3 Powerful Examples of Mixed Media Art for Beginners (Plus More Ideas to Try)

1. Painted Collage Landscapes – The Easiest Example of Mixed Media for Beginners

When people ask for examples of 3 examples of mixed media art for beginners, painted collage landscapes are always on my shortlist. They’re forgiving, playful, and you can make something you actually want to hang on your wall.

At its simplest, you’re combining two media: paper collage and paint. That’s it. But the results can look surprisingly sophisticated.

Here’s how a beginner-friendly painted collage landscape usually comes together:

You start with a sturdy surface like mixed media paper or a piece of cardboard from a shipping box. Tear or cut shapes from old magazines, junk mail, or colored paper—wide strips for hills, long rectangles for buildings, triangles for rooftops. Glue them down with a glue stick or matte medium to rough in a horizon line, some hills, maybe a sun or moon.

Once the glue is dry, you paint over and around those shapes with acrylics or gouache. Thin washes of color soften the collage pieces and help everything feel unified. You can add little details with a paint pen or fine-tip marker: windows, trees, tiny birds. This is one of the best examples of mixed media art for beginners because the collage gives you structure, and the paint lets you fix anything you don’t love.

A few specific project ideas:

• A sunset city skyline made from magazine rectangles for buildings, painted over with warm orange and pink washes.
• Rolling farm fields using torn green and yellow paper strips, with acrylic paint adding shadows and sky.
• A beach scene where the sand is cut from brown paper bags and the ocean is layered with blue tissue paper and paint.

These real examples show how mixed media can be as simple as paper plus paint. If you’re nervous about drawing, collage landscapes are your friend: the shapes are basic, and the paint does the magic.

2. Watercolor and Ink Florals – A Classic Example of Mixed Media on Paper

If you like sketchbooks and doodling, watercolor and ink florals are another of the best examples of 3 examples of mixed media art for beginners. You’re combining the softness of watercolor with the crisp lines of pen or marker. It’s a classic pairing you’ll see in illustration, greeting cards, and art journals.

Here’s how a typical beginner project looks:

You begin with light washes of watercolor—circles and blobs in different colors, not worrying about perfect flower shapes. Let those dry. Then you come back with a black fineliner, gel pen, or brush pen and draw loose petals, stems, and leaves on top of the color patches. The color becomes the “base,” and the ink defines the flower.

Real examples include:

• Simple daisy-like flowers where yellow watercolor circles turn into blooms once you add petal lines in ink.
• Abstract roses made from spirals of pink watercolor, with ink adding just a few contour lines.
• A page of wildflowers where every splash of color gets turned into a different plant with quick pen marks.

This is one of the most accessible examples of mixed media art for beginners because the watercolor doesn’t need to be precise. You can treat it like colorful background noise. The ink does the heavy lifting.

If you want to explore techniques further, art education sites like the Smithsonian Learning Lab often feature historical drawings and prints that show how artists combine line and wash. Studying those can give you ideas for your own ink and watercolor pieces.

Some tips for this style:

• Use waterproof pens if you’re drawing before painting, or draw after the watercolor is completely dry.
• Limit your color palette to 2–3 colors at first so the page doesn’t feel chaotic.
• Try filling a whole page with small flower studies instead of aiming for one big “perfect” painting.

Once you’ve tried this a few times, you’ll see why people keep pointing to it as a go-to example of mixed media for sketchbook practice.

3. Textured Abstracts with Acrylic, Pencil, and Collage

The third in our examples of 3 examples of mixed media art for beginners leans more abstract—and that’s exactly why it’s so beginner-friendly. Abstract mixed media pieces let you focus on color, texture, and play instead of accuracy.

A common starter project combines acrylic paint, graphite pencil, and bits of collage. You’re layering three different media, but in a very low-pressure way.

Here’s how it often unfolds:

You prep your surface with a light coat of gesso if you have it (not mandatory, but helpful for cardboard or thin paper). Then you brush on loose patches of acrylic color—maybe a pale background with a few bolder shapes. While that dries, you tear small pieces of book pages, music sheets, or patterned paper.

Glue those paper bits into a few areas, pressing them flat. Once they’re secure, you can paint partially over them so they peek through. Finally, grab a soft graphite pencil or charcoal and scribble lines, circles, or crosshatching into and around the painted areas.

Some specific real examples include:

• A neutral-toned piece using book-page collage, beige and gray acrylics, and dark pencil marks for contrast.
• A bright, modern piece with neon acrylic patches, bits of colored tissue paper, and loose charcoal circles.
• A moody blue abstract with music-sheet collage and sketchy pencil lines, sealed with a thin layer of matte medium.

This is one of the best examples of mixed media art for beginners who want to loosen up. There’s no “wrong” shape. You’re just building layers and paying attention to what looks interesting.

If you’re curious about how artists build up texture and layers in more advanced ways, many art schools and museums share free resources online. The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History often highlights mixed media works and explains how they’re constructed, which can give you ideas to adapt at a beginner level.

More Real Examples of Mixed Media Art for Beginners to Try at Home

The three projects above are strong examples of 3 examples of mixed media art for beginners, but you don’t have to stop there. Once you’re comfortable combining two or three materials, you can branch into other playful combinations.

