Welcome! This blog post features a guided tutorial of how to create a mixed media abstract artwork that employs the principle of design: EMPHASIS. Emphasis is creating an area in an artwork that stands out against others. This is also known as a focal point. There are many different technique that artists use to create emphasis such as placement, size, contrast, and more. This activity helps artists to deepen knowledge of EMPHASIS, work in a spontaneous and expressionist style, and explore how to effectively layer mixed media to create a composition.
* Hey educators! Scroll below to purchase this ready-for-class instructional lesson.*
What materials are best to use for this project?
- White or toned paper. A minimum of 10” x 10” is recommended.
- A variety of mixed media materials available, such as markers, oil pastels, paint, black glue/puffy paint, bingo daubers, chalk pastels, watercolor, and more.
- Printmaking materials such as gelli plates or foam plates.
- Stencils and sponges for mark making.
- Unique tools for exploration such as paint scrapers, toothbrushes, etc.
Step 1:
A white paper can be intimidating and daunting to an artist. The first step is to
An easy, spontaneous way to do this is by expressively scribbling all over your page.
Another suggestion is to glue ripped book pages underneath your scribbles.
Step 2:
Layer a different material on top while still allowing the background to show through.
Some suggestions include adding thin washes of watercolor paint and/or chalk pastel gradients.
Begin to consider a color scheme (a few colors that will repeat throughout your work).
Step 3:
Layer a variety of shapes on top using either mono printing (gelli plates are a great option if available), stencils, stamps, and more.
Continue to consider your color scheme and how to visually unify your design with a few colors.
Step 4:
When the surface is dry, look at some of the original scribbled lines from step 1. Explore using oil pastels or another medium to define some of the shapes that organically form in the scribbles.
Step 5:
In this final phase of your abstract artwork, you will create a strategically defined area of EMPHASIS. Consider using a contrasting color, leading lines, thick lines, size, placement, and more to draw the viewer’s eye to this focal point.
As you develop this focal point, ask a peer, “Where does your eye go first?”
Black glue and puffy paint adds dimension, texture and can help to draw attention to certain areas!
Check out some of the examples created by my middle school students. There were a lot of successes, and students were highly engaged in the process!
Examples by Jackson , Addison B, CJ , Ian, and Layla.
*Hey teachers!* Click here for my TpT shop if you’re interested in this lesson, which features a full slideshow presentation, guided notes sheet, and a project specific grading rubric.
Thanks for checking out this blog post. I would love to see your creation if you use these steps to make a landscape painting using coffee. Feel free to tag me on Instagram and possibly get featured in this site! Also, please follow Make a Mark Studios on Facebook to keep up with the latest posts! Thanks in advance!
-Stephanie Villiotis, creator of Make a Mark Studios
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