from the pattern side (this is really important because it makes your collage pieces thinner and easier to control). Then I ripped it into pieces and carefully adhered it to my piece.

If you struggle with getting the wrinkles out of your napkin pieces when you're collaging, this video is for you. It really demos my technique of using TONS of matte medium! I pour it on so there's a lot under my napkin pieces, and then coat them on top as well. If you think you're using too much matte medium, add more :)

Next start adding in some acrylics that tie in with the color scheme from your napkin. I did a very thin layer and used my finger to spread it into the corners to kind of tie things together.

My next step was to add a bit of texture. I love the look of polka dots, and I've found that painting a bit of acrylics over a corner of bubble wrap looks AMAZING in the backgrounds of my mixed media portraits! I've been doing this trick for years, and it costs nothing! Win-win!!

After I hit my layers up with my hair dryer, it's time to start making room for our adorable fox! To knock my background back a bit, I add a super thin layer of gesso all over in the middle of my piece. I used an old credit card here too, to keep that edgey look.

Next, I penciled in my fox outline. I used a black stabillo all pencil because I love how watersoluble it is. It smears when you add something wet to it from water to gesso. Some of my students don't like the unpredictability of the stabilo like I do. If you're one of these people, just use a pencil. When you like the way your drawing looks, start painting again with your acrylics.

When it was time to start adding in that fluffy white fur, I used more white gesso instead of white acrylic paint. I tend to do this a lot in my mixed media work because I love how the collage layers will peek through gesso.

As you'll see in the video, my stabilo lines activated here and there when the gesso hit them. I love how that softened the fox's edges and helped add shading to my little guy without even trying!

Once I felt happy with my painting layer, I sealed it all in with a layer of matte mod podge. Be prepared because that stabilo can activate again when your mod podge hits it.

Let this dry completely. Just walk away and do something else for a while. Or if you're impatient like me... hit it with your hair dryer or heat gun again.

When the surface is slick and dry, it's time to "paint" with our pitt pens! I freaking LOVE this step. It's like ice skating when these babies hit your canvas! If you're following along with your Hamburger Cheatsheet, this is Layer #5.

If you're loving the cheatsheet, this actually inspired not only the FREE 9-Part Series on YouTube, but a book by the same name as well. If you love the feel of a book in your hand, it's available on Amazon.

Once you're done "painting" and doodling with your pitt pens, it's time to add a cute quote. I love using stamps for quotes because I don't love my handwriting. Feel free to do either, or no quote! This is YOUR art.

Next to the last step is to pop in some highlights with a white paint pen. I love this simple set of three in varied nibs from Posca. I also love my Sharpie White Poster Paint Pen.

I love the look of a bold black outline, so you'll often see this in my work. I also love using a stamp pad and adding the look of black, distressed edging all the way around my canvas. Make sure you click over to the video to see exactly how it's done!

Just a quick heads up, when you do click over to this fun mixed media fox video, this was shot BEFORE I had even named my magical mixed media layering process, so you won't hear me talk about the burger layers in this video. You'll just see them in action, set to music!

Wanna learn TEN ways to save money with your art supplies? Check out this video. It explains how the layers in this very project can help you from buying out your local craft store :)

Thanks for hanging out with me today!

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This MIXED MEDIA PORTRAIT in My Altered Book WAS ALMOST a DISASTER!

10/1/2022

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This mixed media portrait tutorial was filmed BEFORE I'd even identified the steps in my signature mixed media layering process, let alone named it "The Hamburger System!"

When I watch this full-length tutorial now, I can see many of the Hamburger steps I was using, even then. This fun his and hers art journal spread was painted into an altered book art journal I upcycled from my local thrift shop. To this day that art journal is STILL one of my favorites.

If you're new to mixed media, or struggling with how to layer your art supplies so you create a MASTERPIECE instead of a mess - you need to download my FREE Cheatsheet outlining my signature mixed media layering process, called the Hamburger System.

Simply click the button below, and I'll send it straight to your inbox!

In many of my mixed media canvas and art journal pages, I often love to start with a collage layer, as I explain in my FREE YouTube series breaking down each layer of the Hamburger System. After this - the cheatsheet I HOPE you just downloaded, will make complete sense!!

With today's mixed media project, I felt the need to start with face drawings, instead of collage. I think I was just too excited to dig into this face drawing reference image (below), that I'd found on Pinterest.

