Expressive Painting Progressions
Explore expressive painting progressions with collage and acrylic. Learn to loosen up your art and paint with confident, painterly energy.
This demo is all about progressions—moving from tight and traditional to loose and painterly. I started with three tea kettle sketches on heavy paper, each one drawn faster and more gesturally than the last. The goal wasn’t to perfect a subject, but to explore how much I could simplify while keeping the energy alive.
From there, I added collage and acrylic layers—throwing in neutrals, ochres, and unpredictable color shifts. Working across three variations side by side helped me stay spontaneous. Each piece developed its own rhythm and personality while still feeling connected through color and subject.
The fun part is embracing the chaos. When things start falling apart, acrylics and collage give you the freedom to rebuild—layer, scrape, and adjust until something fresh emerges. It’s a great way to loosen up, find new ideas, and discover a painterly voice that feels natural and confident.
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.
