mixed media canvas on a fun sun-day!

today was spent on yet another mixed media session! using some different techniques from the mixed media session i did earlier this year, today i made it on a canvas. 

take your blank canvas and paint it over with a thin layer of Gesso. this is to give you a smooth surface for the next steps. the thickness of Gesso varies with the purpose you want to solve with it. for example, if you want to create a base for your inks and paints, paint a thin layer and if you want to create texture use a thicker layer.

dry out the canvas using a hair dryer or heat tool. when using a dryer, be careful not to go really close to the canvas as it may cause bubbles in the Gesso, which would kind of defeat the purpose of creating a smooth surface. if you have the time and patience to let it dry in the sun, then go for it too. the canvas should be warm to touch, that's how you would know its completely dry.

just trying to see how i would want to arrange my focal point items. as you progress with your piece however, you will keep changing these positions and the end result could be different. but in this piece, the second texture could only be created in a straight line, so i could not arrange my flowers this way. 

the nest step was to use texture paste and stencil. this particular texture paste when dried gives the look of cracked paint. the beauty of mixed media is that there is no right or wrong way to do it (excepts the basics of course). use your imagination and apply the materials or techniques any which way you like. the only requirement is to keep practicing and keep experimenting.

so here i used my stencil to create a polka dot appearance.

the second texture was created using a masking tape. so you see how you can use just about anything in your craft and make it look pretty (as you will see in the next pictures). masking tape was used to create this ripple effect and apply some thick Gesso randomly over masking tape. this would be to provide a base for your paint and inks to stick to. masking tape may not hold it up very well on its own.

again dry out the masking tape portion. don't dry the texture paste part using dryer or heat tool. let it dry on its own for the texture appear nicely.

next spray some ink on your piece and let it dribble down the rest of the canvas. use less or more its upto you as you can experiment later on as well. 

next, highlight portions of your canvas using black acrylic. apparently, black will accentuate parts of canvas that you want to highlight. so you can use it at certain spots where you focal points are going to go. like in this case on the masking tape area.

again dry it out completely before painting over with other colors to avoid mixing them up. you could use golden or other shimmery colors to highlight the focal point more, or just let it be. 

comments, suggestions, ideas...everything is welcome. please feel free to add them below!