I wish I could credit the artist here, but I couldn't find one for this image.

I felt the need to use a dramatic color scheme, so I selected teal, red, yellow and black.

Since I'm working in my altered book, I need to prep my pages with a thin coat of gesso. This will knock back the opacity of the book's original illustrations and make it so I can paint or draw over them more easily.

Once the gesso is dry, I started this face drawing as I do ALL of them - by sketching in my face drawing guidelines. Even if I'm doing stylized, whimsical drawing (not realism), it's still important to sketch in guidelines so the facial features look more proportional.

Do you love drawing and shading faces too? Or maybe you're just learning how to draw faces? CLICK HERE to download my FREE whimsical face drawing guidelines. They're super easy to follow, and will help you draw a simple and proportional forward facing face.

If you're a total beginner with face drawing, you might want to check out this playlist over on my YouTube Drawing channel to practice your face drawing guidelines with me step by step before trying out today's project. The face drawing tutorials in this series are are short, sweet, and perfect for beginners. Here's one of the faces you'll learn how to draw...

Real quick, before we continue - super quick announcement: All product links are Affiliate. I may earn a small commission if you choose to order through these links but by law there is never any additional cost to the consumer for doing so. I thank you for your support.

After my initial sketch for today's project is done, I pull an old flat paint brush out and add a little more gesso along the outer cheekbones and jawline to correct my proportions since I'm working with a pencil that doesn't erase.

Gesso is a bit magical like that in the world of mixed media art! It can give you a fresh start and work like an eraser to hide any little mistake you want.

Be sure whenever you use gesso that you're using an old paint brush because it will totally destroy your brush. I have one that I've designated for myself to use only for gesso. I highly recommend you do the same.

In this particular project, I added an additional thin layer of gesso over my subject's cheeks, nose, forehead and neck to knock back some of the background that was still peeking through from the book's original illustrations.

Next, I applied some acrylic craft paint in ivory as a base skin tone layer all over her face and neck. Since this piece is purely for my own enjoyment in my own personal art journal, and I'm not selling it, etc. - craft grade acrylics are fine for this application.

When I started adding red acrylic paint into the background behind my face drawings, I decided to scrape some onto my journal page for an edgier look using an old credit card! This is a really fast way to cover a lot of ground with your acrylics.

At the time this project was created, I'd just published my How to Draw Fun Fab Fellas book, so you'll also see me working on a guy's face in this mixed media tutorial.

If you're interested in drawing male faces, one of the things you need to watch out for is to go easy on the lips. If you're not careful, these can turn feminine real quick! You also want to be sure to keep the lines in male faces very angular, except for the eyeballs- these are really the only true curves you should see in a male face drawing.

Next, I decided to add some detail work in with my black stabilo all pencil, before I sealed both pages with clear, matte mod podge.

Usually I LOVE how water soluble the black stabilo all pencil is (even though I know it totally freaks some of my students out!!), but today, it muddied the skin tone of my female portrait because I had doodled in stabilo on top of the eyebrows. This was just too dark and dissolved everywhere once the mod podge hit it.

If you're new to my world, you'll quickly learn how relaxed I am about "mixed media mistakes." I think everything is fixable, and encourage my students to ALWAYS keep pushing through on a project.

I ended up adding gesso, more acrylic craft paint (ceramacoat) to save her face, and blending some gelato skin tones on top to do some face shading, and tying things together with my pitt pens and posca pens- "Hamburger" style.

If you've never used creamy gelatos to help you "paint" a variety of skin tones into your face shading, they're amazing and something you've got to try.

This chick totally gave me a run for my money, but I had a blast and am happy with the end result. Be sure you click over to the video to see her unfold in real time.

Thanks for hanging out with me today!

Don't forget to grab my FREE HAMBURGER SYSTEM CHEATSHEET. Once you print it out, join me on YouTube for my Hamburger System Series, and I'll explain everything you need to know about mixed media art supplies, and my simple mixed media layering process!

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SASSY Pinup Girl Art Journal Page on Mixed Media Vintage Collage!

3/12/2020

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Who doesn't love SASSY Pinup Girl Art?! Seriously!!

Why have I not shown you how to draw a pinup girl before?! I had such a blast with this art journal page and can't wait for you to try it! Today’s video is a FULL LENGTH mixed media art project, so if you love vintage collage, pinup girl drawings, art journaling, my hamburger system OR mixed media tutorials - this is for YOU!

