Fresh, modern examples of mixed media in sketching

Real-world examples of mixed media in sketching you can actually try

Let’s skip theory and jump straight into the fun stuff: actual, real examples of mixed media in sketching that artists are using right now. Think of these as recipes—swap ingredients as you like.

Pencil + watercolor + white gel pen: the classic glow-up

One of the best examples of mixed media in sketching is the humble pencil drawing that gets upgraded with watercolor washes and a white gel pen on top. Start with a loose graphite sketch, add transparent watercolor for skin tones, skies, or fabric, then finish with tiny white gel pen highlights on eyes, lips, jewelry, or reflections.

This combo is especially good for portraits and urban sketching. Pencil keeps your structure solid, watercolor adds mood and atmosphere, and the gel pen gives that sharp, glossy pop. Many sketchers in urban sketching communities use this exact example of layering media to capture city lights, reflective windows, and wet streets.

Ink linework + alcohol markers + colored pencil: comic-book energy

If you like bold, graphic work, this is one of the best examples of examples of mixed media in sketching for you. Outline your subject with fineliners or brush pens, then block in colors with alcohol markers. Once it’s dry, go back in with colored pencils to deepen shadows, add texture to hair or fabric, and push contrast.

This is a favorite approach for character designers and illustrators, because:

• Markers give smooth, fast color.
• Ink keeps everything crisp.
• Colored pencil adds subtle shading and texture you can’t get with markers alone.

Many art students in design and illustration programs use this kind of mixed media sketching for portfolio pieces because it photographs well and stays relatively flat on the page.

Charcoal + pastel + fixative: dramatic life drawing

For expressive figure drawing, one of the most dramatic examples of mixed media in sketching is combining vine charcoal, compressed charcoal, and soft pastels. Start with vine charcoal for light gesture lines, reinforce structure with compressed charcoal, then swipe in soft pastels for warm and cool tones on the figure.

Spray light layers of workable fixative between stages to keep things from turning into a gray dust storm. This layered approach gives you the speed of charcoal, the color of pastel, and the ability to keep pushing values without losing everything to smudges.

Art schools and ateliers often encourage this kind of experimental layering in life drawing classes; you’ll see it in many figure drawing demos from university programs and museum education workshops.

Ballpoint pen + coffee or tea washes: sketchbook alchemy

Here’s a cheap and surprisingly beautiful example of mixed media in sketching: draw with regular ballpoint pen, then paint over it with diluted coffee or tea. The ink lines usually stay put, while the warm brown wash adds depth and an old-photograph vibe.

This combo is perfect for travel sketchbooks, architecture, and moody still lifes. Add a white colored pencil or gel pen on top once everything is bone dry, and you’ve got a rich, three-tone drawing with almost no fancy supplies.

Graphite + collage + acrylic: sketchbook as art lab

When people ask for more experimental examples of examples of mixed media in sketching, this is where I point them. Start with a graphite or mechanical pencil drawing, then glue in bits of printed text, maps, receipts, or old book pages. Paint over parts of that with thin acrylic, leaving some collage peeking through.

You can:

• Sketch a portrait on top of a map of the character’s home city.
• Draw plants over old botanical diagrams.
• Layer receipts and grocery lists behind a still life of the actual items.

This approach turns your sketchbook into a visual diary. It’s widely used in art journaling communities and in some contemporary drawing courses that focus on narrative and personal storytelling.

Ink wash + white gouache: moody value studies

Another strong example of mixed media in sketching is the ink wash plus white gouache combo. Paint your subject using only diluted black ink, building up values from light gray to near-black. Once dry, use white gouache to pull back highlights on noses, metal, water, or fabric.

This is great for:

• Cinematic lighting studies
• Architectural sketches at night
• Dramatic landscape thumbnails

Concept artists and illustrators often use this method to plan lighting before committing to a full-color piece. It’s fast, high-contrast, and teaches you a lot about value.

Digital + traditional mashups: 2024’s favorite playground

One of the most current examples of mixed media in sketching doesn’t live entirely on paper. Artists are:

• Sketching in pencil, then scanning or photographing the drawing.
• Adding color, texture, or lighting digitally in apps like Procreate or Photoshop.
• Or doing the reverse: starting with a digital sketch, printing it lightly, and finishing with traditional media like ink, markers, or colored pencil.

This hybrid workflow is everywhere in 2024–2025 in animation, game concept art, and illustration. It lets you keep the spontaneity of hand-drawn lines while enjoying the flexibility of digital editing.

Gel pens, metallics, and neon markers: accent media that steal the show

Sometimes the best examples of mixed media in sketching are all about restraint. You might keep a drawing mostly in graphite or ink, then bring in a single accent medium:

• Metallic gel pen for jewelry, armor, or night skies.
• Neon markers for street signs, sneakers, or graffiti.
• Opaque paint pens for bold graphic shapes over a subtle sketch.

These accents are especially popular in sketchbook tours and social media posts, because they catch the light and photograph beautifully.

How to choose materials for your own examples of mixed media in sketching

Picking what to combine can feel like speed dating for art supplies. To build your own examples of examples of mixed media in sketching, think in terms of roles:

• Structure media: pencil, ink, charcoal – anything that defines form.
• Wash media: watercolor, ink wash, coffee, diluted acrylic.
• Detail media: colored pencil, fine liners, gel pens.
• Accent media: metallics, neons, opaque white, collage.

A simple way to start is to pick one from each category. For example:

• Pencil (structure)
• Light watercolor wash (wash)
• Colored pencil (detail)
• White gel pen (accent)

That’s already one of the best examples of a balanced mixed media sketch setup.

