colors-n-creations: All about Mixed Media Products and their Uses

Hello Hello !!!!
This is Bela and today on the blog I am here to talk about Mixed Media.... A very vast and versatile subject which I love however I have noticed that many of you have few doubts regarding it ..... If these doubts are stopping you from attempting or learning or trying out mixed media then this post is for you as here I am gonna talk about all the products related to it and how and where you can use it for creating amazing art works and masterpieces. As I am on design team with Itsy Bitsy I have got a chance to try out all the amazing products related to mixed media so here I will tell you about the product in detail and I am listing down the products which are available with the store.
so lets get started !!!

Gesso :- The most Important and a must product that you need in any type of mixed media is Gesso . Now Gesso is nothing but a primer... It will make your surface ready for any kind of effects, colors, etc. Gesso is available in black and white color. so you have to decide which look you wanna go for according to that you choose your gesso. For metallic, vintage and antique look we choose black gesso .. for layouts and colorful look we choose white. It helps prime your metals, canvas, cloth, burlap, jute, resin, plastics, glass and paper .
Texture Paste :- As the name says this paste is used to create any kind of texture on our surface. weather its a canvas , paper , wood its wonderful product to create textures. Itsy Bitsy has awesome range of texture pastes. one is grainy texture paste , Mixed media paste and fiber paste.... all these texture paste will give you different kind of textures which will change the look of you project in a jiffy.

Mixed Media Texture Paste :- This Is a two in one product. if you are new and do not want to invest in 2 separate products for priming and texture this is the perfect product for you. you can use this paste to create textures or just dilute a little with water and use it as a gesso.

Grainy Texture Paste :- This is a fantastic paste and also my personal favorite. I absolutely love the texture that it creates also its so fast drying that i never have to use my heat tool to set it.

Mixed Media Fiber Paste :- This paste has fibers in it which makes it very unique and different from other pastes.... so if you want to free hand the texture without any stencils or just give a different look to the edges this one is perfect for you. Available in 2 colors ... white and slate grey.

Gel Medium :- This medium is perfect to adhere any embellishments to the project. In mixed media I use loads of waste things which not only saves me money but also make my project look very different and unique.

Heavy Gel Medium:- Available in matte n gloss. , I have used thick long and heavy nails too in my project and the best medium to adhere is the gel medium . As the name says we can used heavy gel medium for sticking any heavy elements to our project.

Soft Gel Medium:- Available in matte and gloss . I use this medium for adhering any light elements like art stones, pearls, sisal, etc also a layer of it on any photograph protects it from any staining or damage.

Glass Bead Gel Medium :- This gel medium already has glass beads so just apply it and you get perfect texture without even using glue. I love this for filling the gaps or adding tiny texture to any project.

Crackle Paste :- This is a amazing product to get superb cracks in the project. The thin application of the product will give you tiny cracks and thick application will give you big cracks.... so you can give variation in cracks with variation in application.

Stone Texture Paste:- A surface texture paste made from natural sand grains that gives a pumice stone like finish when dry. Its also Great for creating dimensional and texture effects on mixed media, canvas, home decor etc.

Tinted Metallic Paints :- These paints are used for the metallic effects on your project... they are available in various colors with perfect metallic sheen to them and now few shades are available in 2 sizes too. showing you couple of examples however there are 12 different colors to choose from in big jars. and 6 colors in small jars.

Color splash :- Vibrant colors in liquid form in a spray bottle which makes it easier to spray colors onto your project. These are water based and will react to water . I feel they are perfect for mixed media layouts and canvases. Available in 12 different vibrant shades

Metallic Waxes :- These are the must have product for not only mixed media but any artist... they are used to give a beautiful metallic sheen to the projects.... they look amazing on black however I have also used them on decoupage and flowers to give a distressed metallic look. They are available in 7 shades...

Chalk Paints:- Available in 34 amazing shades in the pastel and bright variation these paints are perfect for decoupage... However I have used chalk paints in my mixed media as they give me beautiful matte results on black as well as white surface. Also they mix beautifully with each other which makes my blending very easy.

Stencils :- Stencils are used when you have to give detailed texture to our project which cannot be achieved otherwise. For example brick or stone effect...... Loads of different variety in stencils which can give you lovely variations in the project. There are 55 different designs to choose from.

Primed Chipboard :- As we all know that we need embellishments for all out mixed media projects.... now if we want something for background, or as an embellishment, frames, borders,corners,leaves, butterflies, flourishes or as numbers or sentiment itsy bitsy has huge range of primed chipboards where you can directly work on it without applying gesso . They have 151 designs to choose from.

Craft pellets :- I absolutely love this product. These are a must have for any mixed media artist as they give such amazing texture and come very handy in filling up small spaces. These are available in 2 sizes. Macro and mini.

Mixed Media Stone :- These are natural stones which can be amazing texture to all our mixed media project. We can mix this with mixed media paste to make it grungy or just mix with soft gel medium to adhere it to the surface.

Crystal drops:- Just like mixed media stones and craft pellets these again can be mixed in texture paste or gel medium and can be adhered to the project.... these products give variation in texture which makes our projects more interesting and unique.

Texture sand :- Just like mixed media stones or craft pellets this is used for lighter texture which will add subtle dimension to your project.... its completely natural, non toxic and is great for adding an ultra-fine grit texture to projects . again it can be mixed with texture paste or mix it with gel medium to adhere.

Bases:- Mixed media is such a versatile subject that we can use loads of different type of bases.

I am jotting down few examples with pictures.
Burlap panel, Canvas, Watercolor panel, Mixed Media Panel.

I hope I have given you all a clear picture not only about the mixed media products available with Itsy Bitsy store but also explained their uses. If you have any doubts or need any clarification regarding the product please feel free to ask me.... I have tried to make this post a one stop solution for all the mixed media related queries.

These are few of my art work using different bases and mediums....