Just a reminder that I am teaching a really fun Mixed Media Collage Class in NYC at Pratt Institute at the Manhattan Campus on October 18. Anyone can join – just call 855.551.7727 and register for PMFA507!
I would love to see you there if you are in the area!!!
One of the things that make me really giddy is when I spy someone using my stamps by Stampendous or also my stencils with StencilGirl Products 
So I thought once in a while I would feature the work of those wonderful talented people with a series called: designed by n*Studio features:…..
And today I feature: The Stampendous Design Team – and since it is a bigger design team …here a couple :)
Janelle is part of the Design Team since 2011 and I spied this wonderful notebook she created, using my Fiesta Stamp Set for the flower .
Love how she stamped the flower on painted canvas and then cut it out and layered it for a dimensional book mark – so clever and beautiful!
Check out her blog post including a tutorial on how to create the notebook on her blog here.
Lea is part of the Stampendous DT since 2012 and I found this fun Garden Canvas she created using my Fiesta, Kaffee Klatsch, Mish Mash, Wired and Grunge Stampset.
I love how Lea used all the different stamps and created this whimsical garden – I also love the texture and the happy colors. Here is what she used and how she did it.
Wendy is part of the Design Team since 2009. I love her darling scrapbooking layout using my Kaffee Klatsch Stamp Set on an acrylic sheet.
I love how the stamps look really lacy on the sheet- beautiful. You can see what she used and how she did it, here.
Pam is part of the Design Team since 2002 – WOW! Given my obsessions with houses and cityscapes – I was delighted to spy this piece by Pam using my Mark Maker Stampset.
I love how she used some of the stamps in the set to mimic roads and how she used some others with embossing powder for the background. You can read what she used and how she created these happy houses here.
I love how all four of them incorporated the stamps in their own styles and so differently. Thank you to the Stampendous Design Team for using them and doing such wonderful work- you girls rock!
Here are the stamp sets that they used:
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Thanks for the mention, Nat! I love using your stamp sets on layouts! They make the perfect background!
Thank you, Nat, for sharing my art on your blog today! It’s such a thrill to see it here. By the way, I named my flower garden, “Nathalie’s Garden.” Don’t know if you saw that on my post or not but, I thought it was only fitting to name it after you! Thanks again, my friend!
Oh thank you Nathalie for the mention. I so enjoyed creating that notebook with the Fiesta Stamp Set!
Last month I talked about my absolute favorite and ultimate must-have mixed media supply: Acrylic Paint, but there is more :) Another must-have for me is Gesso. In fact my students know me referring to Gesso as Dumbledore because it is a versatile helper that can put magic spells on your art work, or under…or in between … In any event it is an mixed media ally you want to have in your stash!
So now there are a couple different Gessoes on the market but before I get into that let’s talk about
What I love about Gesso:
Here are some examples using Gesso:
Canvas: White Gesso over a textured and collaged background painted over with Acrylic Paints and Oil Bars
Art Journal Spread: Super Heavy Gesso through the Stencil included in my Stampendous Kaffee Klatsch Stamp Set
Canvas: nice texture through stencil on canvas with Super Heavy Gesso
Art Journal – black gesso background with Derwent Art Bars (watersoluble wax bars) and my Stampendous Fiesta Stampset and Stencil
Canvas: Gesso on canvas partly taken off then scratched into and painted partly over with acrylic ink
Art Journal Spread- toning down areas in art journal with Gesso spread with hotel key card
Art Journal Spread: Texture created with Gesso and then painted over with Acrylic Paint
I could go on and on because I really use Gesso all the time and there are so many ways to incorporate it into your art work!
Now… Which Gesso do I use?
First off – Disclaimer: I am a Brand Ambassador for Liquitex so naturally I tend to recommend Liquitex products. But my love for Liquitex Brand acrylics began long before I began working with the company and it is a genuine love for their products. In fact I was playing with their paints and acrylic media back then in Germany and I was just having the best of times and I shared this with the world. And that is how the relationship with Liquitex many years ago began
As always in this series- the answer to this question is based on my preferences, my style and my experiences – what is right for me, might not be right for you
How about a fun tutorial video where I use Gesso to create texture?
Playing with Gesso and Acrylic Ink
You can find the supply list for the video here .
Some useful tips when working with Gesso:
Here is a list of the supplies that I mentioned throughout this Must-Have Mixed Media Supplies – Gesso Post
I hope you enjoyed the second installation of my Must-Have Mixed Media Supplies. See you next month for the third part!
