Mixed Media Magic: How to Combine Acrylics, Collage, and Texture in One Artwork

If you’ve ever felt torn between painting, collage, and sculpture, mixed media art is the answer to a question you didn’t know you were asking. It’s the ultimate creative playground — a place where you can layer acrylics over torn paper, press fabric into wet gel medium, and add texture with anything from sand to string. There are no rules, and that’s exactly what makes it so exciting.

Mixed media has surged in popularity over the past decade, and for good reason. It encourages experimentation, embraces happy accidents, and produces artworks that are rich with depth and visual interest. Whether you’re a seasoned painter looking to shake things up or a complete beginner who just wants to play, this guide will help you get started.

What Exactly Is Mixed Media Art?

At its core, mixed media simply means combining two or more artistic media in a single piece. That could be as straightforward as adding collage elements to an acrylic painting, or as complex as building up layers of paint, ink, fabric, found objects, and modelling paste on a wooden panel. The possibilities are genuinely endless.

What sets mixed media apart from traditional painting is its emphasis on texture and layering. Rather than working on a flat surface, you’re building up a physical, tactile artwork that invites viewers to look closer and discover new details. It’s art you want to reach out and touch.

Essential Supplies for Your First Project

The beauty of mixed media is that you don’t need expensive, specialised materials. In fact, some of the best mixed media art is made from bits and bobs you’ve got lying around the house. That said, a few key supplies will make your life easier. Start with a sturdy substrate — canvas board, heavy watercolour paper, or a wooden panel all work brilliantly. You’ll also want acrylic paints, gel medium (matte or gloss), a selection of brushes, PVA glue, and a palette knife.

For your collage elements, raid your recycling bin, old magazines, patterned napkins, sheet music, maps, or vintage book pages. Textural materials like cheesecloth, tissue paper, bubble wrap (for stamping patterns), and even coffee grounds can add wonderful unexpected elements. Liquitex makes an excellent range of gel mediums and texture gels that are perfect for mixed media work.

Layering: The Heart of Mixed Media

The key to successful mixed media art is thinking in layers. Start with your background — this might be a wash of diluted acrylic, a layer of gessoed paper, or a collage of torn tissue paper adhered with gel medium. Let each layer dry thoroughly before adding the next. Patience here pays off, because if you rush the drying process, layers can lift or bubble.

As you build up your layers, think about creating contrast. Alternate between smooth and textured areas, opaque and transparent sections, busy patterns and calm, open spaces. This push and pull keeps the viewer’s eye moving around the piece and creates visual rhythm.

Don’t be afraid to cover up things you love. One of the hardest lessons in mixed media is learning to paint over or partially obscure a beautiful layer — but trust the process. Those hidden layers add depth and mystery to the final piece, even if they’re only peeking through in small glimpses.

Adding Texture and Dimension

Texture is what elevates mixed media from interesting to truly compelling. Modelling paste can be spread with a palette knife and then carved, stamped, or scraped to create raised patterns. Crumpled tissue paper glued down with gel medium creates an organic, stone-like surface when painted over. Even something as simple as dragging a fork through wet acrylic paint can add a gorgeous scratched texture.

Found objects — buttons, keys, small pieces of timber, wire — can also be incorporated for a sculptural quality. Just make sure to use a strong adhesive like heavy gel medium or an industrial-strength glue for heavier items. The Tate galleries have wonderful examples of mixed media works by modern and contemporary artists that can inspire your own explorations.

Let Go and Experiment

More than any other medium, mixed media rewards a willingness to experiment and let go of control. Not every layer will work. Some combinations will surprise you — others will disappoint. But the process of discovery is what makes mixed media so addictive. Give yourself permission to play, make mistakes, and follow your curiosity wherever it leads. That’s where the magic happens.