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Create A Fall Inspired Mixed Media Painting : Page 2 of 4

Create a Fall Inspired Mixed Media Painting in 7 Steps

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Step 1

If you are not intending on priming your surface with gesso please proceed directly to Step #2.

In my own painting I used a 2'x2' plywood panel that I purchased at a home improvement store for under $5. I begun by spreading two thick layers of gesso over the surface using a palette knife aiming at building a deep and somewhat uneven texture.

Step 2

Once your surface has dried completely, begin playing with creating a design of your choice out of the leaves. I chose to cut the stalks off my leaves as I wanted to concentrate on the main shapes. I encourage you to experiment with at least three different compositions before you settle on the final version for your artwork. Perhaps you can start arranging your dried leaves in the center first and in the consecutive tries move to one particular side of your surface. Another idea to play with is letting some of your leaves to extend beyond the edges of the surface ~ somehow alluding to the continuation and extension of the design into your viewer's imagination. Push your creative boundaries and, most importantly, have fun with it!

Also, please keep in mind that you will be creating 'negative spaces' with your leaves, so do not try to concentrate on the aesthetics of the leaves' colors and how they all interact with one another. After STEP#3 your leaves will be no longer present in your painting. In this project we are strictly interested in exploring fun patterns that will become alive once all the shapes are traced and leaves are removed.

Let's get back to STEP#2. In the below photograph you can observe my final placement of leaves.

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