Happy Creating
very interesting and useful, thank you!
Great post, Nathalie!
Nice summary. I found out about gesso either from you or Julie and it is a must have supply for me now. The variety packs are a nice way to try the different kinds without a huge investment.
Thanks for the info – didn’t know about Professional Liquitex Gesso – I have always used the regular. Will definitely try it out.
Great tips. Thanks.
Super Excited :) In 2016 I am one of the teachers of a new Online Workshop Wanderlust 2016!
Wanderlust is a whole year long journey – an online event offering you videos from 24 guest teachers and 2 resident teachers one every week (each one downloadable and with PDF instructions provided), 50 amazing videos, which will run for over 50 hours in total, access to a forum with an amazing and friendly community,
Follow the teacher’s reveals every day on Everything Arts Social Media.
Every day somebody new!
As far revealed are: Kate Crane, Teresa McFayden, Rachel Greig, Beckah Krahula, Joanne Sharpe, Flora Bowley, Mystele, Andy Skinner, Finnabair, Birgit Koopsen, Lindsay Weirich, Magda Polakow, Carolyn Dube, Stephanie Schutze, Maryia Potapovich, Jennifer Lee and Leslie Wood and myself
If you’d like to join us on this year long art journey click here for details!
Cannot wait and I am looking forward sharing my tutorial with you and being part of this wonderful artful journey :) Hope you will join me!
It’s an honour to have you on the team! Thank you Nathalie for going on this journey with us :)
thank you Kasia for having me :)
Wow, Nathalie!! Sooo exciting! This will be a wonderful journey!
Art Tapas are short videos (1- 3 mins) that will give some practical tips or advice about anything that is related to tools, art supplies or processes and any Mixed Media or Hobby Artist might appreciate. Lots of times these reflect some mistakes that I made along my journey, so to speak, things that I learned the hard way and sometimes they are just some things that I would have loved to have known when I actually started in Mixed Media.
Brush Care Tip No. 1
Art Tapas – Bite Sized Tips for the Mixed Media Artist – #3 Brush from Nathalie Kalbach on Vimeo.
I hope you enjoyed this Art Tapa – and if you have questions that you would love to have answered in some of the Art Tapas videos- let me know and I might just cook one up for you to nibble on :)
Happy Creating !
Great tip!!!! Love it.
Und vierundzwanzig Stunden sind echt kurz…. Seufz. Bei mir oft viel länger! Aber Pssst!
Liebe Grüße, Sabine
Okay this is such a great tip! It never occurred to me (duh), so thank you Nathalie!!! Also, love your title for this series “Art Tapas”–thanks so much for sharing.
Thank you so much Rebecca- glad you like the title too :)
This was really helpful. I did not realise the need to keep the join of ferrule & handle dry, so many thanks.
Happy this was helpful – thank you Gill !
Thanks, Nathalie… your Art Tapas are great advice!!
thank you Laura!
Short and to the point. I really enjoyed this concept. Thanks for the tip on brushes.
thank you Annettia, I am glad you like it!
Art Tapas are short videos (1- 3 mins) that will give some practical tips or advice about anything that is related to tools, art supplies or processes and any Mixed Media or Hobby Artist might appreciate. Lots of times these reflect some mistakes that I made along my journey, so to speak, things that I learned the hard way and sometimes they are just some things that I would have loved to have known when I actually started in Mixed Media.
Labeling of Acrylic paints
Art Tapas – Bite Sized Tips for the Mixed Media Artist – #2 Labeling from Nathalie Kalbach on Vimeo.
I hope you enjoyed this Art Tapa – and if you have questions that you would love to have answered in some of the Art Tapas videos- let me know and I might just cook one up for you to nibble on :)
Happy Creating !
Great tip Nathalie! Thanks!
Great labeling tip, Nat! And I’m so happy to read that I am not the only messy painter!
Glad you liked it Kathy!
What an excellent idea! And my mess just goes on up my arms when I’m painting. Still trying to figure out how I got paint on the back of my knees last week!
LOL- I hear you on the mess ;) I have probably not one single piece of clothing that does not have a spot of paint on it ..the paint on the back of the knees though, I still have to accomplish ;)
Julie Fei-Fan Balzer and I are so thrilled to add The Scrapbook Store in Perth to our tour in Australia next year. We will be teaching our 3-Day Art Journal Adventure Workshop April 1-3, 2016 there. You can register now!
