Mix Media Painting Guide (Sand Medium)
Each DIY kit comes with the colours, sand medium, and tools you’ll need to create your own masterpiece. The kits are all paint by number for your easy reference.
Below are a couple of things to note before you begin.
Before you begin, you will need to prepare:
A cup of water (for washing of your brushes and tools)
Wet towel/tissues (for drying and cleaning or brushes and tools)
This DIY kit can be split up into multiple sessions - so you don’t have to finish all in 1 sitting.
However, do note that the texture mixture will start to harden within 30 mins. Mix them in smaller batches so you don’t risk them drying up. After each sitting, make sure to throw away the texture mixture. Make new batches of mixture for every sitting.
Remember that creating your own textured art takes time and practice so don’t feel down if you can’t get it right the first time. Alternatively you can sign up for our Sand Textured Art Workshop for a fully guided experience.
Step 1: Making your own textured paste
Use the plastic spoon provided to scoop out the amount of medium you need (per colour) and mix it with acrylic paint into the paper cup and using the palette knife provided. Medium to paint mixture ratio should always be about 1 scoop of sand medium to 1 scoop of paint. The more paint you add, the wetter your mixture will be and the texture of the painting will look softer.
If you have purchased the floral kit, it will 1 scoop of sand to 1 tub of paint (provided in the kit).
Make sure that the mixture is thoroughly mixed (you should not see any dry medium in the mixture - it should look like a well mix cup of liquid sand). Feel free to add more paint to mixture if it still looks dry and clumpy.
Do NOT mix multiple mixtures if you’re not ready to use them all together/quickly as the mixture will start to dry out when left out too long.
Step 2: Paint your painting with your textured paste
It is time to start working on your painting with your medium-paint mixture.
Use the back of the palette knife to scoop up the paste and spread it onto your canvas. Spread the paste out evenly to give a smooth finish or use your palette knife to create additional textures like lines for details by dragging your knife or fluff the texture by tapping onto the paste on the canvas.
For hard to reach corners, you can use a paint brush to scoop the paste and gently tap the paste into the areas. You can use the palette knife to smooth the area out if needed.
Need corrections made? The mixture can be scrapped off the canvas with the palette knives provided (before it starts to dry) - but do note that by doing so, it will leave some paint residue behind. However, you can easily cover it with a new layer of mixture.
Should you need to layer more medium mixture on top on your artwork, do let the initial layer dry for a couple of minutes before going back in to build more layers.
Step 3: Let your masterpiece dry
To dry your completed piece, in a cool, well ventilated area for a day or 2 for it to dry completely.
