PREVENT a Mixed Media MESS! THESE Art Supplies WORK with Watercolors Make a Masterpiece!

I get asked ALL the time about which mixed media art supplies can be layered ON TOP of watercolor (and other water-soluble art supplies!).
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Today on my Mixed Media YouTube channel, I'm demo-ing a couple of my favorite art supply combos to use with watercolor, PLUS sharing an entire 32-page PDF full of tried-and-true mixed media art supply combos from other artists that you might want to try at home in your own projects! 

As you'll in today's video, I'm referencing my FREE 32-page "Hot Dog Packet." The "hot dog system" is the EASY mixed media layering process I use when I only want to use a couple of art supplies to create a project and be done. The main way this differs from my Mixed Media Hamburger System, is fewer layers (no collage) and fewer supplies.

Since I of course don't have all the answers and love learning just as much as I love teaching - I reached out to a number of my artsy friends a while back, and asked them which mixed media art supply combos they loved. 

I compiled all their answers in the "Hot Dog Packet" so you know exactly which mixed media art supplies to reach for to create a masterpiece instead of a hot mess express! 

CLICK HERE or press the button below to download your own FREE copy of the "Hot Dog Packet" so you can follow along at home! 

The "Hot Dog Packet" also includes BLANK "hot dog worksheets" that you can fill in with your OWN favorite mixed media art supply combos when you discover combos you love and want to use again. Enjoy!! 

*All Product links are affiliate and for U.S. Residents only.*

During today's demo, you might notice I'm going to be watercoloring the "anime goddess" I drew on my YouTube drawing channel last week during my book review of How to Draw Anime and Manga for Beginners (highly recommend that book, by the way- grab it here on Amazon).

Today I'm using another cute little watercolor set by Prima called Essence. ​You can grab one off of Amazon here if you'd like. This is the third Prima watercolor palette I've reviewed on my Mixed Media YouTube channel. I'm not gonna lie, this particular set is not my favorite, but that's ok.

I think the Current set (blues & greens), is still my favorite (used to create this handsome dude below; watch that video here). 

In case you haven't seen my other Prima watercolor set reviews, and are looking for a fine art quality palette - these little sets are NOT what you're looking for (Click here to watch How to Start Your First Daniel Smith Watercolor Collection).

Like anything, you get what you pay for. Prima watercolor sets include 12 watercolors and run around $25 or less on Amazon. They are PERFECT for beginners - especially if you've never tried watercolor, and aren't sure if you'll even enjoy it. The quality and value you'll get out of these little palettes in insane. 

If you're NOT a watercolor beginner, I think these Prima palettes are are still "good enough" quality for just playing around and having a little fun. I can definitely tell the difference between these and my Daniel Smith watercolor collection. These are definitely a bit of a downgrade. But... they're an awesome size to use for travel if you enjoy art-ing on the go.

And I really do think Prima does a great job of compiling striking assortments of colors that go together well so you can sit right down and start creating a project with confidence. This is ESPECIALLY true with their Currents collection :)

If you were hanging out with me a couple of weeks ago on my Mixed Media YouTube channel, I demo'd three easy watercolor techniques for beginners. One of those techniques was wet-on-wet watercoloring, which you'll totally notice is used in the entire background for today's project.

​Before I even dive into my watercolors, I prepped my watercolor paper used a little masking fluid, or frisket, so I can keep the stars in my background super white while I watercolor the rest of this project! 

As you'll see in the video, after finishing my wet-on-wet background, I was feeling a little underwhelmed with the Essence palette and frankly the boldness of watercolor in general.

This is something I struggle with often about watercolor because I LOVE bold and vibrant colors. A lot of the time watercolor - even the expensive ones- can leave me wanting something more. 

When I'm feeling like this, I might add in some Noodler's Ink (check this playlist out for WHY I'm OBSESSED with Fountain Pen Ink Painting) like I did in the piece below.

Other times, like today, I'll look to another mixed media supply to help me achieve the intensity I'm after! 

Today, I was in the mood for gouache! In case you don't even know what the heck gouache is, check out this video. Long story short, gouache is an opaque watercolor that kinda looks like acrylic when it's dry. This is a good gouache set of 24 to try if you're in the mood to experiment with a LOT of colors for not too much cash. Spend another $20 and you can double the number of colors you get! 

I learned everything I know about gouache from my Scottish bestie, Lucy Brydon! She uses it ALL the time and has some great info tucked into the Celtic Collective art club that we run together at Awesome Art School in case you're interested in trying this super fun medium with friends and diving DEEPER than you can into this world than YouTube.​

Once my gouache layer was complete in today's project, I reached for my PERMANENT art supplies that I knew wouldn't reactivate either the watercolor or gouache layers. Some of my permanent favorites include posca paint markers, sharpie paint pens or acrylic paint markers.

What you want to stay away from if you want to doodle over your watercolors is water-reactive dye-based ink pens. These will bleed into your other layers and reactivate them. 

I hope you found today's video helpful, and thanks for hanging out with me!! 

​What to Watch Next

Wanna learn MORE "hot dog style" mixed media art projects on YouTube? This playlist is for YOU!! 

​Wanna Create This Project With Me in Real-Time?

She's a step-by-step lesson coming up in the Celtic Collective for October! So excited!! Learn more about the Celtic Collective art club here, and join the waitlist to get notified when we're enrolling new members! 

Need More Resources? 

​​❤️ CHECK OUT ALL my art books on AMAZON
❤️ CHECK OUT ALL my online art classes @ Awesome Art School
❤️ MY FAVORITE ART SUPPLIES on AMAZON (affiliate links)
❤️ MY BELOVED FACEBOOK GROUP