This project is all about creating a fast, vibrant background and turning it into a fresh leafy mixed media art journal page. You’ll use Distress Oxide Sprays, resist spray, rubbing alcohol, watercolor, black acrylic linework, metallic gold, and a few tiny red hearts for contrast. It’s bold, green, a little wild, and proof that you really can make something creative in under 30 minutes!
Prep your art journal page by taping off the edges with painter’s tape. Begin by shaking your resist spray side to side and wiping the nozzle before spraying. Hold the bottle back from your page and spritz lightly across the surface to create random areas of resist. Don’t worry if you can’t see much at first – once the color goes down, those resisted areas will show up as bright white spots and texture. If your nozzle clogs, run warm water through it and try again.
Next, layer your Distress Oxide Sprays over the page. Start with yellow, then add greens and teals, letting the colors overlap naturally. Use colors like Mustard Seed, Lucky Clover, and Peacock Feathers for that bold, fresh background. If the color feels too bright, add a little Weathered Wood to tone it down and create depth. You can also flick or spray rubbing alcohol across the wet background to create extra texture and movement. Let dry.
Once the background is dry, use black acrylic paint and a liner brush to sketch loose vines and leafy stems across the page. Keep your hand relaxed and let the leaves flow naturally in different directions. You can also use a Sharpie if you prefer, but the liner brush gives the leaves a beautiful loose edge. Try not to cover the entire background – let some of that gorgeous texture stay visible.
Now bring in watercolor and begin filling the leaves with greens, blues, and teals. Use plenty of water so the color moves inside the leaf shapes. Layer different shades for dimension and let them blend a little. This gives each leaf its own personality while keeping the whole piece cohesive.
While some of the watercolor is still wet, use a liner brush to add Extreme Sheen Gold through the leaves. Let the gold move slightly into the wet paint. It adds a beautiful metallic shimmer and gives the leaves more energy. You can run the gold up the center veins or add small dots and strokes for texture. Let dry.
Use a fan brush to add gold and Pyrrole Red paint splatter across your page. Use Pyrrole Red to add a few tiny hearts or dots throughout the piece. Keep them small so they don’t take over. The red adds a fun pop of contrast against all the green and teal and gives the page that signature Tracy touch.
Make sure everything is completely dry. Because the background includes water-soluble sprays and watercolor, seal the page with Dorland’s Wax instead of a brush-on sealer. Apply a small amount with a paper towel and gently buff it over the surface. This protects the artwork without reactivating the layers underneath.
Warm the tape slightly with your heat tool if needed, then carefully peel it away to reveal clean edges. Sign your artwork and enjoy that crisp finished border!
This leafy mixed media page is fast, colorful, and full of texture. The Distress Oxide Sprays make the background easy and exciting, the resist spray adds those bright little surprises, and the gold plus red details bring everything to life.
It’s a perfect reminder that creativity doesn’t have to take hours. Sometimes a quick background, a few leaves, and a little shimmer are all you need.
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Supply List:
- Surface: 7 X 10 Grumbacher Watercolor Journal
- Ranger Distress Oxide Sprays – Peacock Feathers, Mustard Seed, Weathered Wood, Mowed Lawn, and Lucky Clover
- Ranger Distress Resist Spray
- Watercolors – Currents
- DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics
- DecoArt Extreme Sheen Acrylic Paint (24K Gold)
- Dorlands Wax Medium (clear wax medium)
- Paint brushes (fan brush + 2 round/detail brushes)
- 10/0 Micron Liner Brush
- Painter’s Tape
Check out Tracy’s Art Journal Starter Kit!
Tracy’s Resources Page and visit Tracy’s Shop