Not sure what I'm talking about when I say "Hamburger System?" NO PROBLEM!!

I've got you!! My Hamburger System is a simple mixed media layering system I've developed over time after TONS of trial and error from playing with ALL the art supplies I could get my hands on!! I used to get asked all the time (and still do!) about my mixed media process, and what order I layer my mixed media art supplies in.

I've broken it down for you layer by layer and created a fun step by step video series on YouTube, created a FREE cheatsheet you can download, and EVEN ending up pouring it all into a book because I think it's that helpful to have as a reference on your art table.

Get Karen's FREE Hamburger System Cheatsheet

I love collaging art journal backgrounds with new materials and trying out new art journal ideas, so was thrilled to try doing a postcard collage! I was not sure how this was gonna work because I've never done much with postcard art, or collaging materials with a glossy sheen, but I was in the mood to BREAK a FEW RULES!!

Grab your art journal, some vintage postcards, your acrylics, gelatos, pitt pens and ALL your mixed media hamburger supplies because it's TIME TO PLAY!!!

How ADORABLE is this retro pinup girl I found to use as our reference image for todays' project??!!

I'm SO excited to paint her into the foreground!!

Before we go any further, super quick announcement: All product links are Affiliate. I may earn a small commission if you choose to order through these links, but by law there is never any additional cost to the consumer for doing so. I thank you for your support!!

If you follow me, you know I'm a super fan of liquitex matte medium for my collage layer, but since I've already started this project in a rebel mood- I'm gonna go ahead and continue that streak!

These postcards are pretty substantial, so I grabbed my good old fashioned Weldbond adhesive because I don't want them buckling or separating. I want them to be locked down and rock solid.

Initially I hadn't planned to use masking tape for this project, but it was sitting next to my art journal, and I've used masking tape tons in the past on my collage layer, so decided to frame my page around the edges. Not only will this add some additional texture to my collage background, it will help to strengthen the edges of my page.

Before we get TOO FAR into the project- we need to talk about background vs. foreground. While I totally love each and every one of these postcards individually AND the composition they've magically created together in my background - I'm not gonna let myself get attached. I KNOW it's hard, but you need to do this to if you intend to paint or draw something into the foreground of your piece. A background is simply that- a background. Of course we want it to be awesome, but we can't be precious about it.

To help me with that, I've added a few scrappy pieces of masking tape in the center of my page, and my stamps!

Next, I added some gesso with my brayer to kick the background back even more, so I have some space to draw.

Don't let this hurt, ok? Background is background! We're prepping the space for someone fun to appear in the foreground, so we need this to head backstage. The rough application with my brayer helps the background take on a bit of a grungy look - which I LOVE. To bring that out a bit more- I added some brown acrylics around the edges.

I know some mixed media art fans kinda hate drawing, but I love it, so a lot of my work ends up as mixed media portraits (because I LOVE drawing faces and teaching people how to draw a whimsical face!).

If you love drawing faces, you HAVE to join me over on my YouTube Drawing channel for my Whimsical Women of the Women of the World series. We're having a blast and you can do this on your own time, any time you want!

If you're totally new to drawing faces, check this series out on my YouTube Drawing Channel to get you started!!

You'll learn how to draw a whimsical face in pencil. It's super easy and relaxed. Then I show you how to add a little bit of shading, and we build on those skills when you're ready for more!

I get a ton of questions about how to draw so many random things, and I really encourage using a reference photo because everything you need to know to create a beautiful drawing is already in the photo. All you do have to do is draw what you see! A reference makes things SO much easier. And if you choose to draw in a whimsical style like I typically do - it's way more forgiving than realism. AND more fun (I think!!).

After your pinup girl drawing is all sketched in - it's time to kick things up a notch and add some color!!!

Have FUN layering in your acrylics and gelatos. Just keep on moving up the hamburger layering system from the bottom up! If you have questions about your supplies and where or when they go, just use your cheatsheet! If you didn't grab that yet, click the button below to have it sent straight to your email!

Get Karen's FREE Hamburger System Cheatsheet

When I'm happy with my gelatos and acrylic layers, I'm ready to seal it - which is layer number 4. At this point, nothing should move when I add mod podge except for my gelatos. They will melt a little bit, so be prepared for that.

