"L" is for Layout- Do you like to control or go with the flow?

This raises a good question, now dudn' it?

It is raised in the book:

Creative Paint Workshop for Mixed-Media Artists
Experimental Techniques for Composition, Layering, Texture, Imagery, and Encaustic
By
Ann Baldwin

Creative Paint Workshop for Mixed-Media Artists is a workshop-style book, oriented to the wide community of crafters and artists including those interested in paint, surface design, mixed media, and collage, which explores a wide variety of innovative and experimental paint techniques. Chapters cover composition, abstraction, texture, layering, using found objects, encaustic, integrating text, and adding digital imagery.

Ann Baldwin (Vallejo, CA) was born in London and lived there until 1990 when she came to live in the San Francisco Bay area with her husband. She began painting in 1991, after being a teacher of literature all of her working life. Within 18 months she was exhibiting landscapes in local juried shows.

Initially self-taught, she began studying art history, painting, color theory, drawing, and design she became known as an abstractionist, and later developed her text-and-image collages. As a full-time artist, she continues to break rules and experiment, currently with encaustic.

 

Click on image to enlarge.

I really liked this page and being able to see the initial layout and then the final outcome.

This page is designed by Ann Baldwin and is titled Marriage Questions.

I think this was particularly helpful to me because as I work at becoming more "artistic" (as opposed to crafty) I will think about this as part of my design process. In crafting I tend to get the idea and then move forward to make it, not too much back and forth. I don't work with much paint, a somewhat "not undo-able" medium.

But I want to change that so I think that by laying out my large elements first, it will help me.

So what about you?

That is today's question:

When you are working on a mixed media layout, do you just let it flow or do you plan ahead with your layout?

Leave your answer in the comments section and as a thanks for sharing you will be entered to win a free book!

Comments

[Marjorie]

I tend to combine the two--I lay things out and perhaps trace some outlines for placement, but rarely glue them down in advance. Instead I try to be open to surprises and new things as I develop the page.

[Janet]

As a mixed media person, this books looks like it's right up my alley. I try to plan ahead as much as possible, but there always some surprises. The unexpected adds a bit of magic.

[sheila johnston]

I think I need to do more planning. As I lay out my materials when I am making a collage, I usually glue them down too early.
I sometimes end up lifting pieces, so I can place another item partially under it.

Maybe I should use something less permanent than a glue stick when I initially glue the items down.

[Lynda Taylor]

As I am still getting into this mixed media I am still very much a planning person.
I have to let more surprises happen.

[Dawny Owen]

I tend to go more with the flow. I don't like to glue down unless it's neccessary. I might try it the other way and see what happens.

[Wil]

I start with a rough idea and work from that point. The outcome might be completely different than the original idea:-)

[Pamela]

I do illustrations in watercolor and pen and ink and those are meticulously planned out. So I think that is why in my mix media art I just let myself go wild and free. Of course, that doesn't mean I don't stop to check in and look at the design etc. But I rarely do all the prelim stuff.

[Yvonne Davis]

I do a little of both. Some times I plan it out in my head and sketch a loose layout. But usually when I get the paints on the substrate things start to change. Otherwise I just pick some paint colors and see what happens. I find I get stuck more times if I go that route. So, there is something to be said for planning.

[wendy m.]

I usually go with the flow - I will "preview" the location of some items before I glue them down, but rarely sketch or plan beyond that. I just picked up this book, and it is wonderful!

[Ivy Wreden]

I am just getting started with new open acrylics, laying down colors tonight. so I am planning, but if it goes as planned I would be surprised. I want to see what happens and go with the flow. Experiment and do something experimental. I use to do experimental ink and you did not know for a week or more what it looked like until you pulled the plastic off. That was so fun.