Paper, layering, and avoiding muddy disasters

Not every paper can handle every wild idea you throw at it. For most examples of mixed media in sketching, look for:

• Mixed media sketchbooks labeled for both wet and dry media.
• Heavier paper (around 90–140 lb) if you’re using watercolor, ink wash, or acrylic.

A few simple habits keep your experiments from turning into chaos:

• Work from light to dark: especially with watercolor, ink, and markers.
• Let layers dry: wet-on-wet is fun, but wet-on-still-kind-of-wet is how you get accidental brown soup.
• Test combos on a scrap page first: some inks smear under markers, others don’t.

Many art education programs and museum workshops emphasize this kind of testing and layering practice as a way to understand materials, which lines up with guidance from major art schools and nonprofit arts organizations.

Mixed media sketching trends in 2024–2025

Mixed media in sketching has exploded online, and a few trends keep showing up in the best examples:

Urban sketchbooks with hybrid media

Urban sketchers are mixing fine liners, watercolor, and colored pencil to capture cities with both precision and atmosphere. You’ll often see:

• Ink line drawings for buildings and perspective.
• Watercolor skies and shadows.
• Colored pencil texture for foliage, brick, and people.

These sketchbooks are frequently shared in international sketching groups and workshops, inspiring more artists to try their own examples of mixed media in sketching outdoors.

Concept art thumbnails with mixed media

In entertainment design, concept artists are combining markers, ink, and white gouache for fast value and color studies. They might:

• Start with light marker blocks for big shapes.
• Reinforce edges with brush pen.
• Add bright accents or highlights with gouache.

This kind of mixed media thumbnailing shows up in many design curricula and industry portfolios, because it communicates ideas quickly while still looking finished.

Art journaling and mental health sketching

Mixed media sketchbooks are also being used as personal wellness tools—combining drawing, writing, and collage. While health guidance comes from medical and psychological research rather than art alone, many therapists and educators reference art-making as a supportive activity when used alongside professional care. Resources from organizations like the National Institutes of Health (https://www.nih.gov/) and major medical centers such as Mayo Clinic (https://www.mayoclinic.org/) often discuss creative activities as part of stress management or healthy lifestyle habits.

In practice, that might look like:

• Graphite sketches layered with handwritten notes.
• Collaged ticket stubs, photos, or receipts.
• Watercolor or marker washes to set the emotional tone of a page.

These are very personal examples of mixed media in sketching, where the goal isn’t a gallery piece but a record of a day, a mood, or a thought.

Tips for creating your own best examples of mixed media in sketching

If you want your sketchbook to look like the kind of real examples you admire online, a few habits help a lot.

Limit your palette of tools (at first)

Instead of dumping every art supply you own onto one page, pick two or three media and really explore them. For instance:

• Ink + watercolor + white gel pen.
• Ballpoint + coffee wash + white colored pencil.
• Digital base sketch + traditional colored pencil print-over.

You’ll learn how each combination behaves, and your pages will look more intentional.

Think in layers, not chaos

When building examples of examples of mixed media in sketching, imagine your page in stages:

• Stage 1: Light structure (pencil or pale marker).
• Stage 2: Big shapes and values (wash, markers, or broad strokes).
• Stage 3: Details and edges (ink, colored pencil, sharp graphite).
• Stage 4: Highlights and accents (white, metallics, neon, collage).

You don’t have to follow this formula every time, but it’s a reliable way to avoid overworking things.

Use reference and study other artists

Look at sketchbooks from illustrators, designers, and fine artists. Many universities, museums, and art schools share sketchbook glimpses and drawing resources online. For example, institutions like the Smithsonian (https://www.si.edu/) and various university art departments often publish educational content, exhibitions, and process notes that can inspire your own experiments.

Pay attention to:

• Which medium they use for structure.
• Which medium provides color or tone.
• How they add accents without drowning the drawing.

Then borrow that structure and plug in your own materials.

Accept happy accidents

Mixed media sketching is messy by design. Pens bleed, watercolor blooms, glue wrinkles the page. Many of the best examples of mixed media in sketching came from artists leaning into those accidents instead of fighting them.

Use blooms as clouds, ink smears as shadows, and collage edges as compositional lines. Your sketchbook is a lab, not a courtroom.

FAQ: examples of mixed media in sketching

What are some simple examples of mixed media in sketching for beginners?

Start with pencil plus one wet medium and one highlight tool. For example, a graphite sketch with light watercolor and a white gel pen is easy to control and teaches you how different layers interact. Another beginner-friendly example of a combo is fineliner ink with mild markers and colored pencil shading.

Can I mix digital and traditional media in one sketch?

Yes. One popular example of mixed media in sketching is to draw in pencil, scan or photograph the sketch, then add color digitally. Another is to print a faint digital sketch and finish it traditionally with ink, markers, or colored pencil. Many artists in 2024–2025 use this hybrid workflow for professional and personal work.

What are examples of materials that don’t mix well?

Alcohol markers over very soft graphite or charcoal tend to smear and muddy the color. Very wet watercolor on thin sketchbook paper can cause buckling and tearing. Some gel pens resist watercolor or marker layers on top. Testing small examples of combinations on a scrap page before committing to a full sketch is the safest approach.

Is there a “best” example of mixed media for figure drawing?

There isn’t one best example for everyone, but a widely loved combo is charcoal (for gesture and structure) plus soft pastel (for color accents) and a bit of white chalk or pastel pencil for highlights. Another strong example of a setup is ink brush pens with light gray markers and white gel pen on toned paper.

How can I find more real examples of mixed media in sketching?

Look at sketchbooks shared by art schools, museums, and professional artists. Many university art departments and nonprofit arts organizations publish videos, workshops, and online galleries that show process and materials. Studying these real examples and then recreating them with your own twist is one of the fastest ways to grow your mixed media skills.