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Step by step acrylic and mixed media painting tutorial, Recycling Life

Step by step acrylic and mixed media painting tutorial, Recycling Life by Sandrine Pelissier on ARTiful, painting demos
Painting technique / Step by step demonstrations

Step by step acrylic and mixed media painting tutorial, Recycling Life

The biggest canvas I ever painted, it is 46 ร— 46 inches and barely fits in my car. I painted this from a picture I took earlier this year at Spanish banks beach (Vancouver-BC) with India ink, newspaper collage, acrylics and graphite.

Step by step acrylic and mixed media painting tutorial, Recycling Life

drawing on canvas

I started by drawing with graphite a rough outline of the elements in the landscape. I did with the canvas upside down to try to be more precise.

newspaper collage with acrylic medium

I make a collage with newspapers on the foreground, I tear little pieces and glue them with acrylic medium.

newspaper collage with acrylic medium

Here is a close up.

newspaper collage with acrylic medium

I paint with white acrylic paint on top of some parts of the collage.

acrylic paint on top of newspapers collage

I avoided the area that will be the trunk of the trees with my collage.

I am a Blick Art Materials affiliate andย I receive a small compensation for sales. Thatย does not effect in any way the cost of the purchaser’s order but it helps me keeping theย content of this blog free.

Speedball Super Black Waterproof India Ink

โ€œSuper blackโ€ means its blackness will be very permanent and fadeless. Contains 100% carbon black pigment. Also free-flowing, non-clogging, and waterproof.

painting with India ink on top of newspaper collage

On the lower part of the foreground I paint on top of the newspaper collage with India ink

mixing ink and acrylic

The ink and the white acrylic are mixing in some parts to make a light grey.

mixing ink and acrylic

I am trying to have a gradation of paint with darker areas at the bottom of the painting.

mixing India ink and acrylic

I am painting the sea and the mountains in the background, still using a mix of acrylic paint and India ink.

paper collage with acrylic medium

I add a thick layer of medium on top of my collage to make it waterproof. If not the India ink will lift if wet.

painting with India ink and acrylic paint

I am painting the sea and the mountains in the background, still using a mix of acrylic paint and India ink.

I am a Blick Art Materials affiliate andย I receive a small compensation for sales. Thatย does not effect in any way the cost of the purchaser’s order but it helps me keeping theย content of this blog free.

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Daler-Rowney FW Acrylic Water-Resistant Artists Ink

FW Artists Ink is an acrylic-based, pigmented, water-resistant ink in a range of 38 colors, all of which have either a three-star or four-star rating for permanence. FW Artists Inks work well with airbrushes, dip pens, technical pens and brushes. – Primary Colors Set

splattering red acrylic paint

I splatter the red paint mix on the foreground.

drawing tree branches on canvas

I then trace all the trees and branches, the drawing is so complex and detailed that I used graphite paper and worked one small area at a time

paint trees with ink

Once an area is drawn, I paint it with India ink.

paint trees with ink

Here is a detail of all the intricate branches.

paint trees with ink and acrylic

I add a light wash of acrylic paint on the trees for added texture. I did fix the India ink before with Krylon workable fixative.

Step by step acrylic and mixed media painting tutorial, Recycling Life

Recycling Life, mixed media on canvas

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Comments (52)

  1. […] This painting was mostly paintedย with Indian Ink, which works really well for the small details in the branches. There is a very light acrylic red wash in the background. See more details of the painting process here: Step by step acrylic and mixed media painting, Recycling Life […]

  2. Rebecca

    I realize this post is quite old, but yours is the only one I’ve come across in which you actually MIX acrylic paint with India ink. I’ve been experimenting with mixed media using acrylic and India ink, plus Pitt artist pens which are colored India inks. The inks seem the same except for the white Pitt pen. The white seems glossier and takes longer to dry, but I love that it’s opaque. Have you ever had any problems mixing acrylics and India inks? More precisely, have you ever had a picture show any signs of cracking or other problems later on down the road? I love mixing the two different mediums, but can’t help but wonder if my paintings will last long-term after doing so. I wouldn’t want an angry client with a cracked painting coming at me further down the road.

    1. Hello Rebecca, I have been mixing acrylics and India ink with success for a long time now. I don’t think this would cause any cracking in the paint as both media are water soluble and mix well. When mixing acrylics with India ink recently, I am using fluid acrylics.
      You can see me doing that in this more recent video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vi0-Xl8LPJM

      And the finished painting is here: http://www.sandrinepelissier.com/sold-paintings.html

      1. Rebecca

        Sandrine – Thanks so much for your quick response! I have been painting in acrylics for years, but working with the fluid acrylics, (also acrylic inks) which you mentioned in your reply, is new for me and I am loving them! I am also loving the mixed media approach, and have been concentrating on using not only India Ink (and India Ink Pitt pens) and acrylics, but Prismacolor pencils for part of what I do. I realize the pencils have a wax in them but I exploit the resistant property of the wax to create the effects I want. I always try to research the longevity of the products I use, and now my mind is set at ease with your response that you’ve had no long term problem with mixing India Ink and acrylics together. Seriously – I could not find this issue addressed anywhere on the internet, so once again I thank you.

        1. Thanks Rebecca, your techniques look very interesting, especially taking advantage of he resist properties of the wax crayons.
          Just one thing, if you varnish your work, I would use a varnish that is suitable for both water and oil based media, because if the wax.

