Building Your Mixed Media Art Kit

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link!

Many new artists feel overwhelmed and confused just by hearing the words “mixed media”. It’s no wonder, this type of art encompasses so many art mediums and techniques it’s easy to get lost, or worse, be too intimidated to even start.

Today, I'm here to help you on your creative journey, while assembling a simple yet versatile mixed media starter kit. There are so many art supplies out there, and it's essential to have a great foundation that fits your budget.

I use all the supplies mentioned in this post for my own art making and love them all. Your supply kit should be 100% reflective of you, what you love and what works best for you. Great supplies don’t guarantee great art, but knowing where to start will help you gain confidence in your creative exploration.

Choosing Your “Canvas”

Hearing the word “canvas” probably congers up images of a physical stretched art canvas. However, it can also mean anything that art is created on like: cardboard, paper, wood, stretched canvas or even fabric. The canvas you chose will depend greatly on the mediums and art you plan to create. For me and many artists, paper is the go-to choice. I also use wood and cardboard from time to time. Paper makes a great choice because it’s more affordable, easy to store, and great for practicing.

Watercolor paper, in particular, is designed for wet media, so it’s the perfect choice for mixed media art where different types of paints and techniques are usually used. Watercolor paper can be broken down into two levels: student grade and artist-grade.

For those of us on a budget, student-grade paper such as the Level 2 Watercolor Pad by Artist's Loft is a great option. Its affordable but still delivers good quality and is perfect for practicing while you learn.

Artist-grade paper such as Arches Cold-Pressed Watercolor Pad comes with a huge price tag but offers exceptional quality. You can use it with a wider range of wet media and effortlessly build layers. Artist-grade paper is popular for artists who intend to display or sell their art.

Adding Color

Acrylic is an excellent paint to get started with, it’s easy to clean up and comes in dozens of colors and consistencies. It always has a place in my studio and is my most used medium.

Craft vs. Artist acrylic: This is mostly a choice of personal preference, painting style and project. Craft acrylics tend to be thinner and more transparent where artists acrylics are thicker and opaquer. Artist acrylics also come in different user levels such as beginners and professionals. They tend to get thicker the higher level you go and include heavy body acrylics.

I have a good selection of both in my studio but typically use the craft acrylics more, they make wonderful layers for my work. Apple Barrel is the brand I most often have in my studio for craft acrylics and I love using the Metallic Acrylic Paint by Artist's Loft to add a wonderful artist acrylic shine!

Watercolor is another great paint that doesn’t take up much space and is easy to clean up.

Tube vs. Pan Watercolors: Again, this choice comes down to personal preference and painting style. Tube watercolors are moist and concentrated, for vibrant, intense color mixing. Pan watercolors are dry and portable. They’re not as intense as tube watercolors but excel in versatility and ease of use.

For pans, the Van Gogh Pocket Box is a budget-friendly choice with a compact size, built-in mixing palette and a brush. As for tubs, the Daniel Smith Essentials Set is heavily pigmented and includes primary colors for maximum mixing potential.

Playing with Inks

Acrylic ink is another valuable addition to your mixed-media starter kit, it comes in dozens of colors/finishes and has the consistency of watercolor. It can be used straight out of the bottle or diluted for translucent effects without losing the vibrant hue. Acrylic ink's fluid, free-flowing nature creates unpredictable and expressive effects, adding an exciting dimension to your artwork.

Distress spray stains are one of my favorite mediums to use and a staple in my artwork. They are a fluid, water-based dye ink for paper & porous surfaces. You can use them straight out of the bottle or with water as they are water reactive. Think of them as a fun mix between watercolor and acrylic inks.

Distress ink pads are a collection of acid-free, non-toxic, fade resistant, water-based dye inks. They produce a realistic, weathered look on paper, photos and decorative fibers for the perfect vintage, stained, or aged effect. When combined with water they create wonderful pattern effects.

Distress oxide ink pads are a water-reactive dye & pigment ink fusion that creates an oxidized effect when sprayed with water.

