Mixing media is fun and freeing. See how you can add zentangle designs on top of a painting done with fluid Acrylic, and paint a beautiful zentangle forest.

To paint a zentangle forest, you will need:

• canvas, I used a 12 x 36 inches pre stretched and gessoed canvas
• Fluid acrylics inks, I used FW acrylics
• Alcohol
• Markers ( acid free and archival)
• Krylon workable fixative
• varnish to finish

You might also like: Painting a forest in acrylic with patterns : Discovery Walk

Here are the steps you can take to paint a Zentangle forest

Start by a very light and watery wash, here I used yellow liquid acrylic.

To paint that wash, add a few drops on the liquid acrylic on the wet canvas and spread the paint on the surface.

Then,spray alcohol while the wash is still wait to add some visual texture to the wet acrylic ink wash.

Wait for that first layer to dry.

You will get a light uneven yellow wash

When this wash has completely dried, transfer your drawing and mask a few areas with masking fluid. Masking fluid works well on canvas especially when working with fluid acrylic inks. I am using a silicon brush to apply the masking fluid, it is a very convenient tool as the fluid won’t adhere to the silicon brush and I can just peel it off once dry.

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

Colour Shapers Tools Apply oil or acrylic straight from tube with a Colour Shaper, then carve back into paint for unusual surface effects. Also for calligraphy. Use the rubber tip shapes to lift or blend paint, draw line, and draw contours.

Then paint wet in wet,mixing blue, green, brown, yellow and red liquid acrylic to make different shades of green. I like to start mixing my green from a base green: Sap green. As most greens in nature, it is a warm green.

Start by painting all the foliage using a wet in wet painting technique.

Then paint the trunks, layering different colors until you are satisfied with the result.

When everything has dried, take off the masking fluid by delicately pulling on it. Make sure you didn’t forget any area by passing your hand on the canvas, the masking fluid has a different texture that you can feel.

Then, with a very stiff brush, and water mixed with a bit of alcohol, rub the edges around the areas where you lifted off the masking fluid to make them softer.

  At that point, it is a good idea to pause for a while and try to assess what you like or not in the painting. To my taste, the green and blue are a bit too bright and taking over the painting, I also find the trunks a bit too dark because I want to add some black designs in that area later on and I want those designs to be visible.

So I am painting a very watery wash of gouache, adding drips of white gouache. I am also glazing the trunks with a mix of medium and white acrylic.

Drawing the zentangle forest

The painting is almost done, now you can add some patterns in the trunks.

I am adding zentangle patterns to the trunks with markers. If you want your painting to be archival, make sure the markers you are using are archival and acid free.

Start by an area of each tree and draw patterns to fill out all the trunk area.

Then I spray Krylon workable fixative before varnishing the canvas to make sure there won’t be any smudges while varnishing.

For zentangle patterns ideas you can look at my Pinterest board here.

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

Krylon Workable Matte Fixatif Gives lasting protection to pencil, charcoal and chalk, yet erases easily. Clear, matte fixative is easy to work with. Dries in seconds, doesn’t wrinkle, smudge or smear. Spray can.

The finished painting
Walking in the Woods
Acrylic and mixed media on canvas
12 x 36 inches