Mix-media illustrations with an architect and an artist, Claudia Melchor

Mixed-media a work combines the visual, material, or performing arts of two or more media such as painting, sculpture, collage, photography, mixed media assemblage, and installation. A meeting of the visual, material, or performing arts that uses one or more mediums in combination, or fused with another, to create a new and unconventional form of expression.

Below you can find an interview with a mixed-media artist with some mixed-media illustrations.

Adjectives that best describe my mixed-media art: bold, expressive, and layered.

How did you transfer from architecture to mixed-media illustrations?

When the time came to choose the career path I was advised, like many others, not to pursue a career in arts. And I listened. Fast forward to a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Architecture and being utterly bored of the work in front of the computer. Then during my gap year after university, I started to create illustrations, paintings, and products with my designs on them, and I had never felt happier!

It all took off right before I got a job in an architectural office which I now juggle with my illustration career and my new studies of art history. I am hoping to be able to drop the corporate architecture job soon enough and concentrate fully on my passion for art-making and using mixed-media techniques.

I hope my story helps people who are undecided about what to study to realize that an art degree is not important, you can be an artist with any background and the best thing is, this will make your art more unique. Of course, going to an art school must be a fantastic experience as well!"

How would you describe your mixed-media illustration style?

I think describing your own style is something extremely difficult. I had to ask my friends about this one, and how they described it couldn't be more accurate. They said my art looks like everything I paint is in movement like the wind is blowing through the painting and dropping color on everything it touches. I could not have a better way to describe it honestly.

I like layering textures and playing with lots of colors, I am a maximalist in that sense. The harder I try to constrict a color palette, the wider the color range gets.

If we look at some of my subject choices, my favorite things to paint are landscapes with mountains and the ocean, as it reminds me of my hometown Tenerife, a quaint little island in the middle of the Atlantic ocean.

But I will also draw human-like figures with exaggerated features and colorful skin. And of course, I always include some architectural element - the 6 years of architecture studies have to show up somewhere."

What is the key to making your mixed-media illustrations?

I believe that the key to making my art is not to plan too much beforehand. To be fair, this technique sometimes works and it sometimes doesn't, but not worrying too much about the outcome really gives you the freedom to experiment while painting.

I like seeing the process of coloring and painting and changing my mind in my final pieces. It shows my relationship to the paper, to my context, and to my painting and you can trace my decision-making process on the final product.  

I like being able to get my hands dirty and mix my own paints. All you need in order to be able to recreate my art is a lot of different materials (doesn't need to be anything fancy, but I do like to mix mediums), a very loose hand, and some courage to layer paint and start from scratch.

Mixed-media illustration classes

Claudia is a creative teacher and teachers her skills in an online course. Her class Mixed Media illustration: Paint your childhood home attended already more than 2k students.

Creative Teacher + Mixed-media artist + Architect

Claudia Melchor

My Name is Claudia Melchor, I am formally trained as an architect, but I have had a passion for painting and the 2D mediums since I can remember.

You can find me over on Instagram or on my website.