Create Delicious Texture

There are so many things on the market for creating wonderful texture now-a-days. You can use things like concrete, dirt, crackle paste, texture paste, modeling paste, gel mediums or heavy body acrylics just to name a few. The two I always keep on hand in my studio are gel medium and modeling paste.

Gel Mediums come in both gloss and matte finishes. There are a number of brands to choose from and each one varies in its consistency. Gel mediums are used with acrylic paints to extend paint volume, increases open time, add body to your favorite paints and create transparent layers. They also make wonderful glues for collage papers.

Modeling Paste comes in a variety of weights, textures and brands. It’s used to create texture over a smooth surface, or to smooth out a textured surface. Most Molding Paste dries to an opaque, matte finish, is designed to hold stiff peaks for highly textured surfaces and blends easily with colors. Modeling paste is a must have in my studio. I typically have several weights and textures on hand, from smooth to sandy. I would definitely try out a variety of these and see which best suits you and your style.

Your Artistic Tools

When you’re just starting out you can save money on brushes by purchasing an inexpensive starter set. I would recommend avoiding craft brushes, the quality is never as good, and sticking to actual art brushes. There are plenty of great brush sets available and many come with a wide variety of sizes and types of brushes. Having a set of acrylic brushes and a separate set of watercolor brushes is also a good idea if you plan to use both mediums.

Acrylic brushes such as the Arteza Acrylic & Oil Paint Brushes are made with synthetic bristles, are stiffer and have more spring, are less absorbent to hold more paint and are designed to cater to the viscosity and drying time of acrylics.

Watercolor brushes such as the Arteza Watercolor Brushes are made with synthetic bristles, are more flexible and absorbent, and are optimized to work well with the fluidity and delicacy of watercolor paints and techniques.

For your distress inks I highly recommend a set (or two, depending on how many colors you have) of ink blending brushes such as the UNIMEIX Craft Ink Blending Brushes. These are a total game changer for applying your inks. They come in a variety of sizes to fit your project, are made of dozens of soft little bristles making it easy to get into all your stencil shapes and have an easy-to-use handle. These wonderful brushes can also be used with your Stazon or Dye inks.

A fairly inexpensive pallet knife set such as this Plastic Palette Knife Set by Artist's Loft is also a great addition to your mixed media kit. This set comes with a variety of sizes and shapes and comes in handy when using gel mediums, modeling paste or texture paste.

Making Your Mark

This is where you truly shine in your mixed media journey. Mark making is 100% you! Keep in mind your tools should reflect you, what you love and what works best for you.

Faber-Castell Soft Pastels: These pastels are incredibly versatile and come in vibrant colors. Whether used dry for bold marks or with water to create watercolor paint, they offer endless creative possibilities.

Arteza Acrylic Markers: These markers are perfect for adding intricate details to your watercolor or acrylic art. They are water-based, low-odor, UV-resistant, acid free and quick drying. They come in a delightful array of colors, metallics and are available with a classic plastic nib or a fine tip plastic nib. These fabulous markers are my go-to for adding wonderful details.

Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils: These colored pencils offer excellent artist quality and contain high quality pigments for rich color saturation. They feature soft, thick cores for superior blending and shading.

Keep in mind, in many art stores, you can purchase products individually or in smaller sets, so you can try them out and build a more affordable kit rather than buying large sets all at once.

Play, Explore, Create!

In mixed media, exploration and fearlessness are the keys to finding your creative voice. There’s no right or wrong way to do things as long as you have fun and love what you’re making. There’re no mistakes in creativity, just amazing opportunities to explore and create something uniquely YOU. Let your imagination run wild, try things that may not work and don’t be afraid to get messy!

It’s also a great idea to explore what you already have at home. There may be pens, pencils, markers, collage papers, crayons or other goodies you can use along your art journey.

Join Me on Your Creative Journey

I’d love to see and hear about all the wonderful supplies you add to your mixed media starter kit and which ones you love the most. Drop me a comment below or in my Creatively Misty Facebook group.

If you’re ready to put your amazing new mixed media starter kit to good use look into joining one of my creative workshops.