Mixed media art is the term used for art created by using a combination of images, text, sound, and objects made to function as a craft project that is based on a wide range of media, including painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, and digital art.
Mixed media art is not a genre; it's an idea. One can mix different art media or media and processes, and artists can express themselves in ways that would not be possible with a singular approach. There are many different ways to incorporate such media into the art.
What Is Mixed Media?
Mixed media meaning - Mixed Media Art is a term used to describe art that has been created by combining several different media, including digital art, sketching, painting, drawing, comic art, and collage. The different forms of mixed media art are often referred to as "mixing" because they incorporate techniques beyond the use of paint.
Mixed media artworks can be very different, yet they often utilise multiple media to create the art rather than just one. There is a huge difference between Mixed media art and 3d art. Mixed media art is a combination of various media, and it is more artistic than 3D art, often referred to as "Sculptural Art." Sculptures are three-dimensional carved art.
What Is Mixed Media Art?
Mixed media is a type of artwork that mixes different media or materials into one piece. For example, a piece of art that combines an acrylic painting with fabric and paper is mixed media art. You can use mixed media techniques for various crafting and art projects, such as scrapbooking, sketchbooks, decoupage, or decorating greeting cards and mixed media art journals.
Mixed media is a term used to describe artworks composed from a combination of different media or materials." For example, an artist may combine elements of traditional drawing or painting with photography, found objects, texture tools, collage materials or just about any other media imaginable. In some cases, mixed media may even incorporate digital art.
7 Mixed Media Art Ideas 2025
1. Mixed media layering: In the case of mixed media, harmonise the artwork with light layers. Keep your work translucent by diluting your paints either with water or acrylic flow medium to create thinner coats.
2. Mixed media collage: Collaging is great for mixed media work because it adds texture and visual interest, and it's super simple to do. One can use scraps of paper from newspapers, magazines or catalogues and work with thin layers.
3. Masking tape: Masking tape can be used to create clean lines or keep work contained and framed.
4. Spreading paint: One can use a mix of primary colours that blend easily as you work. A spare cloth can be used to wipe back any extra unwanted layer.
5. Drawing inks: Drawing inks are ideal for creating spontaneous, random effects that are challenging to achieve intentionally. Add hand lettering, watercolour effects, drips, splotches or puddles or get the splatter effect.
6. Digital art techniques - In more recent years, artists have begun exploring the use of digital art techniques to elevate their traditional work. For example, an artist may choose to scan a copy of a drawing and use image-editing software, such as Adobe Photoshop, to transform the piece and then add paint or other traditional media to the finished project.
7. Sculptural Mixed Media – This is another possibility to explore in mixed media art. The technique involves using sculpting materials (such as clay or plaster) to create a work of art. From there, artists can add mixed media materials (such as found objects, paint, fabric and more) to elevate their work.
Types of Mixed Media Art
From found art in museums to scrapbooking, there are various types of mixed media art. The main categories are listed below –
1. Collage: A collage is a form of visual art in which visual elements are combined to create a new image that conveys a message or idea. Collage comes from the French word "collér," which means "to glue," often the primary means of combining images in collage art.
Collagists can draw these images from newspaper clippings, print advertisements, or culled them from various materials, such as photographs, fabric, wood, and even ephemera. Collagists can apply images to the surface of another work of art, such as a canvas, to create a single, unified image.
2. Decoupage: Decoupage is a craft that involves glueing fabric or paper cutouts onto objects and then sealing the entire object to give it a painted appearance. Decoupage is a DIY method for decorating home items and upcycling old objects with new embellishments.
You can decoupage a variety of surfaces, including wood, metal, glass, terra cotta, and even plastic. Furniture, vases, lampshades, picture frames, and glassware are popular household items to decoupage.
3. Assemblage: A 3D mixed media collage is called an assemblage, with various materials protruding in different directions.
4. Found art: Found object art is when artists or crafters repurpose an ordinary or non-artistic object into an art piece.
5. Book alteration: Book alteration is another form of mixed media in which an artist tears apart a book or physically alters it to create a collage or painting.
