Basic Mixed Media Products And Their Uses

Hello Hello!!

This is Bela. Today I am here on the blog to talk about Mixed Media. A versatile form of art, the scope of mixed media is vast. It is an art which I love! However, I have noticed that many of you have few doubts regarding it. If these doubts are stopping you from attempting or trying out mixed media projects then this post is for you. Here I am going to talk about all the products related to it. You can get a fair idea about what can use for creating amazing art works and masterpieces.

Being a part of the Itsy Bitsy design team has given me a chance to try out all the amazing products related to mixed media. So here I am to tell you about the products in detail. I am listing down some of the basic mixed media or must have mixed media products which you can get from the store.

So lets get started!

Gesso :- The most Important and a must product that you need in any type of mixed media is Gesso . Gesso is nothing but a primer. It will make your surface ready for any kind of effects, colors, etc. Little Birdie Gesso is available in black and white. You can choose the colour of your gesso when you have to decided which look you want for your project. For metallic, vintage and antique look we usually choose black gesso. For layouts and colorful looks, we ususlly choose white. It helps prime metals, canvas, cloth, burlap, jute, glass, resin, paper.
Texture Paste :- As the name says, this paste is used to create any kind of texture on our surface. Whether it is a canvas, paper or wood; gesso s a wonderful product for creating textures. Itsy Bitsy has awesome range of differentvtexture pastes. 2 in 1 Mixed Media Paste, Grainy Texture Paste , Fiber paste and more. All these texture pastes will give you different kind of textures which will change the look of you project in a jiffy.

2 in 1 Mixed Media Texture Paste :- This Is a two in one product. If you are new and do not want to invest in 2 separate products for priming and texture, this is the perfect product for you. you can use this paste to create textures or just dilute a little with water and use it as a gesso.

Grainy Texture Paste :- This is a fantastic paste and also my personal favorite. I absolutely love the texture that it creates. Also, its fast drying that I never have to use my heat tool to set it.

Mixed Media Fiber Paste :- This paste has fibers in it which makes it very unique and different from other pastes. If you want to create freehand texture without any stencils or just give a different look to the edges, this one is perfect for you.

Gel Medium :- This medium is perfect for adhering any embellishments to the project. I use my mixed media projects to reuse things that are otherwise considered waste. This saves me money, reduces waste and makes my projects look very different and unique.

Heavy Gel Medium:- The gel medium is available in matte and gloss finish. I have used thick long and heavy nails too in my project and the best medium to adhere is the heavy gel medium. As the name says, we can used heavy gel medium for sticking any heavy elements to our project.

Soft Gel Medium:- The soft gel medium is also available in matte and gloss finishes . I use this medium for adhering any light elements like art stones, pearls, sisal, etc. Also a layer of it on any photograph protects it from any staining or damage.

Glass Bead Gel Medium :- This gel medium already has glass beads in it. So just apply it and you get perfect texture without even using glue. I love this for filling the gaps or adding tiny texture to any project.

Crackle Paste :- This is an amazing product for creating superb cracks in the projects. The thin application of the product will give you tiny cracks and thick application will give you larger cracks. So you can give variations in cracks with variation in application.

Stone Texture Paste:- A surface texture paste made from natural sand grains that gives a pumice stone like finish when dry. Its also Great for creating dimensional and texture effects on mixed media, canvas, home decor etc.

Tinted Metallic Paints :- These paints are used for the metallic effects on projects. They are available in various colors with perfect metallic sheen to them and now few shades are available in 2 sizes too. There are 12 different colors to choose from in big jars and 6 colors in small jars.

Color splash :- These are vibrant colors in liquid form in spray bottles which make it easier to spray colors onto your project. These are water based and will react to water. I feel they are perfect for mixed media layouts and canvases. Available in 12 different vibrant shades.

Metallic Waxes :- These are the must have product for not only mixed media but any artist. They are used to give a beautiful metallic sheen to projects. They look amazing on black however. I have also used them on decoupage and flowers to give a distressed metallic look. They are available in 7 shades.

Chalk Paints:- Available in 34 amazing shades in the pastel and bright variation these paints are perfect for decoupage. However I have used chalk paints in my mixed media as they give me beautiful matte results on black as well as white surface. Also they mix beautifully with each other which makes blending very easy.

Stencils :- Stencils are used when you have to give detailed texture to our project which cannot be achieved otherwise. The store has a wide variety of stencil designs to match every theme.

Primed Chipboard :- As we all know that we need embellishments for all mixed media projects. Itsy Bitsy has a fantastic range of embellishment, frames, borders, corners, leaves, butterflies, flourishes or as numbers or sentiment, huge range of primed chipboards and more. You can directly work on the primed chipboards without having to use a primer or gesso. They have more 150 designs to choose from.

Craft Pellets :- I absolutely love this product. These are a must have for any mixed media artist as they give such amazing texture. They come very handy in filling up small spaces. These are available in 2 sizes. Macro and mini.

Mixed Media Stone :- These are natural stones which can be used to create amazing texture on all your mixed media project. We can mix this with mixed media paste to make it grungy or just mix with soft gel medium to adhere it to the surface.

Crystal Drops:- Just like mixed media stones and craft pellets these again can be mixed in texture paste or gel medium and can be adhered to projects. These products give variation in texture which makes our projects more interesting and unique.

Texture Sand :- Just like mixed media stones or craft pellets this is used for lighter texture which will add subtle dimension to your project. It’s completely natural, non toxic and is great for adding an ultra-fine grit texture to projects. Again, it can be mixed with texture paste or mix it with gel medium to adhere.

Bases:- Mixed media is such a versatile craft form that we can use loads of different type of bases.

I am jotting down few examples with pictures.

Burlap panel, Canvas, Watercolor panel, Mixed media art journal, Wooden decorables like tray, coasters, panels, plaques, bird house, key holders, boxes.

I hope I have given you a clear picture not only about the mixed media products available with Itsy Bitsy store but also explained their uses. If you have any doubts or need any clarification regarding the product please feel free to ask me. I have tried to make this post a one stop solution for all the mixed media related queries.

Few of my Mixed Media Art works…..