      2. Rebecca

        Sandrine, your work is beautiful!! Thanks for your help. Regarding using a final varnish compatible with colored pencil, thanks for reminding me. I have used Krylon products with great success, and I just checked the can of Krylon Gallery Series UV Archival varnish spray that I have, and it is suitable for acrylic, watercolor, oil pastel, colored pencil, oil, digital prints and more. And for the first time, I am going to try my mixed media techniques on some cradled birch boards (you can see similar type boards at Dick Blick). The claim is that they hold very fine detail so they should be great for a mixed media technique using water media as well as pens and pencils.

  3. […] Recycling Life, Mixed media on canvas […]

  4. […] Recycling Life, Mixed media on canvas, step by step demonstration […]

  5. […] Recycling Life, Mixed media on canvas […]

  6. […] Recycling Life, Mixed media on canvas […]

  7. […] Recycling Life, Mixed media on canvas, step by step demonstration […]

  8. […] Recycling Life, Mixed media on canvas, step by step demonstration […]

  9. […] Recycling Life, Mixed media on canvas, step by step demonstration […]

  10. […] Recycling Life, Mixed media on canvas, step by step demonstration […]

  11. […] Recycling Life, Mixed media on canvas, step by step demonstration […]

  12. […] Recycling Life, Mixed media on canvas, step by step demonstration […]

  13. […] Recycling Life, Mixed media on canvas, step by step demonstration […]

  14. […] Recycling Life, Mixed media on canvas, step by step demonstration […]

  15. […] Recycling Life, Mixed media on canvas, step by step demonstration 49.318786 -123.107908 Share this:FacebookPinterestEmailTwitterPrintRedditStumbleUponDiggTumblrLinkedInLike this:LikeBe the first to like this post. […]

  16. […] Recycling Life, Mixed media on canvas […]

  17. ricardo

    Very lovely painting Sandrine.
    Je l’aime beaucoup !!

    1. hehe! Merci Ricardo ๐Ÿ™‚

  18. Heidi

    Amazing work! I always love seeing how you make the magic happen!

    1. Thanks Heidi ๐Ÿ™‚

  19. Mary Lou Rutledge

    Amazing work. I sent you an award because I enjoy your work.

    1. Thanks Mary Lou, I love awards ๐Ÿ™‚

  20. Really beautiful. How were you inspired to use newsprint on the bottom. And what do you mean by “tracing”? Had you drawn the tree on paper and then traced it? or did you trace a photo? Glad I found your site. =]

    1. Hello Gloris, Thanks I am glad you liked it.
      Using the newspaper came from the idea of Recycling Life, how we all come back to the earth and how some parts of us might become something else like a tree. Originally I used only parts of the obituaries on the newspaper, to go with that idea, and it is also interesting that newspaper is made from trees. I added other parts on top of the obituaries later because you could see too much the pictures and I didn’t want to upset anybody.
      I traced the tree using graphite paper and working from one of my pictures that I printed, working one small area at a time.

  21. You are an inspiration! This is fantastic.

    I have nominated you for the ‘Versatile Blogger Award’ โ€” you can see more info about it here (where you will also find a link back to your site) : http://cherieroedirksen.com/2012/02/10/the-versatile-blogger-award/

    Keep up the good work!
    Best wishes,
    Cherie Roe Dirksen.

    1. Thanks Cherie and thanks for the nomination! What a great idea to have bloggers nominating other bloggers.

  22. What an absolute cool painting! The paper at the bottom to create solidity and texture balnaced really well with your network of branches. SO HUGE! This is awesome!!!!

    1. That is balanced not balnaced. Sorry.

    2. Thanks Leslie !

  23. Mary Lou Rutledge

    I’m in awe!

  24. Wayside Artist

    Wonderful! Your posts have been inspiring me to take more risks with acrylic painting. I much appreciate your step by step photos. Thank you so much!

    1. Hi Wayside Artist, I am glad it did inspire you, that is the best compliment for my work ๐Ÿ™‚

  25. Reblogged this on finnegan2749.

    1. Thanks for reblogging ๐Ÿ™‚

  26. This is incredible. !!! .

    1. Thanks Malvika ๐Ÿ™‚

  27. BoJo Photo

    Absolutely amazing! Very nicely crafted art!

  28. There’s something really compelling about the scene, it’s hauntingly beautiful. I really admire your use of mixed media.

    1. Thanks Collage collection:-)

  29. Truly beautiful. I love how you show the steps to making a work of art. Thanks for sharing it with us.

  30. Incredible. Once again, I saw the thumbnail picture and thought – no way is that a painting! I LOVE seeing the process. Minus the mountains, it makes me think of our bleak Minnesota winters (well, maybe not this year!)

  31. Tom Hunterson

    Absolutely inspiring, I am currently studying for my BA Hons in Graphic Design and this is my last year and I have been renewed by your artwork so Thank You

  32. wow, i’m so in awe, especially of the branches.

    1. what does the ink and acrylic do?
    2. what is medium

    1. Hello Tin Roof Press, the tree is painted with India ink, the white washes are made with white acrylic and here I used acrylic medium as a glue for the collages but you can also use it for glazing.

  33. Mind-blowing work!

  34. Awesome! Thanks for sharing!

  35. patricia

    C’est juste magnifique.

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