Here is a little video about the workshop …our philosophy …and the circus you can expect ?
Or download this pdf which tells you some details and the timetable about our class at The Scrapbook Store.
We hope if you are in the area you come and join us for the fun! We cannot wait to meet you!
So cute – you two will make your workshop INCREDIBLE together… wow. j.
Ah- thank you Joi!
Hands Down – my absolute favorite and ultimate must-have mixed media supply is: Acrylic Paint! For many years Acrylic Paint is a companion of mine and I feel as if there is never a moment where I feel that this buddy and I might part. If I wasn’t too scared of needles, I might actually get an acrylic paint tube tattoo …maybe ;)
What I love about Acrylic Paints is:
Here are some examples using Acrylic Paint:
Acrylic Paint on Canvas – painted, brayered, stamped, stenciled, scraped
Acrylic Paint on Canvas – abstract background, collage elements and urban elements
Acrylic Paint in an Art Journal Spread – brushed on, mixed with other acrylic media and stamped
Acrylic Paint used for mono prints
Acrylic Paint used in different viscosities to create texture and dimension
Acrylic Paint on clay revealing stamped texture
Acrylic Paint on canvas used in different viscosities, with different acrylic media
Acrylic Paint used in mark making on art journal spread
Acrylic Paint Skins used in art journal spread – stamping with acrylic paint
Pretty amazing the different things and looks you can achieve with acrylic paints, don’t you think? And there is way more because I only showed examples on how I personally like to use acrylic paint!!! So yes – just because of it’s versatility it knocks me off my socks and is my all time favorite must-have supply.
Which acrylic paints I use:
First off – Disclaimer: I am a Brand Ambassador for Liquitex so naturally I tend to recommend Liquitex products. But my love for Liquitex Brand paints began long before I began working with the company and it is a genuine love for their products. In fact I was playing with their paints back then in Germany and I was just having the best of times and I shared this with the world. And that is how the relationship with Liquitex many years ago began :)
I used a lot of acrylic paints in my artist endeavors. And over the last couple years I learned what I like and what I do not like. What I like, doesn’t have to be necessary what you like. So just take it as my thoughts and my preferences, ok?
I would start slow with just a couple colors and add up as you go. You can always start with some Liquitex Basics if you want to first play around a bit in your art journals and start stocking up Professional Quality paints as you paint more and more.
Viscosity:
Acrylic Paints come in different viscosities which means the state of being thick, sticky, and semifluid in consistency. Different Brands sometimes use different ways to label the thickness or thin-ness of their paints. Here are the ones that I use most often:
Soft Body Paints by Liquitex usually have a medium viscosity which means they are creamy and smooth. They cover evenly and they level out so that brushstrokes are rarely visible. I use them in my art journals and most often for the first layers of a painting on a canvas as well as detail work. I use them also whenever I paint on a project where I want an even smooth coating. I use Soft Body Paints when I need a glaze or when I want to stain fabric. I usually use Soft Body Paints instead of Heavy Body Paints for Mono Printing and they are the only paints that I use when I stamp with rubber stamps.
Heavy Body Paints by Liquitex have a thick consistency for traditional art techniques using brushes or knives, as well as for experimental, mixed media, collage and printmaking applications. Impasto applications retain crisp brush stroke and knife marks. I love to use my brayer with Heavy Body Paints and another favorite of mine is to use Sgraffito-Techniques with Heavy Body Paints (check out the video below). I also love to use Heavy Body to build up texture and dimension on my urban paintings.
Here is a video where I use different Heavy Body Paints and the sgraffito technique I mentioned above
I will list the supplies that are still available and everything I mention in this post below in case you want to check it out.
My personal favorite colors:
Often times I get asked which are my absolute favorite acrylic paint colors -that is a hard one – because it is like asking me which of my children I like the most. But of course there are a couple colors that I tend to grab all the time –
Art Tapas – Bite Size Tips for the Mixed Media Artist
Here are some bite sized tips and tricks around Acrylic Paint for the Mixed Media and Hobby Artist. They are part of a video series that I am putting together and I will update this post as I go along and there may be more tips relating to Acrylic Paints.
How to Store Acrylic Paint
Art Tapas – Bite Sized Tips for the Mixed Media Artist – #1 Storage from Nathalie Kalbach on Vimeo.