If you don't want anything to move (this totally freaks some people out, and that's ok!) - you can just choose to work only with materials that are nonwatersoluble, and permanent - like acrylics!

Tons of students ask me if watercolors are ok to use in the Hamburger System and where to put them. I honestly don't use them AT ALL in the Hamburger system because they are SO reactive, and just their own animal!

I save up my watercolor love for other projects. Watercolors play nicely with colored pencils, paint pens, fountain pen ink, pens, etc. - and I totally love them, just not for my "Hamburger" projects.

Remember - my Hamburger System is not the only way to go with mixed media- it's just a fun pattern I've developed for layering over time that I love and find to be pretty fail safe. It always gives me gorgeous results, and because I want YOUR art to be AWESOME - I've shared this with you so you have NO questions about what supplies play nicely together and you can just have FUN, which is the most important part of art-ing, am I right?!

Once my mod podge layer dries, it's time to have some fun with my pitt pens! They're made by Faber Castell and filled with India Ink, and I LOVE using them to "paint" more details on the mixed media faces and mixed media animals I love creating. They actually make an awesome skin tone pack that you might want to check out if you don't have any pitt pens and are interested in trying them out. So fun!!

Make sure you do a test swatch of these before you put them on your project because the caps can totally can trick you here and there!

At this point, I just have a blast shading and doodling all over the place with my pitt pens to add detail and depth on my slippery mod podge surface. I use my finger to blend for shading in the face. The amazing thing about this layer and playing with pitt pens, is they can be erased with a baby wipe if something happens that you don't like!!

If you're following along with my cheatsheet for the Hamburger System, you can feel free to seal this layer with mod podge, and then go back to add even MORE doodles!

If you do get any smears with your mod podge here - like I did (because my black pitt pen marks weren't quite dry in one spot before I added my mod podge), that's ok! Everything is fixable- we can figure it out. Just take a breath and redirect the smear!

I always finish up with a white sharpie pen or posca pen / paint marker to add some highlights that pop - they make SUCH a huge difference in your art! Watch the video to see exactly where I love to jazz my girls up, and make them glow!!

Once I'm good to go with my highlights and have finished adding some distress marks to the edges of my art journal page, it's time to seal her up so she doesn't move and so my art journal pages will not stick together.

This is one the HUGEST questions I get from students- "How to keep art journal pages from sticking together?!"

So here ya go - my answer is at the end of today's video. Be sure to stay with me till the end for that tidbit!!

Thank you so much for hanging out with me today!

I hope you LOVED this project and will see ya back here next Friday!! Have a fab weekend!!

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THE SECRET to EASY WRINKLE FREE Mixed Media Collage Backgrounds with TISSUE PAPER!

19/11/2020

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Mixed media collage backgrounds with tissue paper are EASY to create and can add gorgeous texture to your mixed media art journal. Today’s video is a 45 minute, FULL LENGTH mixed media project, so if you love collage mixed media art & mixed media tutorials - this is for YOU!

I know what you’re thinking about collaging art journal backgrounds with tissue paper ... those WRINKLES, those BUBBLES, or worse yet - the rips!! Don’t worry - I've got collage techniques that will make your thin tissue paper BEHAVE so the texture of your collage background can PEEK through your mixed media portrait, without taking over your whole art journal page!

To get some inspiration flowing for this project, I flipped back through one of my favorite art journals of all time.

I discovered every single page had started with collage! I don't think I even knew that before!!

For me, collage is something I naturally gravitate to - to start a project. It's like a mindless art warmup. It sets the color scheme for my project, gives me a second to breathe and takes me to my creative happy place!!

Before we continue, super quick announcement: All product links are Affiliate. I may earn a small commission if you choose to order through these links, but by law there is never any additional cost to the consumer for doing so. I thank you for your support!

Like I often do, today, I'm working in my Strathmore Watercolor Journal because every single page of this sucker can really take a beating! This is my 4th one THIS YEAR!! I use them for drawing, watercolor, ink, juicy mixed media layering- this paper can take ALL of it.

I found this little scrap pack pictured above, and decided to use these cute little tissue paper squares to get going on today's art journal page background. Shockingly, I chose to line them up a bit methodically. If you've been hanging out with me for a while, you know this is SO NOT ME, and I can see you laughing right now at how much this challenges me!

