In all my recent mixed media work, I layer color and texture, paying special attention to the size and shape of each element and ensuring that the composition stays in balance and is visually interesting.
When adding lines or small splashes of color or visual texture, I turn to my mark-making tools. My favorite and most-used supplies are:
- Paint pens like Posca Paint Markers and Pebeo 4Artist Markers
- Graphite pencils of varying softness
- Colored pencils
- Oil pastels
- Water-based marker
A word of warning from this self-taught artist: I just learned this year (!) that oil-based materials should be always be added on top of acrylic or water-based layers — “fat over lean.” Oil pastels can seep through acrylic, I’ve found out, and not in a pretty way.
Do you have suggestions for must-have tools I should try out? Let me know.