Build your personal creative toolbox for soulful expression!
It’s my birthday month! And believe it or not – insert double laughing emojis 😂😂 – my heart always turns toward new art supplies. Hint, hint!
I don’t really know exactly when it started, but sometime in the past several (uh-hum!) decades, I began saving up birthday money, adding some of my own, and creating an art supply “wish list.” Back in the day on paper. In today’s world, on my phone! Often it was about a month later that I would actually go shopping – making trips to any number of local Michaels, JoAnn Fabric, Dick Blick, Hobby Lobby, and thrift stores here in the U.S. And yes, I also use Amazon, Etsy, and even Wal-Mart online to create ‘wish lists’ that I can come back to for later shopping excursions…but I much prefer to head to a store filled with inspiration that I can touch and smell and put in my hands. Those magical church / non-profit thrift stores are magnificent for this tactile mixed media and collage artist. Great for finding unusual papers, tools, stamps, and more.
This year, however, and much to my surprise, I received actual art supplies in the mail during my birthday month! A client-turned-friend (best kind!) completely blew me away with a stunning leather journal with 300gsm watercolor paper, and a journal-Bible (in my favorite book, Isaiah). And I ended up with $300 USD to spend on art supplies. What a dream!
I don’t know about you, but for me, there’s something sacred about opening new art supplies. Not only is it exciting and delightful, but sometimes, it feels a lot like stepping into a conversation between our creative hearts and our Creator. Whether you’re just beginning your mixed media journey or have been layering texture and meaning for years, having the right tools on hand can make the process more joyful, intuitive, and inspired.
So in honor of my – and all artist’s! – birthdays, I thought it might be fun to share my personal list of mixed media “must-haves.” These are supplies and tools I return to again and again when I want to create in this fun medium.
Let’s dive in!
1. Gesso (White & Clear)
Think of gesso as your canvas primer (and sometimes spiritual!) reset button. Whether you're preparing a journal page or reclaiming an old canvas, a coat of gesso gives you a fresh, forgiving surface to begin … or to begin again when “mistakes” invariably happen. I love using watered down white gesso to create ethereal effects, cheaper brand white gesso to soften a harsh edge or color, and clear gesso as a transparent layer that can be painted or collaged on top of, while still being able see the deliciousness beneath.
🖌 Tip: I love using both white for bold contrast and clear when I want those beautiful paper textures or collage layers to peek through.
2. Palette Knives in Various Shapes
There’s something so liberating about spreading paint (and gesso) with a palette knife. It reminds me not to overthink or over-control—just press, drag, and let go. The textures you get are raw, expressive, and gloriously imperfect. It’s a wonderful way to add expressive marks to a page or canvas, and if you buy a few with serrated or oddly-cut edges, you can surprise yourself.
🖌 Tip: Use them not only for paint but also to spread modeling paste, gels, or even scrape away layers when you're in that “revealing” stage of your piece.
3. Matte Gel Medium
This is my go-to for adhering collage elements and sealing layers. It’s invisible when dry and allows for that beautiful in-between space where papers, textures, and meanings merge. This is one supply where I don’t scrimp – buying a high-quality gel medium such as Liquitex or Golden is well-worth the price. It’s a wonderful tool for sealing those non-permanent mediums like water-soluble crayons, and creating grunge effects over graphite or Stabilo pencil marks.
🖌 Tip: You can even use it to transfer printed images or text—like a favorite verse—onto your canvas.
4. Sturdy Art Journal or Paper Pad
My art journal is part mixed media sketchbook, part prayer journal, and part creative laboratory. It’s a sacred space where I play freely, ask “what if” questions, meet with God, and grow.
🖌 Tip: Look for journals with heavy-duty higher weight (140# / 300sgm or higher), watercolor or media paper that can take wet media and layers without buckling. Paper weights matter. Anything under 110# is likely to buckle or even tear with certain techniques or multiple layers as they build up. A fun alternative? Try creating on wood cradle boards, hardwood (HDF) or other scrap wood. Just give it a quick coat of gesso if you don’t want your mediums to sink down into untreated wood.