When I do collage - no matter what material I'm working with- I spread out my pieces fairly evenly and "take turns" alternating colors and patterns, to spread the love!

Tissue paper is REALLY porous, so it's fantastic for collage because the adhesive really soaks in.

I'm using matte medium for my adhesive- for SO many reasons. I know I can sound like a broken record here - but it's so awesome for mixed media collage -especially if you plan to paint with acrylics on top, or even think you might go that route.

If you're a mod podge fan (like me!), don't worry - I have plenty of times I reach for that as well, just not usually for my first layer. If you haven't seen my video about how to know when to use Mod Podge vs Matte Medium - it's super helpful!

Now...onto today's mixed media background with tissue paper! If you've done tissue paper collage and had any issues in the past, I HEAR YOU! It's super easy to get not only WRINKLES, but bubbles. You definitely don't want bubbles because those can pop and leave a hole in your piece.

If you've experienced tissue paper ripping in the past while you're collaging art backgrounds in your art journals or on mixed media canvases - I've got some tricks up my sleeve for YOU!

My BIGGEST SECRET is actually so simple...

Use a TON of adhesive. That's it! Seriously!!

I've got so many students and artsty friends who use their products sparingly. This is one you DON'T want to be precious with ;)

If you want to make an AWESOME mixed media collage background (and that's what we want, or why are we doing this?!), you need to use a TON of product. In this case- matte medium- both under AND over your collage chunks!

If you're new to mixed media - you'll soon find out, it's equally as much about creative problem solving as it is about planning and execution.

I'm ALWAYS running into issue I need to solve, and today is no exception.

Take a look at this....

I know the pic is a little fuzzy, but you can TOTALLY see there are fibers from my tissue paper scraps hanging off the edge of my foam brush. EWWWW!

I had NO idea that was gonna happen. But I was already in it to win it.

I kept going and tried to use this time to think about how I could intentionally work WITH the fibers or bury them!

I know things always have a way of working out, so didn't stress. When these happen to you (AND THEY WILL!) just keep your confidence up, learn to pivot, and go with the flow! A solution will present itself to you.

While I was thinking about these crazy tissue paper fibers, I started thinking about the other types of tissue paper I could've used including my favorite Tim Holtz collage tissue paper. Suddenly, I had a solution.

I tried a few different sheets of tissue paper from my Tim Holtz stash and ended up using my absolute favorite style that I have from him with the music notes and butterflies.

I actually like to glue this down as one whole sheet. There is a little bit of an art to this- so be sure you watch the video if this is something you want to try with your own tissue paper art.

My secret?

The same as before. Use MORE matte medium. Underneath AND on top. In this case - more is better!

Seriously... check out how much matte medium I'm glopping onto my art journal page right now for my BOTTOM layer! You want it to be SOAKING wet.

If you're getting wrinkles, and bubble especially - you're not using enough product. It's kind of like wallpaper.

Once you work your sheet down, it's time for a massage.

Work out the bubbles that appear from your bottom layer of matte medium, and become one with your art piece for a few minutes! Use your fingers to spread out each bubble - and work your way across the page until they're gone.

I put SO much adhesive down that while I'm massaging my bubbles down, the glue is rising up through my paper. That's a good thing!

You have a little window of time to do the smoothing out. Once it's drying - you just can't move it anymore. It will rip.

I had a student ask me the other day how long she needs to wait for her matte medium to dry before moving on to the next layer. My answer to that is - I never wait!! LOL.

I just grab my hair dryer and let it blow until my collage feels dry when I touch it. I use a hair dryer instead of a heat gun because I feel like the air flow makes the drying process go faster. Sometimes heat from a heat gun can be too intense, and can even be damaging to certain products.

So for me - I'm all about the hair dryer- it's fast, safe, and effective.

I decided to use my face template that I made ages ago to draw a face over my fun new background! The easiest way to use the template is to grab a sheet of graphite transfer paper, lay it dark side down, and put the face on top. Then just trace over my lines of the face I drew for you with your pencil.

The drawing will show up on your collage background. Awesome right?!

If you're new to drawing or don't love drawing faces, but want to try playing around with one in your own art journal? Please feel free to download my face shape template!

