Copyright © 2023 The Art of Ingrid Dee Magidson
Creating dimension with acrylic paint layers
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A Brief History of My Abstract Work
For nearly 15 years I have been creating vaporous, layered works. Each starts with a powerful male or female figure then I work the interior to bring dimensionality to the image. Virtually every piece starts with an abstract painting as the deepest layer. Several years ago, I paused after creating one of these abstract backgrounds and just looked at it. All these years I never thought of myself as an abstract artist, yet that’s what I’ve been doing all along. There is a serenity to these creations that is difficult to describe. So I simply pulled that painting aside and began doing other abstract works alongside my layered work.
As with my layered work, I love depth and dimension. I am very experimental with all art I do, often mixing materials to create new effects. Usually I start with acrylic or enamel on canvas, then add clear or colored resin and even objects into my abstracts to build up their depth. Most of these paintings contain dozens of layers, each building upon the previous. It is a kind of visual dance that I perform while creating. It is both physical and spiritual. Sometimes I see figures in the work, and so I name them that way. But with all abstract works, it is for the viewer to find the connection, a certain mood that colors evoke, unique to each person.
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Nature’s Reflection 48 x 78, Acrylic, Resin and Butterflies on Canvas
Bloom 50×50 inches, Acrylic, resin and butterflies on canvas
Within the Circle 30 x 62 inches, Acrylic, Resin and Butterflies on Canvas
SOLD! Honey Blue, 30 x 72inches, Acrylic, Resin and Butterflies on Canvas
SOLD! Citrine Skies with Butterflies 48×78 Acrylic, resin and butterflies on canvas
Contemplations of Miro 48×48 Acrylic, resin and metal shapes on Canvas
Winds of Time 48×78 Acrylic, Resin and Butterflies on Canvas
Beyond Time, 58 x 58, Acrylic, resin, metal shapes on canvas
You are My Sunshine 54 x 37, Acrylic, resin and metal shapes on canvas
Crystal Canyon 50 x 50, Acrylic, Resin, wood and butterflies on canvas
Peaceful Flight 48 x 48, Acrylic, resin and butterflies on canvas
Fire, 48 x 78, Acrylic and resin on Canvas
Shadows in the Garden 30×60 acrylic, resin and butterflies on canvas
Summer 50 x 50 Acrylic and metal shapes on canvas
SOLD! Azure 50×50 inches acrylic, resin and butterflies on canvas
Creating Layers for Mixed Media with Seth Apter
I’m thrilled to let you know that Seth Apter has two brand new Creative Workshop videos: 10 Techniques for Mixed Media Artists, and 10 Techniques for Painting Layers. If you’ve seen Seth’s incredible artwork, you know that he’s an expert at creating layers for mixed media with tons of depth and texture. Wonder no longer how Seth makes his magic—he reveals his great techniques in these videos. Seth joins us with a blog that offers a taste of his unique layering process! ~ Jeannine
Mixed media is all about layering. Creating depth and dimension through the addition of multiple layers is the key to making your artwork dynamic. In one of my new video workshops from ArtistsNetworkTV, 10 Techniques for Painting Layers in Mixed Media, I share my approaches to creating complex, mixed-media surfaces using acrylic paint. One of my favorites of these techniques is translucent layering.
Acrylic paint has multiple properties, both within and across brands. When we’re choosing which paints to use for a project, most of us typically base the decision on color. My go-to palettes are usually blues or browns. To take your mixed-media work to the next level, you can also consider the level of transparency and opacity of your paint.
Simply put, when paint is opaque it fully covers the layer beneath it. When paint is transparent or translucent, you can see see (to varying degrees) the layer below. Transparent paint is particularly effective in creating layers for mixed-media art because it allows you to add color and depth to your work without obliterating the layers you have already created. This is demonstrated in the tutorial below.
Prior to using transparent paint in my work, I create a detailed background to work over.
Working on Canva-Paper by Canson (primed paper with a canvas texture), I added a layer of white gesso. Once that was dry, I added several layers of opaque acrylic paint in a variety of colors. Following this, I added details by randomly stamping background stamps over the surface. For this process, I always use permanent ink pads, such as StazOn ® from Tsukineko, so that there is no bleed when I paint over this layer.
