I’ve been working my way through a series of paintings utilizing a bright and poppy selection of dye-based watercolor concentrates, pigment-based watercolors, and waterproof inks. Despite having a relatively stable workflow when it comes to mixed media artwork, I recently reached “the point of no return” on a piece and had to start anew. Using this mishap (and others) as a point of reference, this post will cover my order of operations for successfully navigating the creation of my mixed media artwork.
When it comes to mixed media, I definitely push my materials to the limit. I have over-watered painting surfaces to the point of buckling, lifted color enough times to wear holes through artwork, and applied more layers of color than even artist grade materials would allow. Through numerous mishaps, I have come to understand the chemistry of my materials and how best to use them, establishing an order of operations for combining multiple mediums within a single piece. To learn more about my mixed media order of operations, read on.
Wet Media
Traditional (transparent) watercolor is the most flexible of all wet media I have encountered thus far, making it a great starting point for rendering mixed media artwork. Staining properties vary according to pigment and watercolor formulation, allowing the user to build a palette based on their workflow. Color can be carefully lifted or lightened, allowing for adjustment while gradually building to full saturation of color. Basic color blocking can be performed without losing sight of an under sketch. For these qualities, I prefer to use traditional pigment-based watercolor as my starting point.
After blocking in basic forms, dye-based color is applied second. Dye-based colors are not for the faint of heart. They can be challenging to use, as they actually dye your surface and do not lift easily, if at all. In the case of my most recent painting debacle, I managed to apply a dye-based color in a concentration that was just enough to re-activate the dye-based color beneath, causing everything to bleed on contact, reducing my piece to an inoperable mess. Use with care.
Waterproof ink follows dye-based ink, in my wet media workflow. Waterproof ink is wonderful, in that it does not move once fully dry, making it ideal for layering small details or light washes that need to be painted over, without smudging. A word of caution, however— using greater concentrations of waterproof ink can prevent traditional watercolor and even some dye based inks from adhering to your painting surface. Thoroughly test materials beforehand, to avoid premature sealing of the painting surface.
For more information about my specific watercolor supply choices, check out a previous post on my materials, here.
Dry Media
Once wet media is complete, I move on to dry media materials, such as ink pens, markers, and colored pencils. Some wet media and ink pens can be re-activated or smudged by alcohol markers, even after drying. Additionally, certain formulations of markers and colorless blenders can affect how a surface accepts wet media and how it blends. Experiment, but respect the chemistry.
When it comes to colored pencil formulation, it is important to note that both wax-based (Prismacolor) and oil-based (Faber-Castell Polychromos) colored pencils can prevent other materials from sticking to an illustration surface, on the areas in which they are used. Furthermore, colored pencils may not always adhere to the surface beneath them, so be sure to research the optimal conditions for preparing a project and thoroughly test materials, prior to working on the final piece.
Acrylic
In the final stages of an illustration, I have been known to incorporate acrylic inks, acrylic gouache, paint pens, or even high flow acrylic paint into my workflow. I reserve these materials for the last stage of my process because they seal the painting surface, preventing the application of most materials in my wet media arsenal. For those who prefer to use dry media on top (rather than wet media), I recommend acrylic washes or even acrylic gouache as a lovely base, for colored pencil artwork.
Oil
While it has been some time since I have incorporated oil-based products into my workflow, I thoroughly enjoy using acrylic and oil together, for mixed media artwork. To this day, I still favor underpainting in acrylic, followed by oil-based materials for smooth blends, on top. Some examples of oil-based materials would be oil-blendable colored pencils (Faber-Castell Polychromos), oil pastels, oil paint, and even some printing inks. Fair warning— while oil-based products can adhere to surfaces that have been acrylic primed, the same is not true for the reverse, making oil-based products the very last step in my mixed media workflow.