Art Journal Color Experiments
Experiment With Multiple Art Media in Many Shades, Hues and Textures
Color experiments do not only have to happen when working on a canvas. Experiment in your art journal and then bring it to the canvas.
Color experimentation is a lot of fun. Particularly if you are working with young children who have no idea what they will discover when different colors are mixed together. Take this as a learning opportunity for them, as well as for yourself. You might be surprised at what you learn from this experiment (and from the children).
Note: You will be working with all the primary colors for this art journal prompt. So, for each of the materials listed, be sure you have them on hand. This art journal prompt also requires the use of multiple page spreads, so this project could span beyond more than one sitting.
For this mixed media art prompt, you will need the following materials:
- Art journal
- Waxed paper
- Acrylic paint
- Watercolor paint
- Paintbrushes
- Small containers of water
- Colored pencils
- Crayons
- Pastels (either chalk or oil)
- Paper towels or smudging stump
- Straight edge ruler
- Pencil
Follow these simple instructions for this mixed media art journal prompt:
- Open your art journal to the first blank page spread. Place a piece of waxed paper behind each page to protect the rest of the pages in your art journal. Create squares (3 inches x 3 inches) across the entire page spread, one for each of the primary colors.
- Start with the colored pencils and color in each of the squares with a different primary color. Then, start experimenting. Choose to block out the entire square with another color, or work in sections of the square with different colors. Make notes in pencil on the side about what color combinations were used.
- In the blank areas of the page spread, brush on watercolor paint and acrylic paint in both light and dark shades. Butt the paint color right up against the colored pencil blocks to see how they look together. Use brush strokes, blobs, blotches, and splatters to experiment with different looks and textures. Make additional notes about color combinations and strokes.
- On the next page spread, reverse what you have done. Use either the watercolor paint or the acrylic paint in the boxes. Rather than block the entire square out with a solid color, work from light to dark, from top to bottom. That way you can get an idea of what lighter colors will do in comparison to darker colors when mixed.
- Repeat the color washing and experimentation as you did with the colored pencils. Again, make notes of your color combinations.
- This time, in the blank areas of the pages, use crayons or pastels and butt the color right up against the color blocks. Bear down hard on the color, color lightly, add scribbles, and add swirls. Make notes of what you are doing.
Repeat these steps and combinations until all of your materials have been used. In addition to creating separate squares across the page, you can also layer the squares and see how the color turns out in the layered areas. If you prefer working with circles, create your patterns using a compass. Be creative with your experiments in order to learn from hands on experience what these colors and different media can do together.
