Countdown to Spring: Mixed Media Magic Awaits!

At The Art Store, spring isn’t just a season. It’s a creative awakening! As the light shifts and color begins returning to the world around us, there’s no better time to refresh your palette, explore new materials, and experiment with dynamic mixed media techniques.

 

For this week, our Studio Society Members are invited to celebrate our spectacular “Countdown to Spring” event - featuring extraordinary savings and a curated focus on versatile, color-rich media designed to work beautifully together.

 

We are offering an extra 30% off our already amazing prices on Cobra Water Mixable Oils with code COBRA.

 

Cobra delivers everything artists love about traditional oils - rich pigmentation, smooth handling, and luminous depth - without the need for harsh solvents. They mix and clean up with water, making them ideal for studio spaces of any size. If you’ve been curious about water-mixable oils, this is the perfect time to experience them!

 

We are also featuring a stunning range of color-forward materials from Holbein, known for exceptional pigment quality and their fabulous Unified Color System. This system ensures that colors match across multiple media, allowing you to layer and combine materials seamlessly.

Featured this week:

 

Imagine building a composition in Cobra oils and then enhancing it with perfectly matched colored pencil details or bold acrylic gouache accents! All without second-guessing your color harmony. That is the power of a unified system!

 

One of the most exciting aspects of Cobra Water Mixable Oils is how beautifully they integrate into mixed media workflows. If you’re ready to push your surfaces further this season, here are a few ways to approach it:

 

1. Begin with a thin underpainting in Cobra oils. Once dry, layer Holbein Artists’ Gouache to introduce velvety matte passages that contrast against the natural sheen of oil. The interplay of matte and satin finishes adds immediate dimensionality.

 

2. After your oil layers have set, use Holbein Colored Pencils to sharpen edges, reinforce linework, add subtle value shifts, and create delicate surface texture. Because the colors correspond across media, your details feel intentional rather than added as an afterthought.

 

3. Holbein Acrylic Gouache dries to a flat, opaque finish that sits beautifully against the richness of oil passages. Use it to introduce graphic shapes, heighten contrast, or create contemporary layered effects. The tension between oil’s depth and acrylic gouache’s flat modernity creates a compelling visual dialogue.

 

Spring is about emergence, layering, and growth. And mixed media mirrors that process! By combining the lush blendability of Cobra oils, the precision of colored pencils, the velvety softness of traditional gouache, and the bold opacity of acrylic gouache, you create artwork that holds texture, depth, and intention in every mark! 

 

This week’s deals  (including 30% off Cobra with code COBRA) are the perfect way to refresh your materials, explore the unified color experience of Holbein, and experiment with mixed media techniques that will carry your work into a vibrant new season! 

 

We look forward to seeing what you create! 

 

XOXOX,

Your Friendly Neighborhood Art Store