Mixed Media Basics / Stencil Details

Staying Neutral

I just started teaching a new online Mixed Media class last week from my studio...and we're getting a simple start by laying down neutral papers.

newsprint•book pages•pattern papers•tissue paper

I love this as a start...you don't have to worry about color or design, just getting your surface covered with papers is a great warm up and really quite fun...one of my personal favorite things to do.  If I'm stuck and looking for inspiration, I often start with this process just to get me thinking in the direction of a finished piece.

 

"The Song And The Sting" started out with coffee and tea stained papers along with a few flowers from a piece of vintage wallpaper.

Below is one of my starts as a demo for class...I'm pretty sure this is leading to more flowers...though not quite sure yet how that's going to play out.  

Stay tuned.

A quick little video on adding a little texture with a few stenicl details.

Have you tried this as a start in your work?  

It really is quite relaxing to just pull out several boards 

and start neutralizing them.