Mixed Media Collage Techniques You Need to Try!

Mixed media collage is hard….or is it? Sometimes when we’re using more than one material, we tend to complicate things. Let’s dive into a beautiful and easy project using fabric, acetate and paper!

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Choosing your Favorite Paper

Every time I work on a mixed media collage project, I either start with an idea, a favorite paper, or a medium that I want to use. This project is no exception. I have this beautiful Golden Botanicals paper from Simply Stated Design that is perfect for a collage project. I often start by choosing a unique paper that I will showcase in my page. By starting with a focal point paper, this is going to affect which colors you will add to this project to create a more cohesive design.

Start with Watercolor Powders

I tend to start with bold and intense colors in my art journal pages. Today I’m mixing it up by using lighter colors to create a softer overall look to this page. This is easily done using watercolor powders.

The watercolor powders I’m using today are Brusho Crystal Colours. I love Brushos due to their beautiful range of colors, high pigment load and they are generally cheaper than many other watercolor powders.

But if you have any other watercolor powder, you can use it in place of the Brushos as they all work very similarly.

How to use Watercolor Powders

To use these watercolor powders, shake a little bit onto your page and spritz with water. The more powder you use, the darker the color intensity. By varying the amount of water, this affects the look that you get. Lots of water will give you a soft blend, less water will give you less blending and more variation in color.  

My favorite thing about the Brusho Crystal Colours is that they are a mix of multiple pigments. You can usually see at least 3 distinct colors in the powder, but when mixed together with water, they create one solid color.

This is why the amount of water you use matters. If you add a lot, you’ll end up with more of one color. If you use less water, you’ll start seeing the distinct colors.

Amazing Fabric Tapes

I have recently discovered fabric tapes, and they are a great addition to any mixed media collage project. They are like washi tapes as they are repositionable and come in rolls. But they have a different texture to washi tape as they are created with fabric and not paper.

The 49 and Market Fabric Tape comes in a variety of colors and designs, but the one I find the most versatile is the black and white fabric tape. I love the black designs on white. It gives contrast, but the white backed tape is also slightly transparent, so you can see some of the background color peek through. This adds another layer of dimension onto the page.

Choosing Your Acetate Pieces

I had a selection of acetate pieces from 49 and Market that I picked up at my local scrapbooking store, but these could easily be created with plastic and your favorite paints and inks.

I love adding film strips into my designs, I like the strength of the vertical placement. This gives a strong graphical feel to the project. Frames help create a focal point for the printed paper. Once you have an idea where you’re going to place them, then it’s time to adjust your printed paper to fit this project.

Sizing the Paper for Collage

Your paper may be a small 6” by 6” piece like I’m using, or you might have a larger piece. My recommendation is to find printed paper that is in scale with your project surface. The paper that I’m using comes in both 12” by 12” sheets but I’m purposely using the 6” by 6” paper as the design is scaled down and works better for this project.

You can choose whether you want a strong white edge or very little or no white edge. If you tear towards yourself, you’ll get a strong white edge, if you tear away from yourself, you’ll get almost no white edge. It depends on what you want to do with the project.

For this mixed media collage, I’m looking specifically for a white edge as part of my design. You could line everything up perfectly with the acetate, but for this project I really want a more organic edge that hangs past the frame in places.

Adding in Shine

You can add the paper on to the page as it is, but I love to add a bit of shimmer to all my projects. This is where Stoneground Paints come in handy. I like to add a bit of shimmer to the torn edges of my paper. It’s a small way of adding in a bit of shine and color to accentuate the paper.

Gluing Your Collage Down

The quickest way to glue the collage is with my favorite glue that dries clear: Art Glitter Glue. This is a great glue that works for so many uses, isn’t too expensive, and has quick hold. Because it dries clear, it’s perfect for adding to the back of the acetate as you won’t see the glue.  

Adding the Finishing Touches

Now that I’ve added in the acetate and paper to the project, now it’s time for the finishing touches. Over the summer I’m always finding beautiful feathers from local birds on the golf course. This is one from my collection of feather I picked up last summer. Feathers can be easily added using Art Glitter Glue to the shaft (or rachis) of the feather.  

Finish by splattering a bit of gold mica paint to the surface and adding in your words. I’m using words from a roll of washi tape but use whatever quote chips or words that inspire you.  

Is Mixed Media Collage Easier Now?

I hope that you enjoyed this mixed media collage page and that it has demystified the collage process a bit for you. There are so many ways we can create collage pieces and beautiful, unique pages. The key is not overcomplicating the process and finding inspiration from the things around you.

If you’d like to see some more collage pages, check out these articles:

New to Intuitive Collage? Start Here!

Intuitive Collage Process- How to get Past a Creative Block

Unique Collage Techniques with Tissue Paper Gel Prints

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