Bringing fine-art prints to life with impasto mixed media

There’s something lovely about an artwork whose surface bears the artist's touch and changes with the light. Raised brushstrokes add more dimension to feathers, flowers, and other details, giving you more to discover as you look more closely.

That’s what I enjoy about creating impasto mixed-media pieces. As a photo-artist, I mostly work with fine-art prints, which naturally have a smooth surface. Even the most heavily textured papers still don't begin to capture the nature of thick brushstrokes. Mixed media helps me bridge the gap between a print and a painting.

I begin the process with one of my fine-art prints. I mount it onto a wooden board and add texture and other marks by hand. The result combines the detail of the printed image with the individuality of hand-applied brushwork—and it’s ready to hang without traditional framing.

What is impasto mixed media?

Impasto describes thickly applied paint or medium that leaves raised marks on the surface of an artwork. Probably the most famous artist associated with impasto is the amazing Vincent van Gogh. In his painting Olive Trees, a grasshopper was found embedded in the thick paint, unnoticed for over a hundred years! I don't take my mixed media quite that far 🤣

In my pieces, I use a thick clear gel medium to build up those brushstrokes over the printed image. I sometimes add coloured paint, pen work, or other mark-making too.

Mixed media simply means combining different materials or techniques in one artwork. Here, the fine-art print is the starting point, with the hand-applied layers adding texture and character.

You might also see these described as embellished prints or augmented prints. They sit in a grey area between a fine-art giclée print and an original painting. The underlying image belongs to a print edition, while the individual finishing makes each piece unique.

How I make an impasto mixed-media artwork

For a behind-the-scenes example, here’s a commissioned piece of Mānuka Magic (pīwakawaka).

Creating the print

If I know I'm going to turn a print into an impasto, I usually print it with an extended edge, slightly bigger than the intended surface. This makes cutting it to size much easier.

Protecting the print

I start by applying a UV-protective topcoat to the fine-art print. This helps protect the surface from handling and UV exposure, which is especially useful when the finished artwork will be displayed without glass. Once it is dry, I can handle the print more confidently—the unprotected surface is easily scratched.

Mounting onto a cradleboard

A cradleboard is a thin, rigid wooden panel supported by a wooden frame on the reverse. It gives the finished artwork depth and allows it to hang directly on the wall. I seal the surface of the board to prevent substances from the wood migrating into the print. I mount the print onto the board using archival glue and a soft rubber brayer to remove any air bubbles. 

The boards come in different depths from around 18 mm to over 43 mm deep.

I also paint and varnish the sides of the board, sometimes even embossing them too, and attach hanging hardware and a certificate of authenticity to the reverse.

Adding texture and finishing touches

And then comes the fun bit!

I brush on thick gel medium, choosing where the raised strokes will bring out details in the image. I might follow the direction of feathers, emphasise a beak or eye, or trace the curves of flowers. The brushwork catches the light, making those details more noticeable as the light or your viewing angle changes. The result is quite tactile (and it is safe to gently touch the surface).

Sometimes I add coloured paint strokes, pen work, and other marks. Each piece takes its own direction; there’s plenty of room to play.

Once dry, the finished piece is ready to hang, although photographing it can be a challenge! A straight-on photograph shows the image beautifully but can miss much of the texture. That’s easier to appreciate in person, where you can move around the artwork and see the brushwork catch the light.

Flowers lend themselves beautifully to this treatment too. In Ebb Tide (rose), the impasto accentuates the undulating petals. This photograph gives a better sense of how the texture catches the light.

Why choose an impasto mixed-media piece?

For me, the appeal starts with the surface. The hand-applied texture adds something you can’t get from a flat print alone, and no two pieces will be quite the same—even when they begin with the same image.

There are practical advantages too. The finished cradleboard is ready to hang, with painted sides, so you can enjoy the artwork without the additional cost of traditional framing. This can make it a more affordable option than a print in a custom frame, although you can still frame it if you prefer.

The board also makes these pieces more robust for overseas shipping than artwork framed behind glass. Curiously, most of my larger impasto pieces have been snapped up by collectors in the USA!

I should note that this is just my method for creating impasto mixed-media prints. Every artist will have their own approach, and that's one of the joys of mixed media!

I mostly create these artworks to order, with some finished pieces available in my Mixed Media collection. If you have a favourite image you’d love to see with a little extra texture, do get in touch and we can chat about the options.