This project begins loosely with watercolor and gradually builds into a bold mixed-media piece using acrylic paint, gesso, gold accents, and expressive painting. There is no template and no exact outcome to aim for – this is about letting the piece evolve layer by layer and responding to what shows up on the page!
Tape off the edges of your art journal page with painter’s tape and mist your watercolor palette with water to activate the colors.
Start by applying watercolor directly to the page using a flat brush. There’s no plan here…focus on movement, color variation, and letting the water do some of the work for you. Allow colors to mingle and overlap. Leave areas of white showing through and resist the urge to “fix” anything. The goal is an imperfect, abstract base layer that feels alive rather than controlled. I’m using greens, blues, and yellows. Let dry.
Once the watercolor background is dry, introduce white acrylic paint or gesso. Use an old room key, gift card, or scraper tool to apply the paint in a loose, uneven way. Scrape, drag, and lift the paint across the surface to create texture. This step adds visual interest and helps soften or partially obscure areas of the watercolor without fully covering them. Dry again.
Using white acrylic paint or gesso and a round brush, loosely sketch a large heart shape directly onto the page. This layer acts as a primer so the bold color applied later will stand out clearly. Let this layer dry before adding color.
Apply Pyrrole Red acrylic paint to the heart using your brush. Work the paint in different directions to create variation and texture. Allow areas of lighter and darker red to coexist. This heart should feel dimensional and expressive.
Place a small amount of white acrylic paint onto a baby wipe and gently rub it across the heart surface. This softens the red, adds depth, and creates a worn, layered look.
Using a liner brush with black acrylic paint, outline the heart with a bold, sketchy line. Using an aquarellable or grease-style pencil, add more sketchy outlines around the heart. Using a small brush, apply gold paint to selected areas of the background and around the heart. These marks can be subtle lines, small crosses, or abstract details.
With a stencil brush and Payne’s gray (or black acrylic paint), brush outward from the heart in horizontal strokes. Start close to the heart and move outward, removing excess paint from the brush so the marks stay soft and controlled.
Once everything is fully dry, spray the page lightly with a fixative to protect the watercolor and pencil layers. Finish with a satin varnish or clear acrylic sealer, brushing gently from one direction to avoid disturbing the surface.
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Supply List:
- Fabriano 7 X 10 Watercolor Journal
- Painter’s Tape
- Watercolors: Odyssey
- Decoart Media: Carbon Black, Pyrrolle Red, Titanium White, and Paynes Grey
- DecoArt Gesso (White)
- Decoart Acrylic Paints: Extreme Sheen 24k Gold
- Brushes: Tracy Weinzapfel Sets
- Liner Brush: Micron 10/0 X Long Liner Brush
- Pencil: Black Aquarellable
- Sealer: Duraclear (Satin)
- Other: Krylon Workable Fixative
Check out Tracy’s Art Journal Starter Kit!
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