I’ve always been a fan of mixed media art, I love witnessing a drawing or painting come to life by adding layer after layer to your piece. The foundations are fundamental, although there are no limits to this art form it is good to have an idea, shape and vision in mind to how your piece is going to look. Only then can your layering begin.

Here at the Homecrafts HQ we are certainly not short of a medium or two in our workroom. I believe that the best starting point for a mixed media piece is some light shades of watercolour. This can create a subtle yet significant base layer for you to eventually define your lines with a thicker, darker stroke. And like sat & pepper, the perfect match for watercolours in my eyes is drawing ink. If you use a waterproof drawing ink over your watercolour base, you can create strong images that jump from the page.

I recently put this method to the test by drawing the head and neck of a stalking leopard. I started by drawing a pencil outline then added the yellow shades using watercolours. I then used a biro pen dipped in Indian Drawing Ink to add the spots and detail. I added some chalk and pencil strokes to finish, adding slightly more shade and definition.