6. Wet and dry media: This refers to the combination of wet media (such as acrylic paint, watercolour, ink, or other liquid media) with dry media (oil pastels, graphite, or crayons). An example is layering a pencil drawing over a painting.
Mixed Media Collage Art
Collage art is derived from the French word "coller," which means "to glue." It is one of the most popular and well-known types of mixed media art techniques, and also one of the easiest and simplest to start with.
Traditionally, artists would cut out images from magazines or newspapers, or even print their photos, to create layered collages by hand. They would then arrange these pieces on a canvas or paper, often incorporating other media such as paint, ink, or fabric to create something entirely new and unique.
Some of the earliest forms of collage were traced back more than a century, only making its "dramatic reappearance in the early 20th century." Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso coined the term "Papier collé" in the early 20th century, transforming collage into a distinctly modern art form.
Mixed media art collages can be made from materials like
- Magazine /Newspaper clippings
- Ribbons / Pieces of fabric
- Stickers /Strips of coloured papers
- Paint
- Snippets of other artwork or texts
- Photographs
- Other found objects
Various art pieces are all glued to a piece of paper or canvas to get a cohesive artwork. Mixed media collage art is a popular medium that combines various elements, textures, colours, and subjects to get a single, cohesive theme and valuable piece of work.
Multi Medium Art
Multi-medium art is a subcategory of the mixed media art form, where artists use the union of multiple art forms – painting, drawing, or digital imagery- and also incorporate digital audio or video elements in a single piece. Multimedia delivers a combination of video, still images, audio, and text electronically, allowing users to interact freely. Most of the content available on the internet today falls under this category.
Mixed Media Art Examples
Examples of mixed media art include collages created using a mouse or a printer that incorporates prints, paintings, objects, or natural materials into a sculpture or other mediums. Mixed media is part of various art movements and periods. Some popular historical examples are given below –
1. Still Life with Chair Caning by Pablo Picasso (1912): It is created with an assemblage of newspaper clippings, fabric, oil paint, and rope.
2. Pablo Picasso's Bottle of Vieux Marc, Glass Guitar and Newspaper (1913) - It showcases how effectively piecing different items, such as paint, paper cutouts, and textile fabrics, can be presented in unison under the umbrella term' mixed-media'.
3. Bicycle Wheel by Marcel Duchamp (1913): It was a bicycle fork with an attached front wheel mounted on a wooden stool. Duchamp displayed a Bicycle Wheel in his studio, and he would sometimes spin it, possibly making it the first mixed-media art piece with an interactive element.
4. The Fall of Icarus (La Chute d'Icare) by Henry Matisse (1943): This work depicts the Greek myth of Icarus, featuring blue paper cutouts and gouache paint.
Multimedia Art
Multimedia art aims to combine various content types, such as images, text, audio, video, or animation, into a single, cohesive piece of creative work. The various mediums used in a piece of multimedia art may include a fusion of visual art, such as film, with other art forms, including literature, music, sound, dance, and design.
The term "multimedia art" was used by American showman, songwriter and artist Bobb Goldstein during the 'Lightworks at L'Oursin' show at Southampton, Long Island, New York, in July 1966.
Mixed Art and Multimedia Art appear similar, but in reality, multimedia art is an expansion of the scope of the former.
The main difference between the two art forms is that mixed media only incorporates the use of various forms of visual art mediums such as painting, drawing, and collage; in contrast, Multimedia art is more diverse than mixed media because it includes every form of visual art, other "arts" such as dance and music, and other non-visual elements.
Mixed Media Artists
Some incredible artists have made significant strides in mixed media art, shaping the way we perceive this distinct art form.
Some modern and contemporary mixed media artists include
1. Pablo Picasso(Example - Cubist Collage (1912)) The Cubist collage also used a variety of media, including paint, pasted paper, oilcloth, and even chair caning.
2. Robert Rauschenberg("Combines" (1954)) - Combines is a term Rauschenberg invented to describe a series of works that combine aspects of painting and sculpture.
