Step by Step Mixed Media Canvas Photo Tutorial with Video Instructions by Helen Tilbury

Happy Halloween to those who are celebrating this holiday today!  Whether or not you will be trick-or-treating today, we have got quite a treat to share with you here on the blog.

Design Team member Helen Tilbury is making her My Creative Scrapbook mixed media debut with this amazing canvas complete with a step-by-step photo tutorial AND a thorough instructional video!

First, have a look at Helen's fabulous project:

Here are some closeups:

Helen has put together a wonderful photo tutorial just for you!

Helen Tilbury ‘How to Create a Mixed Media Canvas’ Photo Tutorial

{in 15 easy steps – approximate time to complete – 3 hours}

1. Use your embossing stamp pad (or the refill ink applied with your finger) through the grid stencil all around your canvas, not worrying whether you get complete coverage or not.

2. Apply clear embossing powder or UTEE (ultra-thick embossing powder) – shake off the excess then brush off with a thick brush before drying with an embossing gun.

3. Colour your background using spray inks, starting with the black provided in your kit, then spritz with lots of water then pale blue and green mists. Deliberately avoid building up the area underneath where you know you will place your photograph & dry off your canvas between colours to avoid a muddy mess.

4. Choose a darker colour (I chose navy blue) – remove the lid from the spray bottle and shake the uptake straw directly over your canvas to release droplets/splats of ink.

5. Dry your canvas upside down so that the green ink at the bottom runs into the blue ink at the top (if you follow my images you will create a type of outdoor scene) reminiscent of grass and sky.

6. Now position your butterfly stencil from the Mixed Media kit up in the sky (to the left or right – the choice is yours) & apply thick texture/modelling paste through the stencil then use Liquid Pearls to define the edges of the butterfly shape by dabbing on tiny dots then leaving to dry for at least 30 minutes.

7. Add more texture paste around your canvas, using the grid stencil again, if you want to see more white areas.

8. Go around the edge of your canvas with white acrylic paint or a thick gesso, to give your canvas a modern vignette effect of fading into pale edges.

9. Mist up some gauze/muslin/cheesecloth (any very fine fabric) a few different co-ordinating colors (I have pale blue, turquoise & lime) & scrunch them up randomly in the area where you have planned to place your photo – making sure they end up slightly larger than your photograph so the gauze shows up around your photograph like a matt.

10. Use an adhesive medium in the middle of the gauze to adhere it to your canvas.

11. Decide on your sentiment then loosely write it out ‘in rough’ on a piece of wax/deli paper so the letters keep their ‘stick’ – using the alphas provided in the kit (mix your colours if necessary – if you don’t have enough letters all in the same color) then paint over the letters in one uniform color.

12. Seal your canvas with a matt or gloss medium or varnish (which will also act as a glue for your letters) obviously avoiding your gauze).

13. Once your alphas are dry attach them to your canvas – using a set square to ensure they are at a 90degree angle to your canvas sides – then strengthen them by applying a glue such as Tombo Mono over the top of them, to hold them firmly in place (rub it in with your fingers).

14. Attach your photograph using pop-dots to raise it up slightly.

15. Add your embellishments now – such as your keys and beads. You are done! 

 That's not all... Helen has also created a thorough and informative instructional video for you!  Enjoy!

For information about purchasing our mixed media kits, please visit our website (click the link and scroll to the bottom).

For more inspiration from Helen, please visit her blog.