Mixed media
Creating a collaged background for your drawings is a very simple mixed media experiment, as this student has done
Using a combination of different media gives you more ways to express yourself. This may be as simple as combining drawing and painting or creating a background of different papers to work over with paint or ink.
A student's mixed media collage - brown paper and wall paper, acryclic paint, biro line drawing, white pen on ink and paint
It can be interesting to explore collage techniques, or to use found objects in your work. This can be a quick and effective way to try out lots of different combinations and arrangements.
Techniques
- Draw an image with oil pastels before going over it with a watercolour or ink wash.
- Cover a sheet of paper with oil pastel or crayon before covering with a contrasting paint or ink then scratch off lines or shapes of paint to show the colour beneath.
- Create drawings using string that is glued into place or by stitching thread through thick paper or card.
- Draw or paint different areas of the same composition using different techniques.
- Make up an image by cutting out shapes from different coloured or textured papers and sticking them together.
- Create a background using different textures before drawing or painting over it.
- Don't just stick to 2D surfaces. You can create new effects and meanings by drawing, painting or printing over 3D objects
This student's print onto fabric and stitching contour lines and details is a good way to experiment with textiles
More guides on this topic
- Finding inspiration - AQA
- Responding to stimuli - AQA
- Analytical drawing - AQA
- Developing ideas - AQA
- Creating a design brief - AQA
- Recording and observing - AQA
- Annotating your work - AQA
- Analysing and evaluating - AQA
- Assessment objectives and presenting your work - AQA
- Externally set assessment - AQA