Canvas Setup
- Size: 3000 × 2000 px
- Brush Sets Used:
- Autumn Magic (for leaves, sticks, and maple seeds)
- Mixed Media (for papers, cloth, paint, ephemera, and stitches)
- Color Palette: Autumn Magic
Step 1: Build the Focal Elements
Create each item on its own layer so you can rearrange later.
Brushes Used (Autumn Magic set):
- Autumn Leaves #19 Dense – dark brown base leaf
- Autumn Leaves #7 Dense – orange leaf pile
- Maple Seeds #1 – grey accents
- Stick #3 – dark accent element
Group these as your Autumn Elements once placed.
Step 2: Add Background Paper and Fabric Layers
Switch to the Mixed Media brush set.
Brushes Used:
- Handmade Paper #1 – light paper background
- Using various paper brushes and neutral colors, add multiple bits of "paper," each in its own layer.
- Do the same with fabric brushes in blue and reddish-orange
Arrange and layer your papers and fabrics around the focal leaves.
Step 3: Fix Overlaps
If some textures overlap oddly, use the Texture Solidifier brush (in white).
- Tap the layer you want to solidify, and it will bring up the layer menu
- Tap Select. This means the contents of the layer (i.e. a bit of paper) are now selected
- Don't touch the screen (that changes the selection), just tap the layers icon again to lock it in
- Then, while the selection is still active, paint over the texture to make it more solid. Lift the brush and repeat as desired (it gets more solid each time).
- Once finished, Tap the ribbon icon on the top left (selection tool) to turn off the selection.
Repeat the steps above for any element you wish to solidify.
Step 4: Add Ephemera and Paint Marks
On top of some of the paper layers (alpha-locked), stamp bits of printed texture. Consider doing the same on a leaf or two as well.
Brushes Used:
- Ephemera Stamps – Music Notes, Text, Script
- Crayon – for loose marks in reddish pink, blue, beige, and burnt orange
- Dry Gesso – with white for blending and rough texture
Step 5: Finishing Touches
Brushes Used:
- Sparse Splatter – white splatters for light texture
- Hard Pencil – subtle shading and extra dimension (in white)
- Dotted Line #2 – outline the main leaf for emphasis
- Messy Multi Stitch – add small stitches in white, beige, and orange
These final touches pull the page together with soft handmade character.
Optional Adjustment
Try toggling individual layers off (like the maple seed “helicopter”) to simplify your layout. Digital flexibility means you can keep refining without losing earlier versions.
Final Thoughts
This project combines the natural warmth of autumn with the creative freedom of mixed media collage. Experiment with your own textures, colors, and arrangements—no two journal pages will ever look the same.
