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

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!!

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​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!

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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.  ​​​​​

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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!! ​