Get Karen's Free Face Shape Template

I decided to lay down a little gesso in the face shape area before doing the full transfer of the facial features in my template because I had a lot going on in my collage and it was too hard to see my transfer lines. I love using gesso INSTEAD of white acrylic paint for something like this because there is a level of transparency with gesso, and I will still be able to see the collage peeking through the face I create.

Once my gesso was dry, I grabbed my all time favorite -stabilo all pencil and started drawing!

If you're new to using a stabilo - be forewarned that these are SUPER reactive! I love that effect, but it tends to freak out many of my students. It WILL react to water, gesso, matte medium, mod podge, paint- whatever you throw at it.

Since I'm using matte medium to activate today- it actually "freezes" whatever I do here in place.

I drew in a quick bun and drug a little matte medium through this area, then worked some of the leftover gray on my paintbrush into the face as shading.

I thought about leaving her black and white, but decided to smudge some gelatos in to add a bit of color.

Remember each time you add a color - you want to repeat it somewhere. You should also always look to the colors in your background for inspiration. These become your color palette. Each time you repeat your background colors- you unify your piece. Take a look at how she pops when I add a touch of blue to her eyes...

After I sealed this layer with more matte medium, I pulled out my pentel pocket brush to doodle some details like eyelashes, etc. Then I decided her lips needed to be redder, so pulled out some acrylics. I loved the way that looked so kept going - adding a touch of blue to her eyes, and a bit of yellow to the butterfly at her neck.

Cute, right?! I hope you enjoyed today's tutorial!! I sure did!! Super easy, and a FUN, artistic release!!

See ya on Monday for the next Whimsical Women of the World drawing tutorial over on my Drawing Channel!!

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THE SECRET to WRINKLE FREE Mixed Media Collage Backgrounds with Paper Napkins!!

29/10/2020

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Happy Friday!! Mixed media collage backgrounds with paper napkins are EASY to create and can add a gorgeous pop of color to your mixed media art journal. Today’s video is a FULL LENGTH project, so if you love collage mixed media art & mixed media tutorials - this is for YOU!

I know what you’re thinking about collaging art journal backgrounds with napkins...those WRINKLES!!

Don’t worry - I've got collage techniques that will make your napkins BEHAVE so there is a little texture, and your collage background can PEEK through your mixed media portrait, without taking over your whole art journal page!

Grab your art journal, a beautiful paper napkin, TONS of liquitex matte medium, some gesso, a black stabilo all pencil & come play with me!!

Today I'm working in my favorite Strathmore watercolor journal. These thick, beautiful pages can take anything I throw at them, which today is gonna be a vat of liquitex matte medium!!

If you haven't used paper napkins to create an art journal background - you totally need to give it a try! There are so many beautiful patterns and colors out there! The possibilities are endless. A pretty napkin can also create a no-fail color scheme for your mixed media project if you intend to do a little painting, like I did. Just look to the colors you see in your napkin, find paint shades to match, and BOOM. Solid win!

Napkins can be a bit tricky to work with because they are SO fine. To make matters worse, we need to separate the plys EVEN MORE so we're only working with the ply that has the pattern. If you haven't done this before, just work your nail into the edges of the napkin like I show you in the video, and slowly pull the plies away from each other. Sometimes the pretty napkins are 3-ply, like mine is today. So just watch for this so you isolate only that thin sheet filled with the pattern you love.

When you're ready to glue this down into your journal, I suggest working with liquitex matte medium as your adhesive. I love this stuff because it's super fluid, and WAY LESS gloppy than mod podge for this type of work. Plus, matte medium was CREATED to work with acrylic paint. So if I decide to add a painting layer to this piece, my surface is already prepped and ready to go.

Some people like to try and glue down the whole napkin sheet at once, but I find it's easier to manage and I can control the wrinkles a bit better if I work with smaller sections of my napkin at a time. Your napkin sheet is going to be fragile, so gently tear chunks of it apart.

Now, here is my HUGE SECRET... you need a TON of matte medium to work out the wrinkles that will inevitably pop up while you're gluing. No matter how tiny your ripped pieces of napkin are- you're till gonna get wrinkles!

To combat this, I pour my matte medium directly onto my art journal page and use what many would think is an "uncomfortable amount" of product. If you don't have an uncomfortable amount of it on your page right now- dump some more.

Don't be precious about your matte medium - you want a TON of it both UNDER and OVER your napkin pieces, so they are sopping wet. Any areas that aren't soaking, go back and add more product to. This helps you get rid of any psycho wrinkles trying to creep up!

