CHAPTER 12: PREPARATORY STEPS AND PROCESSES FOR MIXED MEDIA AND OTHER PAINTING GENRES

Abstract

INTRODUCTION 
Mixed media art is defined broadly by Hobbs (1985) as covering all those works that defy the traditional use of material and methods, combining two and three-dimensional approaches in executing a single work of art. Its application and processes are broad in scope. It has no specific material and it uses different substances and objects as material to produce a work of painting with a very good visual effect. Contemporary painters mix their media by attaching objects to their canvases (Fichner-Rathus 
1998). Adams (1997), and Adams (1999) state that mixed media involves making use of found objects which are taken from everyday sources and incorporated into a work of art. There are different types of mixed media art. They include collage, assemblage, installation, wet and dry media art. Collage involves pasting and gumming of weightless objects such as paper to a flat surface to form a composition. Sayre (1997) situates that collage is an all-inclusive medium. 
Mixed media painting Mixed media painting technique is a technique or style of painting that combines two or more mediums or art forms to create a work of painting. Hagger (as cited in Adjei 2007) defined mixed media art as the use of different painting materials such as watercolour, crayon, oil, Indian ink, or similar combinations on a single support. 
In mixed media, different media or materials are used to create unique visual art. It is an art form that doesn’t place restrictions on people who do not know how to draw. Elements such as paper, wood, sand, fabric and others, are added to the support before painting. The addition of another element to the painting helps to create interesting texture and colour that can be incorporated into the painting. mixed media painting can be done either on wood, board or canvas. Materials used for mixed media painting include Wood panel, Colour, Paint brushes, Pallet knives, Water for mixing paint, Cotton cloth – for cleaning paint drops, Colour palette, Scissors, Sand, Stick, and Glue. While preparing to execute a mixed-media painting there are important factors to consider; support with which to make art, materials to work with, and a work space.