Google+ LISTENING TO THE SQUEAK INSIDE art by Kirstin McCulloch of LilliBean Designs: ☆ Top 20 at Home to use in your Art {Art at Home}

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

☆ Top 20 at Home to use in your Art {Art at Home}


I have been thinking of late, about how easy it is to create texture in my mixed media paintings, with out spending heaps of money.

Part of the initial blockage that I had when creating + playing was that I had no money, to buy the beautiful stamps + tape + stencils that I saw in other artists work.

But since exploring the mixed media world in more depth, I have found that you don't need to spend a heap of money to create beautiful art.

So I though I would share my top 20 at home art supplies that you probably have already....


1. Toilet roll; 2. Bubble Wrap; 3. Masking tape; 4. Shower curtain ring; 5. Corrugated Cardboard
6. Cotton ball; 7. Piece of MDF; 8. Eye Dropper; 9. Skewer; 10. Wine bottle lid
11. Steel Wool; 12. Straw; 13. Screw; 14. Lid from hair spray; 15. Corks
16. Pixar (teeth cleaning thingy); 17. Washer; 18. Out of ink pen; 19. Craft Glue (ova); 20. Material, 21. Button


I use toilet roll + wine bottle caps all the time in my work to make cool looking circles. I love the way they aren't fully formed, best thing is, you can just dunk them in the paint! I turned the toilet roll on the side, which also had an awesome effect.

The mdf I used by blue tacking on the button + used it as a stamp. Turning it over gave a different pattern. This is so cool, especial cause I have girls, with lots of girls clothing, with lots of cool buttons!


I have only just started using corrugated card, and I love the patterns that you can achieve by rubbing on some paint!

Masking tape is the poor woman's washi tape!! You can stick it down + decorate it any way you like!

PVA/ Craft Glue gives the coolest texture. It drys clear + you can make really intricate patterns with it. The cotton ball gives a lovely textured

Use your straw to blow the paint in to interesting patterns (ink works amazingly this way too) or dip the end in your paint and use for circles.
 Use eye droppers to drop paint/ ink or scribbly lines - I have hundreds of these from the kids medication

I was so surprised with the Steel wool. The first picture I scrapped it along the page + the second was dabbed on... I prefer the first one!

I used the pen to make marks on some of the wetter marks, but I also dipped it into the paint + wrote with it.
 The corks gave an interesting texture, but you can also carve a shape into them + use as a stamp

I loved the texture of the material. The remind me of flowers.

I wasn't all that impressed with the washer + pixar. The washer was messy to use (+ isn't that a statement when your a mixed media artist!!) + I thought the pixar would make very cool textures, but I think it was too small didn't work as I imagined.
 Also the screw on the side didn't work as I expected, however the top of the screw worked amazingly!

Most of you all probably know about bubble wrap, but I love the way it looks in my art!

And the skewer - I didn't realise how versatile it was + gave some amazing textures.

So this is my spread so far...
Next month I am going to share with you some cool ideas from around the home to replace expensive papers + other ways to build up textures.

Did I miss something? Do you have an AT HOME or DIY art supply that you can share with us? I would love to hear what you use in your art work.


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