My SECOND TIP for you to create a wrinkle free surface has to do with your foam brush technique! If you just drag your foam brush around, it's going to be easier for your napkin pieces to tear. Try using a pouncing motion with your brush to tap the napkin chunk onto your paper. This tapping motion will help your under layer of matte medium rise up and soak into the napkin. Watch the video to see what I mean.

After you've pounced a napkin chunk into position, try to systematically smooth the wrinkles out on top. Going slowly will help you not rip the napkin. Trust me! You'll see I rammed through a couple of them too quickly and had to slow myself down. LOL!

As you work around your art journal page, and sections begin to dry - just add more matte medium to edges that try to pop up on you. This will knock them back down.

When I'm done gluing all my napkin pieces down, I use a hair dryer to dry the page instead of a heat gun, because a hair dryer won't get hot enough to ruin my work, and it's faster because of the "blower" part. A heat gun doesn't have that kind of air flow/power so takes longer. And if you know me- you know I'm in a hurry and don't have the patience to watch wet stuff dry!!

I decide to add gesso to the center area of my page because I want to draw a face on top. While the background pattern from my napkin is beautiful, it is too dark and busy to draw anything over. To dial that back a bit, I turn to my gesso.

I have 5 favorite ways I like using to apply gesso and demo them in today's video. My favorite gesso application method for under a face is just using a foam brush or my flat gesso brush. If I want more of an edgy look and want the texture to really pop forward from any wrinkles that do show up in my background, an old credit card is perfect to rake your gesso over the page with.

I also love to pounce the gesso down with a sponge wherever I want it. This is primarily the technique I ended up using today. Then I pulled out my brayer to spread the gesso out a bit further and to draw a little texture into the foreground.

After I hit this with the hair dryer once more, and everything is completely dry- it's time to do a little mixed media drawing! As you'll see in the video, I ALWAYS sketch in my face drawing guidelines. They're too important to skip and will set you up for success.

I start my sketch in regular pencil, then when I'm happy with my lines, switch over to my stabilo to darken my lines.

As you can see, my stabilo lines are actually fairly light. When I hit them with my paintbrush and some water- it's pretty magical, what happens. Look...

Isn't it amazing how easily the stabilo is to activate with water?! It literally melts as soon as my brush touches it, and can be spread around like watercolor. This is one of my FAVORITE mixed media techniques!!

I typically do my stabilo in 2 -3 layers for a drawing like this. After I activate the first layer, I let that dry, then add more dry stabilo marks wherever I feel like there needs to be a little more definition. Sometimes I activate that second layer of stabilo too - it just depends on the look I'm going for!

For the finishing touches, I use my favorite white paint pens- posca and sharpie, along with my pentel pocket brush. Look at how just a few lines of ink from the pocket brush and a couple of dotted white highlights in and around the eyes and on the nose really make her pop!

Look at how the texture of that napkin peaks through, up close! LOVE IT !

In the end, I decided to add some of my Noodler's Ink around the edges in the background to tie into the florals of the napkin together, and I'm LOVING how that looks!!! So fun!

I hope you enjoy this mixed media tutorial / art journal project!!

Thanks for watching!! Stay tuned for Monday's Whimsical Women of the World Portrait Drawing prompt!!

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for Mixed Media Projects

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SASSY Pinup Girl Art Journal Page on Mixed Media Vintage Collage!

THE SECRET to EASY WRINKLE FREE Mixed Media Collage Backgrounds with TISSUE PAPER!

THE SECRET to WRINKLE FREE Mixed Media Collage Backgrounds with Paper Napkins!!

Karen Campbell

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​How to Use Watercolor Markers to Shade a Mixed Media Face

​How to Activate ​Watercolor Markers With Water

When to Activate Watercolor Markers With Gesso & Matte Medium

​How to Draw Hair with Watercolor Markers

​Hot Press vs Cold Press Watercolor Paper for Mixed Media Projects

Karen Campbell

Archives

Categories

What Fans Are Saying

Contact Us

How to Use Watercolor Markers
to Shade a Mixed Media Face

How to Activate Watercolor Markers With Water

When to Activate Watercolor Markers
With Gesso & Matte Medium

How to Draw Hair with Watercolor Markers

Hot Press vs Cold Press Watercolor Paper
for Mixed Media Projects