How I label my paint and why
Art Tapas – Bite Sized Tips for the Mixed Media Artist – #2 Labeling from Nathalie Kalbach on Vimeo.
You want to learn some fun things using Acrylic Paints?
Sign up for an In- Person Workshop with me or join me for a fun Online Workshop. I love talking about the Why and How I use my art supplies and my workshops. Most of my workshops are not so much about a specific project than more about enabling you to know your supplies, techniques and craft in order to dive full in into your own style to create your own amazing art! Not convinced yet? Read some testimonials from other students that have taken my classes and come and join me :)
Here are the supplies that I have mentioned throughout this Must-Have Mixed Media Supplies – Acrylic Paints post
I hope you enjoyed the first installation of my Must-Have Mixed Media Supplies. See you next month for the second part!
Happy Creating
helpful. Thank u..B
Thank you Bea – glad you liked it :)
Thank you Natalie! Add my voice to all those above. Learned something great from each of your videos. Also glad someone asked about the music and that you shared the source–I liked that too. Thank you for having this great series of tips and techniques!!!
Thank you Rebecca, so glad you liked it and it was helpful!
Nat, I could watch you create all day! You make it all look so easy and so doable! Thanks for the great tips. I’m going to paint the tops of my bottles and add my little squares as you have suggested. Thank you for the continued inspiration and I hope to someday take a workshop of yours!
Awe- thank you Leadonna, so glad you enjoyed this post. Hope I will see you soon again – either in a workshop or else ! Have a wonderful day!
Nathalie,
I forgot to ask you a question. In the first video, do you happen to remember who sings the song and the name of the song. It really is enjoyable to listen to with the artistic work you were painting.
Thanks
Barb the artist is Jose Gonzalez – The album is called “In Our Nature” and the song is called Cycling Trivialities. I love the whole album – it is very relaxing :)
I have been following you for a long time now. I found your work while you were living in Germany.
Your work goes way beyond art journaling. When you moved here, your artistic talent just exploded.
The buildings you paint are just amazing. I enjoyed the video and your use of paint. Thanks so much for sharing.
Hi Barb, thank you so much for your wonderful words! that makes me happy!
SUPER FINE videos Nat. Loved the sgraffito one – of course because I love watching you create. Great way to start me day! Thanks bunches. j.
Hi Joi, thank you – so glad you liked them :) Thank you so much for your support!
Great tips, Nat. Following last year’s Creative Jumpstart, I purchased a large set of the Liquitex soft body acrylic paints and their acrylic ink and I love them. I don’t think I’d use any other brand now. I also love their mediums, ie. gels etc. They are a real quality product. I’ll be looking forward to your acrylic paint workshop:) Hugs, Maggie
Thank you Maggie! So glad you enjoyed the post and yeah for liking the your new products! So cool you were part of Creative Jumpstart! huge hugs, Nat
Wonderful tips, Nat! And love those videos! Going to re-organize my paint storage for sure!
So glad you liked it Kathy and awesome that you are re-organizing your paint storage. Let me know how it went!
Tomorrow I am starting a new series called: Must-Have Mixed Media Supplies.
I often get emails asking me about my favorite tools or supplies and I love those emails because they make me think of why I tend to use some supplies all the time.
Is it laziness? What is it about these items that make me grab for them whenever I create a Mixed Media Project?
One of the answers is “I use them because of their versatility of usage” .
I love supplies I can use in many different ways – they bring out the researcher in me, the experimenter, the crazy girl, the one that wants to know , to play, to create and to inspire others.
This is an updated and more informative version of my Mixed Media Essentials Series I did a couple years ago :) In fact …it will be JAM packed ;)
Let me take you the next couple months on a little journey on my Must-Have Mixed Media Supplies and explain why I I use them, how I use them and where I used them.
Hope I will see you tomorrow for the first Post in this series!
Wow, cool! So looking forward to this information. Thank you for your ongoing sharing of such useful information with us here, Nat!
Really looking forward to this- it promises to be really useful. Thanks
This is great. I look forward to the series.
What a great idea Nat – so fun to see how others have used your stamps and stencils. Love the first two – sooo great. But my fav is the house one because it really does remind me of you and your type of art. The way she used your stamps so uniquely is wonderful. Thanks bunches for sharing these really awesome pieces of art with us. Your products look WONDERFUL in all of these. X j
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