3. Njideka Akunyili Crosby (Example: Textured Photo Collage (2020)) - The Nigerian-born artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby utilises collage as a medium that helps bridge the cultures of her native Nigeria with her adopted culture in America. She uses photos, paint, coloured pencils, and charcoal, as well as textiles.
4. Mark Bradford (Example: Thriller (2009)) - He is a visual artist known for his collage paintings.
Mixed Media Art Techniques
Collage and Assemblage - One of the most common techniques is creating a collage or assemblage using a wide variety of materials. It involves cutting and assembling different materials onto a surface (such as a canvas).
Then, artists can add depth and visual interest to their work by experimenting with various mixed-media collage ideas. Artists use collage and assemblage techniques to work with materials such as paper, found objects, photographs, and texture tools.
Layering and Texture - Speaking of texture, the use of layering and texture is also crucial in many mixed-media projects. Artists may combine various types of paint to create visual interest through layering, allowing each layer to dry before proceeding to the next. Meanwhile, texturing tools like palette knives and sponges can be used to create even more depth.
Technology - Nowadays, different types of mixed media art are quickly made on digital platforms. From collages and assemblages to thought-provoking installation art, mixed media art is all around us these days.
For instance, Yayoi Kusama's series of "Infinity Rooms" is a breakthrough ", Infinity Mirror Room - Phalli's Field in 1965, that uses mirrors as walls that could "translate the repetition of her earlier artworks into an art installation, a seemingly endless room carpeted with polka-dotted fabric phallic structures.
Art journaling - Art journaling is more than just writing words and adding colours to a page; it involves connecting with your creative spirit, reimagining the world around you, and experimenting with a variety of mediums. It requires a great deal of creativity and inspiration to recast anything into a canvas.
Mixed Media Drawing and Painting
From creating art with recycled materials to exploring collage and assemblage art, there are many techniques adopted by artists to create unique works. The most commonly encountered scenario is the painting that depicts another work of art, such as a drawing or painting, or even a digitally created painting that is later physically transformed into a drawing or painting.
Some artists will stick to more traditional materials in their mixed-media artworks, including drawing and painting materials on conventional canvas or paper. Rather than sticking to one type of paint or one type of drawing utensil, however, mixed media artists may experiment with everything from pencils and pastels to charcoals, watercolours and acrylic paints.
One of the biggest drawbacks of mixed media art for artists is that there is no limit to the number of materials that can be used or the techniques that can be applied. In turn, there are seemingly endless creative possibilities for artists to set themselves apart and create something unforgettable.
Mixed Media Art Definition
Mixed-media painting offers a unique outlet for creative freedom, providing artists and aficionados alike with endless possibilities for expression. This style of artwork has long been celebrated as an inventive way to break barriers in the field. It is often praised for its unconstrained exploration into various forms and modes, such as drawing, sculpture, or textiles, through the blending of different artistic mediums to create collages.
Mixed Media Art for Kids
For beginners and those creating minimal collage artwork, school glue works well, especially when collaging on paper, cardstock, or other similar materials. Glue sticks should only be used when working with thin paper and only paper. Older students may use Mod Podge for a more finished, protected, and flat collage.
Keep in mind that the heavier the objects they are attaching, the stronger their collage background needs to be. If students are collaging with photographs, string, and buttons, the weight of these items, including the glue, needs to be supported. For this example, consider using thick cardstock or cardboard as their base. Allow for longer drying times and provide a flat drying surface for students throughout the college process.
Mixed Media Art Materials
Magazines, newspapers, and other printed image and text media offer a range of subject matter to collage with.
Some of the traditional materials often used in mixed media art include:
- Paints (watercolours, oil paints, acrylics and others).
- Drawing supplies ( pencils, pens, pastels, and markers)
- Blocks of wood
- Old books, old fabrics, magazines, photos, cardboard packaging, or sheet music
- Texture tools (palette knives, stamps, and sponges)
- Adhesives (glue sticks, liquid glues)
- Sealants, varnishes and collage materials (ranging from tissue paper and fabric to magazines, newspapers and more).
