How to Paint Mixed Media Flowers with Acrylic & Collage

Painting mixed media flowers is a fun, expressive way to combine the fast-drying, vibrant color of acrylics with the additional textures of collage. In this tutorial, I’ll walk you through my step-by-step process for creating a layered floral painting that’s loose, colorful, and full of personality.

Now, here’s the backstory. I’ve never really been much of a pedal pusher — flowers just weren’t something that appealed to me as an artist. I always leaned toward the grungy and rustic: boat docks, abstract cows, that sort of thing. But when I started experimenting with collage, something clicked. I thought, “Maybe I can do flowers… if I give them a little twist.”

👉 Discover more mixed media painting techniques in my Mixed Media Hub

The piece I’m sharing with you today was one of the first times I brought collage into flower painting, and I thought it was interesting enough to capture on camera. Truth is, I still don’t paint flowers all that often. But when I do return to them, I have a process that feels familiar and approachable. My hope is that this tutorial bridges any uncertainty you might have too — and helps you see flowers in a new, mixed media light.

Step 1 – Building the Foundation

I began by gluing down collage paper onto the surface. Since the paper already had random smears of color, it instantly created interesting texture.

Using a liner brush, I loosely mapped out:

• The top of the table
• The outline of the vase
• A few background shapes

Then I applied thin, transparent acrylic layers in the background, shifting values to keep it visually engaging without overworking it.

Step 2 – Establishing the Focal Flower

The main star of this painting is a bold red flower. I placed it first, knowing the rest of the arrangement would work around it. I planned to balance this with a lavender/purple flower and a sunny yellow bloom.

At this stage, detail didn’t matter — I splashed in shapes and colors freely, moving around the surface to keep things fresh.

Step 3 – Adding Supporting Blooms & Greenery

With the focal flower in place, I blocked in:

• A white flower on the left (thicker, opaque strokes for contrast).
• Pink buds in half-bloom, each slightly different in hue for interest.
• Loose greenery and stems for structure.

The goal here was contrast — transparent layers in the background, opaque paint for the main floral shapes.

Step 4 – Creating Depth & Shape

Once the first layers dried completely, I refined the forms:

• Darker values for cast shadows.
• Lighter tabletop tones to help shape the vase and shadow.
• Painting around collage elements to preserve their texture.

This gradual build-up allowed adjustments without losing the lively feel.

Step 5 – Balancing Loose & Structured Elements

Loose painting still needs intention. I focused on:

1. Color and shape balance — avoiding flatness by varying hues.
2. Edge variety — mixing hard and soft transitions.
3. Unfinished areas — to keep an expressive, open quality.

Negative space painting helped define foliage without too much detail.

Step 6 – Final Touches & Texture

To bring the piece to life, I:

• Smudged paint with my fingers for softer blends.
• Added small pops of bright color for energy.
• Scratched in subtle charcoal lines for texture.
• Lightly splattered paint (carefully).
• Shifted hues in large color areas for visual depth.

Step 7 – Knowing When to Stop

Loose mixed media painting is all about restraint. I aim to stop before overworking — it’s easier to add later than to remove.

In about 30–40 minutes, the 11x15" painting was finished — layered, colorful, and full of tactile interest from both collage and paint.

Final Thoughts

This mixed media flower painting process blends acrylic color with collage texture for a unique, vibrant result. If you’ve never combined the two, try it — the combination opens up endless creative possibilities.

Materials & Surface

For this piece, I used, the links for them are below as well:

• Surface: 11x15" student-grade watercolor paper (a “reject” piece with leftover smears from previous sessions).
• Mediums: Acrylic paint and handmade collage paper.
• Brushes: Liner brush for fine lines, larger flat and round brushes for broader strokes.
• Other Tools: Compressed charcoal for scratchy linear marks.

Want to go deeper with collage & mixed media?

👉 Explore the Mixed Media Hub
👉 Browse Collage Painting Ideas
👉 Dive into the Garage Collage Barrage

Supplies I Use All the Time

These are my go-to materials for almost every mixed media project I create. Do I add new ingredients occasionally? You betcha! But these are the go-to materials I rely on most. I know how they behave, how they layer, and how to get the best results from them.

• Acrylic Paints – I only buy heavy body for their thick texture and thin them with water for fluid glazing and washes. See my favorite set →
• Watercolors Paints – Great for transparent layers and unexpected color effects. Exact colors are below.  Shop my watercolor picks →
• Acrylic Inks - Excellent way to add transparent layers to mixed media artwork. Mixes well with everything! See the inks →
• Synthetic Acrylic Brushes - You need a variety and I have listed my go-to's below. I use Princeton brands, very dependable! See the brushes →
• Watercolor Brushes - Get a decent grade but avoid all-natural as synthetic blends have come a long way. Shop my picks →
• Collage Papers – A mix of pattered, and printed paper you see me use is from Hobby Lobby, and it's usually found in the scrapbook section. Browse paper packs →
• Palette Knives – Good to have around for scooping paint and smearing techniques. See what I use →
• Blick Super Value Canvas Packs - Comes in many small and medium sizes up to 20x16". Love em'. Best bulk stretched canvas →
• Mixed Media Paper – Sturdy enough to handle wet and dry techniques. Strathmore is the way to go! Best paper for mixed media →
• Watercolor Paper - Top choice is 140 lb. cold press by Fabriano Artistico. Cost effective and crispy white. Best watercolor paper →
• Caran d'Ache Water-Soluble Crayons – Perfect for adding scribbles and linear interest to mixed media art. Check them out →
• Gator Board - Best firm boards you can find! Buy a large sheet and cut out down. These are used as backing for my paper when I paint. Check it out →
• Mod Podge - Reliable and affordable adhesive for paper, thick and thin. And get the Matte! View the glue →

My preferred hues; Cadmium Yellow, Yellow Ochre, Alizarin Crimson, Cadmium Red Light (or Medium), Ultramarine Blue, Cobalt Blue, Burnt Sienna, Titanium White

My preferred acrylic brushes; #12 Large round, 2x Medium rounds, 2x Detail, or liner brushes, Large and medium fan brush, a few medium size bristles and old, small house painting brush for glue.