Mixed media is often used to express more emotion in a piece than a single form such as painting alone would allow.. Of course, mixed media is also as mainstream as art gets, too. Many galleries and museums feature works by mixed media artists such as Joseph Cornell, famous for "Cornell Boxes", a form of assemblage.  Technically speaking, "mixed media" is any combination of two or more primary artistic mediums combined in a single piece of artwork.  When thinking of "mixed media', what usually comes to mind are mental images of collages or paintings which incorporate pieces of fabric or wood. Mixed media art also covers such fields as altered photography used in paintings, assemblage pieces, and fabric arts incorporating found objects. Mixed Media art is art work, decorative pieces or functional items make from a variety of different elements and brought together to express an idea, a theme or tell a story.

Mixed media painting techniques are as diverse as the media being used in a given piece of art. Some basic painting techniques involving layering of transparent colors (known as glazing) and applying different types of brushwork add interest, depth and variety to a mixed media painting. One interesting technique is known as wax resist, and involves simply rubbing a white wax crayon on a surface before painting. The wax-coated areas resist paint or any other medium, such as ink, that is applied to the painting. Use this technique to create highlights in certain areas of the image.

Art is full of different creations, from paintings to sculptures, films to photographic pieces. Just as often, there are pieces that reflect many types of art. This is called mixed media art. It involves the combination of art fields to create something new and different. A term used to describe works composed of different media. The use of mixed media began around 1912 with the Cubist collages and constructions of Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque and has become widespread as artists developed increasingly open attitudes to the media of art.

Mixing media in a painting can also add extra interest to the artwork and may put zest to your normal painting regimen. The trick to making mixed media work is the way you layer the media and what media you use. You can use mixed media in painting to create a three-dimensional, interest-grabbing and downright wonderful masterpiece. When creating a painted or photographed work using mixed media you will need to select the tiers cautiously and permit sufficient drying period between your layers to ensure the final work will have reliability.

Joseph Cornell, Untitled (Paul and Virginia), c. 1946-48 (150 Kb); Construction

They can be read in terms of multiple perspectives within a frame--just like a computer screen.

Joseph Cornell, Verso of Cassiopeia 1, 1960

They can be interpreted as multiple virtual portals within a frame.

Mixed media refers to a work of visual art which brings together different typically distinct visual art media; which means multiple medium has been used. There are many methods and approaches to mixed media painting.  Look in galleries and art and design magazines for new ideas, and start with the resources listed in articles for more information on putting the different techniques to use.  And most importantly, do not be afraid to try something new, make mistakes, and enjoy every minute of it.