Some of the modern mixed media art materials are
- Embroidery thread or yarn.
- Found objects (such as book pages, keys, and other items).
- Natural materials (like sticks, twigs, dried flowers, shells, grasses, pinecones, crystals, sand, beads and stones).
- Mixed media sculpture materials use both clay and plaster.
- Combine unconventional materials, like metal with fabric or digital prints with natural textures, to create standout pieces. Avoid common pitfalls by ensuring cohesive designs through thoughtful planning and design.
- Collage artists incorporate painting, drawing and writing. One can blend printed or transparent photos with painted elements.
- 3D elements, such as resin or wire structures, can be added for depth.
- Use reflective surfaces or backlighting to create reflective effects and achieve another visual impact.
How To Create Mixed Media Art?
To create a mixed media art -
- To begin with, you must assemble the materials you want to use in the artwork, like canvases, paper, or wood panels for your base and paints, brushes, markers, and adhesives.
- Some found objects, such as magazine clippings, cloth buttons, or fabric scraps, can be used, or you can include natural materials.
- Collage and wet and dry mixed media techniques can be easily integrated into various paper crafts, including scrapbook albums, decoupage, art journals, travellers' notebooks, Project Life, DIY home decor, and handmade cards. Because this art form is so versatile, paper crafters are encouraged to experiment with different mediums and materials, such as newspaper clippings, magazine cutouts, torn fabric, stickers, sequins, beads, and more.
- Create a clutter-free workspace where you can bring all your diverse materials together in one place, allowing you to use them efficiently.
- One can start by creating a foundation layer of paint, textured medium, or ink.
- Ensure the surfaces are primed for adhesion and durability.
- Get inspiration from sources like nature (where you can display patterns and textures in the natural world), urban landscapes (add industrial textures and themes), and historical influences (draw ideas from pioneers like Picasso and Rauschenberg).
- Make a collage and add layerings. Layer the material carefully to prevent smudging or dullness.
Allow all the material to dry and become crisp.
Who Invented Mixed Media?
Mixed media originated around 1912 when artists such as Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque began creating Cubist collages. Since then, the popularity of mixed media has grown, and artists have become more innovative in the variety of materials they incorporate into their works.
The growth throughout the 20th century is attributed to art movements such as Cubism and Dada. Famous artists such as Henri Matisse, Jean Dubuffet, Joseph Cornell, and Ellsworth Kelly adopted the style in their works. In the 1920s, German dada artist Kurt Schwitters "fixed everyday found papers and things of all types to canvas, paper, and board supports, giving them another and most likely more remarkable life.
His artwork depicted an array of personal expressions that gave life to mixed media collage and assemblage back then. It led to the development of various types of mixed media art, including installation art and techniques that combine wet and dry media.
Mixed media art encompasses a range of art movements.
Cubist Artists: In the early twentieth century, Cubist artists Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso created mixed-media collages that combined various materials and techniques.
Dadaism: Dada artists frequently incorporated objects or images from mass media into their art through collage and readymades. The artist Marcel Duchamp created Dadaist readymade sculptures, in which he used everyday, prefabricated objects and presented them in galleries as art.
Art Installations: In the 1970s, artists began using a variety of artistic techniques and methods to create large-scale art installations. Such installations featured sculptures made from magazine clippings and found objects.
Mixed Media vs. Multimedia Art: What's the Difference?
1. Mixed media is often seen in the form of a collage or assemblage. At its core, mixed media is a new art form that combines various art mediums and materials. Using different art-making techniques together is a form of mixed media.
Multimedia is included in this category when used creatively in application and design. An artist may write on their painting, layer prints behind their drawings, or incorporate colored objects to create their image, allowing for freedom in the choice of materials.
2. Similar to arts integration, distinct skills need to be taught and practised so that students can effectively use them to exhibit contemporary learning.
3. Both mixed media and multimedia are forms of visual art, but they differ significantly in the variety of materials they use.
4. Mixed media artwork combines various art mediums, while multimedia art incorporates visual and non-visual elements such as recorded sound, motion graphics, literature, drama, dance, music, and interactivity.
