{"id":30,"date":"2026-08-30T18:24:40","date_gmt":"2026-08-30T18:24:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ab-designs.art\/?page_id=30"},"modified":"2026-09-08T17:02:11","modified_gmt":"2026-09-08T17:02:11","slug":"mixed-media","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ab-designs.art\/?page_id=30","title":{"rendered":"Mixed Media"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Fan Art <\/summary>\n

A mixed-media fan art piece in size A4, created using a combination of\u00a0pencils, inks, wate<\/strong>rcolours, and fine liner pens. I experimented with unconventional materials and techniques, using bubble wrap and brushes to build unique layers of texture and depth across the piece.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The combination of traditional materials creates a varied and tactile surface, while the additional\u00a0gold detailing\u00a0adds contrast and a subtle sense of shimmer. The piece allowed me to experiment with layering, mark-making, and material combinations while putting my own illustrative interpretation on an existing subject.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Male Ballet Dancer <\/summary>\n

An A2 framed original artwork depicting a male ballet dancer, exploring the relationship between\u00a0strength, vulnerability, discipline, and movement. Ballet is often associated with delicacy and femininity, so I wanted to challenge that perception by placing the male figure at the centre of the work and highlighting the physical strength and control required of a dancer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The figure combines detailed graphite work with expressive mark-making, watercolour, and ink, creating a contrast between precision and fluidity. Gold and silver detailing add another layer to the piece, drawing attention to the movement and presence of the figure while giving the work a sense of significance and intensity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The combination of traditional materials reflects the duality within ballet itself \u2014 controlled and disciplined, yet expressive and fluid. The piece ultimately explores the strength behind movement and challenges preconceived ideas surrounding masculinity, grace, and vulnerability.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Female Face Study <\/summary>\n

A large-scale mixed-media portrait 100cm by 95cm depicting a female face, created through a combination of\u00a0pencil, biro, fine liner pens, watercolour, and inks. I wanted the portrait to explore the complexity of identity and the different layers that can exist within a person, using a range of materials and mark-making techniques to build a visually fragmented yet recognisable representation of the face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I experimented with brushes, string, and a sponge to create abstract textures, movement, and depth throughout the composition. These more unpredictable marks contrast with the controlled detail of the pencil and fine liner, reflecting the balance between structure and spontaneity within the piece. I also incorporated\u00a0scanned extracts from books, introducing fragments of existing text and imagery into the portrait and adding another layer of visual information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The female face remains the central point of recognition within the work, while the surrounding textures and fragmented elements suggest the different experiences, thoughts, influences, and emotions that contribute to an individual’s identity. The combination of traditional drawing, fluid media, experimental mark-making, and found imagery allows the portrait to become more than a straightforward representation, instead exploring the idea of identity as something layered, complex, and continually shaped by our surroundings and experiences.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The Broads Authority<\/summary>\n

A series of five original artworks created as part of a university collaboration with\u00a0The Broads Authority, inspired by the landscapes, wildlife, and character of The Broads. The project gave me the opportunity to respond creatively to the environment while developing a collection of individual pieces that explored different visual approaches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Throughout the project, I experimented with combining\u00a0paint pulling and digital drawing, using digital techniques to layer the two processes together. The contrast between the unpredictable, textured qualities of pulled paint and the more controlled nature of digital drawing allowed me to create depth, movement, and visual variation within each composition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The five pieces demonstrate an experimental approach to combining traditional and digital processes, exploring how different materials and techniques can be layered to create artwork that reflects the atmosphere and distinctive qualities of The Broads.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

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Paint pouring<\/summary>\n

A small-scale 20cm by 25cm abstract piece created using a\u00a0paint-pouring technique on canvas. The process allowed the paint to move and interact organically across the surface, creating unpredictable patterns, fluid forms, and layered areas of colour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rather than controlling every aspect of the composition, I allowed the movement of the paint to influence the final outcome. The piece explores the balance between\u00a0intention and chance, using the natural flow and blending of the paint to create an expressive abstract surface.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Observational <\/summary>\n

