Let’s loosen up with a little paint & collage art exercise!
“I want to paint but I don’t really feel like it…” – You know what that feels like, right?
You have all your pretty tubes of paint in front of you:Â A pile of stencils, stamps, gesso…
And they all seem to be staring back at you saying ”Just play with us!!”…
“Oh I don’t know where to start today!” – You think to yourself.
I know how you feel because that’s where I am at too so, don’t overthink it and open a page in your art journal.
If it’s got remnants of paint from another fun time then you already have something to start with, perfect.
Now grab a colourful magazine page and let’s do a little ‘collage art’!
Tear off pieces of paper and roughen up the edges.
Glue them all in random order with gel medium until half (or more) of your page is covered. Don’t worry, it’s ok if it looks messy 😉
Let it all dry and… Tada!! Beautiful collage art worthy of a prize! Ok, maybe not just yet 😉
Add a little paint in various colours (again, ‘messy’ is the word here) then go nuts with black ink! I’m going with a flower here but you could do hearts, a cat, owl, circles… Remember to not overthink it!
Draw your outline, let it dry and add MESSY patches of colour all around (you got this now, right?).
I highly recommend adding lots of gold (oh it’s soooo luscious!!) then refine your edges…
If you feel like it, add a little quote such as ”Just let yourself go” as a reminder that not everything has to be pretty and that it’s ok to just have a little messy art therapy session for yourself 🙂
List of supplies used:
(Click on the blue links if you want to get the same ones!)
- Liquitex Basics paint in Light Blue Permanent
, Primary Red
, Unbleached Titanium
- Daler-Rowney FW Pearlescent and Shimmering Liquid Acrylic (Hot Cool Yellow)
- Dr. Ph. Martin’s Bombay India Ink, 1.0 oz, Teal
- Interactive Professional Waterproof Black Drawing Ink 250 ml Bottle
- Tsukineko Full-Size StazOn Multi-Surface Inkpad, Royal Purple
- Deep Red Stamps Woodcut Swirls Rubber Stamp
- Uni Pc-3M Posca Marker Black but I also recommend the black Sharpie Marker here
- Posca Black Paint Marker 5mm Nib
 but I also recommend the black Sharpie Marker here
- Sharpie Paint Marker White Extra Fine Waterbased
- Liquitex Professional Matte Gel Medium, 8-oz
(I used a different brand in this video but don’t recommend it. Liquitex is the one I like)
- Reeves Artist Acrylic Color Paint Tube 75ML (Deep Turquoise)
- Moleskine Art Plus Sketchbook, Large, Plain, Red, Hard Cover (5 x 8.25) (Classic Notebooks)
 but Dyan Reaveley’s Art journal works just as well!
- Jo Sonja’s paint in Yellow Oxide and Pale Gold
, Primary Red
, Unbleached Titanium
 but I also recommend the 
 but 
Here is another super easy way to warm up when
you don’t know where to start in your art journal:
Let me know with a comment below if my little collage art exercise has helped you?
Love to you my Creative Friend!
Mimi.
Want to learn mixed media effortlessly?
My book 'No Shenanigans! Mixed Media Painting' is full of step-by-step tutorials from start to finish!
A book to tear up and use in your own art!
My book 'Secret Stash' is a collection of mixed media backgrounds for you to make more art with!
I just bought my first Moleskine book, it has a red cover, but is an A5-6 size. I am looking forward to working on a smaller scale, with less space to fill.
That’s exciting! I’m not sure if you meant A5 (which I have) or A6 which is very small but would bring it’s own challenges and advantages 🙂
I absolutely LOVE this! I even bought a couple of the supplies that you used so that I could try your technique!!! Thank you for sharing!!!!
oooh that’s so exciting Kathy! I can’t wait to see what you create from the video! Hope you will share a photo on the facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/mixedmediatribe) 🙂
I open emails early morning 6 30 am in UK and I watch your tutorials.
I just love them and this one especially – thank you for brightening my mornings x
Oh that is so cool to hear Bernadette, I am so happy to share some early morning joy with you!!! xx mimi
Messy makes me happy and your video is great! Always love your art so much!
I’m just like you Denise! Messy is so fun and liberating 🙂 Thank you so much for your kind words xxx mimi
Loved the video. So much for not being inspired! 🙂 Can you tell me what kind of journal you’re using? Thanks!
hahaha yes, it sometimes starts very uninspired and then with a few tools and techniques, the creative juices start flowing! I use a Moleskine Art Plus journal in this video Beth 🙂
I’ve been doing a lot of my journal backgrounds lately using your fingerpaint-style smear technique. It’s a delicious way to create a soft loose creamy colorful look so thank you for turning me on to this technique. I also appreciate your sunny disposition and easy manner. You make art-making so approachable for me!
I’m so happy to hear you love painting with your fingers too Wendy! It’s just so liberating, isn’t it? My goal is to make art easy and non-intimidating so thank you SO much for letting me know I have achieved this with you, that’s awesome! xx mimi
Hi Mimi, I cannot wait to try this, going over my magazines right after dinner and cutting away to my heart’s content!!!!
I’m still waiting for your book ” No Shenanigans” to arrive but I just can’t wait.I’m going for it!!!!
Thanks again for your continuous inspirations…..I feel like a kid again….
Sunshine back to you!
Linda
Don’t wait Linda, just go for it, you have nothing to lose 🙂 Thank you for ordering my book (as it wasn’t from my website I can’t check on it) but I hope it gets to you soon. So glad to hear you are feeling like a kid again as it is exactly how we should feel when we paint! I really think we get too stressed about the end result and making something pretty others will like too. Kids don’t care so, let’s be like them 🙂 xxo
This looks magnificent……Your talent is beyond GREAT!
Awww you are way too kind Sharon! I just had no plan going into this one and it was turning out really messy so I’m relieved I saved it in the end haha