5. Acrylic Paints
Acrylics are my daily bread in my mixed media practices as they are incredibly versatile, fast-drying, and forgiving. For collage, they are a match made in heaven, easy to layer. For transparent layering, craft acrylic paints work great, and for more bold layers, use a student grade to professional grade pain in opaque colors.
🖌 Tip: If you’re just starting out, purchase a limited palette of colors, even basic ones in primary colors (yellow, red, blue) plus black and white. It’s so much fun to try your hand at color-mixing and a limited palette will teach you very quickly!
6. Stamps & Stencils
These are your pattern-makers and meaning-layers. I often use them as visual metaphors—grids for structure, circles for wholeness, words for reminders of truth, backgrounds for texture. They most often appear in the first layers of my mixed media work, and then I use paint and collage in such a way as to allow some of the stencil or stamping work to peek through.
🖌 Tip: Try making your own stencils or carving stamps from erasers for a more personal touch. And as you begin to work larger, move from smaller ones to larger ones for more coverage. And remember, stamps can be used with acrylic paint, not just inks – and stencils with spray paint, not just acrylics!
7. Collage Materials: Old Papers, Fabric, Music Sheets, Magazine Pages
There’s so much poetry in repurposing discarded pieces—just like God does with us. I love using pages from vintage books, old hymnals, discarded calendars and planners, dinner napkins, torn bits of fabric like cheesecloth. So many of these hold memory and story. Porous papers can be tea or coffee-stained for a rich, aged patina, and magazine papers can be painted directly with acrylics – or roughed up with sandpaper first to receive paint, inks, or pastels/crayons.
🖌 Tip: Keep a “treasure box,” woven basket, or folder to collect pieces that speak to you, even if you’re not sure why yet.
8. Water-Soluble Pencils or Crayons
These little gems are a staple in my studio! They are creamy and lovely to work with and work like crayons until you add water! They add interesting marks and depth that feel more intimate than paint alone. They’re wonderful for journaling, integrating collage elements into your piece, or adding sketchy outlines and borders. Seal them after they dry and you can add more layers!
🖌 Tip: Dip them in water before drawing for an ink-like richness. If you want permanent ones, try the Derwent Inktense pencils.
9. Texture Tools: Brayers, Combs, Sponges, and Found Materials
Texture can tell quite the story! They remind me of life’s layers—smooth, rough, interesting, and all woven into a bigger narrative. I often reach for my brayer with acrylics, and unexpected tools like an old comb, bubble wrap, or even lace to press into wet paint or gel.
🖌 Tip: Keep a little “texture drawer” in your studio and experiment with mark-making.
10. A Heart Open to Exploration
This one might not sit on your art table, but it’s the most essential tool of all. A willing heart, one that shows up even when inspiration feels quiet. A curious one that trusts the process. And of course one that invites the Holy Spirit into the mess and the masterpiece.
🖌 Tip: Before you create, pause. Breathe. Pray. Ask, “Lord, what do You want to show me today through this creative practice?”
Final Thoughts
There’s no “right” way to be a mixed media artist—and these suggested mediums and tools are simply companions on the journey. Let them serve your voice rather than silence it. Let them guide your hands, not limit them. And let them be used to reflect the light and love that lives within you!
Much love, faith, and creativity, my friend!
xoxo,
Debra 🩵
PS: I'd love to hear from you! What are your favorite tools right now? I’d love to hear what’s in your creative toolbox—feel free to share in the comments or tag me on Instagram or Facebook: @debrahartstudio
About the Artist: Debra Hart is a metro Atlanta, Georgia fine artist, writer, and creativity guide, living and working from her home studio in the Johns Creek / Duluth / Suwanee area of Gwinnett County. She loves to create beautiful art for luxury homes, offices, and professional spaces … all the while, she also delights in encouraging creatives in their journey of discovery, skill development, and overcoming barriers to loving their best creative life. A redeemed perfectionist, she approaches her life and art from a place of mystery, grace, and love of her Savior, Jesus Christ - the best Adventurer of all.