An observational oil pastel piece created during a college workshop, based on a selection of objects arranged on a table. The task was to observe and depict the objects in front of me while experimenting with how colour could influence the overall appearance and atmosphere of the composition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a personal challenge, I chose to work with\u00a0highly luminous oranges, reds, and yellows, deliberately moving away from the colours I would naturally associate with the objects. This allowed me to explore how an exaggerated colour palette could transform a traditional observational study, creating a sense of\u00a0energy, warmth, and intensity\u00a0within the composition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The exercise encouraged me to focus not only on accurately representing the objects, but also on considering how colour choices can alter the mood and visual impact of an image. The bright palette gives the piece a bold and expressive quality while still retaining the observational foundation of the workshop.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Marble Art <\/summary>\n

An experimental study exploring the\u00a0marbling technique, created as an opportunity to test an unfamiliar process and introduce something new into my practice. The focus of the piece was primarily on experimentation, allowing me to explore how the technique worked and how its unpredictable patterns and fluid qualities could be used within an artwork.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I particularly enjoyed the process and the freedom of allowing the materials to create organic, uncontrolled forms. However, after experimenting with the technique, I recognised that its visual qualities did not align closely enough with my own artistic style and the way I naturally approach image-making.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rather than developing the experiment into a finished piece, I chose to leave it at the\u00a0experimental stage. This became a valuable part of my creative development, demonstrating the importance of testing new techniques while also recognising when a process does not contribute meaningfully to my individual visual language.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Screen-printing observational sketches<\/summary>\n

A screen print developed from an\u00a0observational sketch\u00a0created during college. I wanted to explore how an existing hand-drawn study could be translated into a different medium, using the screen-printing process to simplify and reinterpret the original forms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I chose a subtle palette of\u00a0browns and light blues\u00a0to create a natural and understated feel, reflecting the organic qualities of the objects I was observing. The muted colours help maintain a sense of simplicity while allowing the shapes and composition to remain the main focus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The piece gave me the opportunity to experiment with printmaking while considering how changes in medium and colour can alter the character of an observational drawing.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Frankenstein – Mary Shelley <\/summary>\n

tA mixed-media piece created at university, combining\u00a0digital drawing with dry-point etching\u00a0to explore how traditional and contemporary processes could work together within a single artwork.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I wanted to experiment with the contrast between the controlled precision of digital drawing and the more tactile, textured qualities created through dry-point etching. Layering the two techniques allowed me to explore differences in line, texture, and mark-making, creating a piece that brings together both digital and traditional approaches to image-making.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The project gave me the opportunity to experiment with printmaking while considering how combining different processes can expand the possibilities of my visual style.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Screen-printing Text <\/summary>\n

A screen-printed piece exploring themes surrounding\u00a0mental health and emotional wellbeing. The text forms the central focus of the work, presenting thoughts and language associated with mental health struggles while encouraging the viewer to consider the emotional weight behind the words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The typography has been printed over an\u00a0open screen-print created using a paint-pulling technique, producing an expressive and layered background. Printing onto a rough, canvas-like textured material adds a tactile quality to the piece, allowing the surface itself to contribute to the overall visual language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I used\u00a0bright, contrasting colours\u00a0to create a deliberate tension against the depth and seriousness of the text. The energetic colour palette contrasts with the heavier subject matter, reflecting the difference between how someone may appear externally and the more complex emotions they may be experiencing internally. The combination of texture, colour, and typography creates a visually striking piece while retaining the emotional significance of the subject.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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“Even if it’s full of love, all a ghost can do it haunt.” <\/summary>\n

This A4 piece forms part of a series exploring the relationship between\u00a0words, emotion, and visual expression. For each artwork, I began with a quote and used it as a starting point, considering the emotions and ideas it evoked and how these could be translated into a visual response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For this piece, I combined\u00a0newspaper pages, experimental mark making, and hand-drawn imagery, creating the main subject and typography on a separate sheet of tracing paper. The tracing paper was then layered over the underlying imagery, creating a physical separation between the different elements of the composition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The use of transparent and overlapping layers reflects the way thoughts and emotions can build upon one another. The newspaper introduces fragments of external information and context, while the tracing paper creates a more personal and intimate layer through the drawn subject and text. Together, these materials create a piece where the physical construction of the artwork mirrors the complexity and layering of emotional experience. <\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ab-designs.art\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/30","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ab-designs.art\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ab-designs.art\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ab-designs.art\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ab-designs.art\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=30"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/ab-designs.art\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/30\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":206,"href":"https:\/\/ab-designs.art\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/30\/revisions\/206"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ab-designs.art\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=30"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ab-designs.art\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=30"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ab-designs.art\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=30"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}