There’s nothing quite like a free-spirited creative session where you let go of expectations and simply play. That’s exactly what happened during this week’s mixed media art journal session! Whether you saw flowers, milkweed pods, raindrops, or googly-eyed creatures, this quirky, colorful page gave us space to relax, explore, and embrace imperfection.
Prep your art journal page by taping off the edges with painter’s tape. Next, apply a thin coat of matte medium across your mixed media journal page. This helps prime the surface for paint and prevents colors from soaking into the paper too quickly. (You could use gesso here too, but I opted for matte medium this time.) Let dry or use a heat tool to speed up the process.
I mixed Cobalt Teal Hue with white acrylic paint to create a dreamy teal sky. Using a flat brush, I layered the color across the page in broad strokes. The key here is not to overthink it. Just create a soft, clean background as your base.
Once the background is dry, I used a stencil brush to lightly build up more color using archival inks. Starting with light tones and working darker, I gently added texture and shading to deepen the composition without overwhelming it.
Using gesso and a liner brush, I painted teardrop-shaped forms (some rounded, some pointed) falling across the page. These odd, organic shapes sparked lots of interpretations: milkweed pods, water balloons, or even falling flower petals. Don’t worry about making them perfect. Play with size and placement.
Once dry, I filled each pod with various colors: Pyrolle Red, Green Gold, Magenta, White, and more. This is where you can get creative with mixing! Dry with a heat tool.
Once your painted shapes are dry, go in with Posca paint pens (white and black work great here) or acrylic paint and begin outlining, adding details, and doodling. I added dots, swirls, loops, and playful accents to each pod. You can even add little “hangers” to make the pods look like they’re dangling ornaments
Feeling like something’s missing? Use your instincts to balance out the page. I added a few final dots and hearts, then gave the edges a soft vignette using Black Soot archival ink and a foam detailer tool. I applied the ink directly, then blended it out with my finger for a soft, shadowed border.
Once everything is dry, give your journal spread a coat of satin varnish to seal and protect your work. This also enhances the colors and adds a subtle sheen.
Watch the replay below!
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Supply List:
- 5.5 X 8.5 Mixed Media Journal
- Painter’s Tape
- DecoArt Gesso
- DecoArt Matte Medium
- DecoArt Media Paints: Titanium White, Primary Magenta, Blue Green Light, Diarylide Yellow, Carbon Black, Cobalt Teal Hue, Cobalt Turquoise Hue, Green Gold
- Brushes: Tracy Weinzapfel Set 1
- Foam Detailer
- Sealer: Duraclear (Satin)
Check out Tracy’s Art Journal Starter Kit!
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