You are going to use multiple colors of paint for this technique. I often use colors that are different from those on the underlying surface of the piece. Choose a color to start with, and add 3 or 4 small drops in different places on the paper.
Spritz each drop with water, using a mister. Rub the wet paint into the surface with a paper towel. Even though the color has shifted, you can still see all the detail in the layers below.
Repeat this process with additional colors of transparent paint, adding small drops in different places each time.
As you do this, you’ll begin to see the level of depth that is building up, and the color shift that’s occurring. You can still see all the detail from the layers below, making this process perfect for mixed-media layering.
Add these two videos to your library and you’ll never run out of techniques for creating layers for mixed media art!
Seth Apter is a mixed-media artist, instructor, author and designer from New York City. His artwork has been exhibited in multiple exhibitions and can be found in numerous books and national magazines. He is the voice behind The Pulse, a series of international collaborative projects that are the basis of his two books: The Pulse of Mixed Media and The Mixed-Media Artist, both published by North Light Books. He is also the artist behind six mixed-media workshop DVDs, also from North Light. Seth is an instructor at Pratt Institute in New York City, and his live workshops have been held throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia, and the UK. He is a member of the Association for Creative Industries, and designs products for Spellbinders Paper Arts, StencilGirl Products, Impression Obsession, and PaperArtsy. See more of Seth’s work at sethapter.com.
Benefit: Freedom
Another benefit of layering is that it allows you to work on your painting over time, making changes and adjustments as you go. For example, if you’re not happy with the way a certain area of your painting is turning out, you can easily paint over it with a new layer of paint, adjusting the color or texture as needed. Can you try and imagine an abstract (non-objective) painting without the freedom given by layering?
Glazing is technique of layering in painting that creates a sense of luminosity and transparency. By applying thin, transparent washes of paint over a darker layer, you can create a sense of light shining through the upper layers, giving the painting a luminous, glowing effect. This is done with adding glazing mediums in acrylic paint, or oil in oil paint. It is easier to do with a transparent color (for example, use zinc white** instead of titanium white).
In this copy of Goya’s Plague Hospital, I recreated the soft sunlight beam with many layers of glazed white.
Glazing was an essential technique for many centuries, but isn’t always used in contemporary art. Artists such as Vermeer used glazing as an affordable way to bring color to paintings, and a great way to add texture.
“Vermeer consciously varied the consistency of his paint to achieve particular effects. For example, he used paint of a consistency that retains the impression of the brush in both underpaint and sections of high impasto to provide light-catching texture while a more fluid application could suggest silky surfaces” -The National Gallery, London. (Link to article.)
Girl with a Pearl Earring, Johannes Vermeer, painted with both glazing to create smooth surfaces and scumbling to create the textures of the cloth.
Technique: Impasto & Scumbling
Impasto is simply the application of a thick layer of paint. Scumbling is like glazing, but without the medium. It is applying a layer (brushstroke) of opaque paint. The layer underneath can still come through in bits. It is also referred to as the “dry brush technique” due to the lack of medium. Think of Claude Monet and all his brushstrokes that built up colors and textures.
Water-Lily Pond, 1917-1919, Claude Monet. Notice the layering of the brushstrokes.
Layering is a powerful technique in opaque painting that can be used to create depth, dimension, texture, and luminosity in your paintings. Whether you’re just starting out or are an experienced painter, layering can be a valuable tool to help you achieve your desired results. So, give it a try and see what you can create! Happy painting!
** Note: Zinc white is a great white for transparency, but has cracking tendencies in oil paint. It isn’t a problem in acrylics. For a quick demo on the differences between zinc and titanium whites: Titanium verses Zinc White (YouTube)
Other resources:
These links go to DickBlick.com. They are my affiliate links where you pay the same as you normally would, and also help support this content. I appreciate your support. I only recommend products that I use and believe in recommending.
Brushes – I really like the Silver Brush Bristlon Synthetic Brushes. They can do impasto and blending. Although, if you really want to smooth out every stroke, you may want a softer bristle. Look for words like “soft” when shopping.
Ampersand Gessobords – Amazing smooth surface panel. Can be used with paint, or encaustic.
or the Blick Wood Boards (and then you can gesso them yourself).