Here are more real-world examples beginners are loving in 2024–2025:

Art Journal Pages with Writing, Stickers, and Paint

Art journaling has exploded on social media, and it’s basically mixed media in book form. A single page might include:

• Acrylic or watercolor background
• Collaged paper scraps or ticket stubs
• Handwritten notes, quotes, or dates
• Stickers, washi tape, or stamped images

These pages are great examples of mixed media art for beginners because they’re personal. You’re not making “capital-A Art,” you’re documenting your life. Educational and mental health sources like the National Institute of Mental Health note that creative activities and journaling can support stress relief, which is a nice bonus while you experiment.

Mixed Media Bookmarks

If a full page feels intimidating, shrink it down. Mixed media bookmarks are tiny canvases: cardboard strips painted with acrylic, layered with a bit of collage, maybe finished with pen doodles or a quote. These small projects are a perfect example of how mixed media can fit into a busy schedule—you can finish one in 20–30 minutes.

Fabric and Thread on Paper

Sewing on paper has been trending again, especially in junk journals and handmade cards. You can glue down small fabric scraps, then add hand-stitching with embroidery thread. Pair that with a little watercolor or ink, and you’ve created a tactile mixed media piece.

These examples include:

• A postcard-sized artwork with a painted background, a glued-on fabric square, and simple running stitches.
• A greeting card with a collage heart shape, outlined in colorful thread.

Digital and Traditional Hybrid Pieces

More artists are blending digital and traditional media. For beginners, that can be as simple as printing a black-and-white photo or line drawing and then adding real paint, pastel, or collage on top.

Some easy hybrid examples:

• Printing a photo of a city street and painting colorful, imaginary plants growing out of the buildings.
• Downloading a public-domain vintage illustration from a museum site and adding modern patterns with markers and collage.

Institutions like the Library of Congress offer free-to-use images that you can print and transform with mixed media.

How to Choose Which Example of Mixed Media Art to Start With

With so many examples of mixed media art for beginners, it helps to pick a starting point that matches your personality and supplies.

If you:

• Hate drawing but love cutting and pasting, start with painted collage landscapes.
• Enjoy doodling and sketching, try watercolor and ink florals or simple line drawings over painted backgrounds.
• Want to explore emotions and texture, go for abstract acrylic, pencil, and collage pieces.
• Love journaling and memory-keeping, art journal pages and mixed media bookmarks are your best examples to begin with.

Remember, these are all examples of 3 examples of mixed media art for beginners that can be endlessly customized. Change the colors, swap materials, scale them up or down. The point is not to copy perfectly but to use each example of a project as a starting map.

Beginner Tips That Apply to All These Examples

Across all the examples of mixed media art for beginners in this guide, a few patterns show up:

Start with what you have. Cardboard, printer paper, junk mail, old magazines—these are all fair game. Don’t wait until you own the “right” sketchbook.

Work in layers. A simple order that works for most projects is: background color → collage or larger shapes → details in pen, pencil, or marker. Thinking in layers keeps you from overworking one stage.

Limit your palette. Pick 2–4 colors for a piece. Beginners often use every color they own and end up frustrated. A limited palette almost always looks more intentional.

Give yourself permission to play. Mixed media is about experimentation. If you’re using these best examples as strict rules instead of flexible guides, you’ll miss the fun.

If you’re interested in how creative hobbies can support overall well-being, organizations like the American Art Therapy Association share research and stories about how art-making helps people of all ages. You don’t need therapy to benefit from art, but it’s encouraging to know that your beginner mixed media experiments are doing more than just filling wall space.

FAQ About Mixed Media Art for Beginners

What are some easy examples of mixed media art for beginners at home?

Easy examples include painted collage landscapes using magazines and acrylic paint, watercolor and ink florals in a sketchbook, abstract pieces with acrylic, pencil, and book-page collage, art journal pages with writing and stickers, and small mixed media bookmarks made from cardboard, paint, and paper scraps.

Can you give an example of a mixed media project that uses only cheap supplies?

A very budget-friendly example of mixed media art for beginners is a junk mail collage: use an old envelope or cardboard as your base, glue down torn junk mail and newspaper, add color with kids’ craft paint, and finish with ballpoint pen doodles. Everything can come from your recycling bin and basic school supplies.

Do I need special paper for these examples of 3 examples of mixed media art for beginners?

Not at first. For light projects like watercolor and ink, a decent sketchbook or cardstock works. For heavier projects with acrylic and collage, recycled cardboard or inexpensive mixed media pads handle layers better. As you explore more advanced techniques, you can upgrade, but beginners can absolutely start with what’s on hand.

Are digital tools allowed in mixed media, or does it have to be all traditional?

Digital tools are absolutely allowed. One popular example of mixed media is printing a digital photo or illustration and then adding traditional media like paint, pastel, or collage on top. As long as you’re combining more than one medium, you’re in mixed media territory.

How do I know when my mixed media piece is finished?

This is a common question, even for experienced artists. A simple guideline: if you’re about to add something just because you feel you “should,” rather than because you see a clear need, pause. Set the piece aside for a few hours or a day. If you still like it when you come back, call it done. All of the examples of mixed media art for beginners in this article can be finished in a single session, but there’s no rule saying you can’t return and add another layer later.

Mixed media doesn’t belong only to advanced artists. With these examples of 3 examples of mixed media art for beginners—painted collage landscapes, watercolor and ink florals, textured abstracts, plus the bonus ideas—you have more than enough to start experimenting. Pick one example that feels fun, clear off a small space, and give yourself an hour. The best way to understand mixed media is not by reading about it, but by getting your hands a little messy.