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# Mixed Media Cup Collage: Torn Paper and Negative Space Painting
- URL: https://craftedbyrobert.com/mixed-media-cup-collage-torn-paper/
- Published: 2026-11-02T21:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-02T21:00:00.000Z
- Description: Make a mixed media cup collage with torn scrap paper and negative space painting. A fun, loose project that covers up a reject and turns scraps into art.
- Author: Robert Joyner
- Tags: Mixed Media

Looking for a fun mixed media project? Grab your scraps and make some cups.

In this mixed media cup collage, I tear up old painted paper, glue it down, and paint around it with negative space. It’s loose, playful, and a little chaotic.

### Tear paper from your scraps

I start with old drawing paper and pieces that already have paint on them. I tear them up, make a few shapes, glue them down, and let them fall where they fall. Nothing too planned.

This is all on top of a **reject painting**. Instead of trying to fix it, I’m covering it up. Most people throw these away, but a lot of good ideas start there. See [what to do with paintings you hate](https://craftedbyrobert.com/what-to-do-with-rejected-paintings-collage/).

[![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/ee/ee/eeee3f8a-028a-4efa-99e3-5af9bc505602/content/images/2026/10/learn-mixed-media-painting-4.webp)](https://craftedbyrobert.com/learn-mixed-media/) 

****Want to Create Loose Mixed Media Art, Slacker?** Learn the fundamentals, experiment with collage and layers, and develop your own expressive style.

[👉 Learn Mixed Media With Me ](https://craftedbyrobert.com/learn-mixed-media/) 

### Paint around the cups with negative space

With the paper in place, I paint around the cup shapes. This is **negative space painting**: instead of outlining each cup first, the background defines it. I keep it loose and move quickly, because this part is about letting go. We can always pull it back later.

### Vary the shapes

I change up the cups. Some have handles, some don’t. They don’t all need to match, and that’s the point. Everything here is scraps and a reject, and what once sat in a drawer is now doing some work.

### Finish with a liner brush, lightly

At the end I use a liner brush to hit a few edges. Not everything, just enough to pull it together. Do too much and you kill it, so I keep it minimal.

### Try it yourself

1. Tear scrap paper into simple cup shapes.
2. Glue them onto an old painting.
3. Paint the background around them with negative space.
4. Add a few liner marks, then stop.

For more ideas, see [cat silhouette painting](https://craftedbyrobert.com/cat-silhouette-painting-mixed-media-collage/), the [cut-out collage technique](https://craftedbyrobert.com/cut-out-collage-technique-jagged-edges/), and [how to paint over an old acrylic painting](https://craftedbyrobert.com/paint-over-old-acrylic-painting-teacups/). Need paper? See [handmade collage paper from leftover paint](https://craftedbyrobert.com/handmade-collage-paper-leftover-paint/).

Learn Structure. Paint Loose.

**Construct. Deconstruct. Explore. Repeat.**

### Mixed media cup collage FAQ

**What paper can I use for collage?**  
Old drawing paper, painted scraps, and torn pieces from past sessions all work.

**What is negative space painting?**  
Painting around a shape so the shape appears on its own, instead of outlining it.

**Do all the cups need to match?**  
No. Vary the shapes and handles. The differences make it more interesting.

**How do I know when to stop?**  
Stop after a few liner marks on key edges. Too much detail kills the looseness.