Mixed media rust art with Powertex and Rusty Powder

Mixed media artists love rusty effects for their organic textures and colours that look great whether applied to details or whole projects.

It’s the perfect effect for steampunk, grunge and industrial themed art, crafts, sculpture and even costume or cosplay design. Mixed media rust with Powertex Rusty Powder is full of possibilities.

There are lots of products available for creating rust effects however they usually fall into two categories; products that give a faux rust effect and those that develop real rust. Powertex Rusty Powder creates real rust for your mixed media projects.

Using real rust in your project with Rusty Powder

The benefits of Powertex Rusty Powder:

• Organic results
• Authentic rust colours and textures
• Different shades and colours of rust
• Controlling the level of rust (within organic limits)
• Adjusting the texture according your project
• Multiple applications and techniques are possible

Why create real rust?

Creating actual rust on a project is obviously the real deal. It looks authentic, has natural, organic textures and colours and still has a range of applications.

It also has a degree of unpredictability and it takes a little patience but the magic is in the chemistry. Creating real rust is great for artists who enjoy the process and the surprises of experimental materials.

It’s possible to have some control over the results but the rewards are in the natural process of the rust forming. If diving into the process, experimental results and happy accidents are your thing, then Powertex Rusty Powder is for you.

What is Powertex Rusty Powder?

Powertex Rusty Powder is more or less, metal filings in a jar. It’s heavy because it’s metal. It needs to be mixed with Powertex Universal Medium to “bind” and adhere it to a surface and also with white vinegar to form the rust. How your rust looks will depend a lot on what you mix it with and the amount of vinegar you use.

If you layer your rust with other products you will change it even further and because you’re mixing it with Powertex Universal Medium it can be applied to almost any surface.

I love to transform fabric and cardboard scraps into rusty embellishments or sculpt it onto canvases. The powder can also be sprinkled onto wet Powertex for beautiful rusty spots.

Ideas for using Rusty Powder

You can read more about how I use Rusty Powder in this art here or take a look at the step by step guide to creating this Rusty art with mdf layers.

The use of Powertex in the mixture means it can be applied to any surface except directly onto plastic. Adding dry textures into the mixture creates a range of effects too. Imagine rusty embellishments, rusty paint, rusty fabric, rusty threads, rusty Stone Art, rusty mdf or paper mâché shapes in your mixed media art.

Use on Easy 3d or Stone Art sculptures or add rust details to hats, shoes or costumes. The possibilities are huge.

If you are looking to create rusty textures you might also be interested in my Masterclass in Easy Structure. While it’s about creating texture with this texture paste it includes a bonus guide to mixing up a fluid rusty paint to use on heavily textured art. 

I am a certified Powertex tutor in the UK and get my Powertex products including Rusty Powder from Powertex UK. 

[This blog was originally posted in November 2018 and was last updated April 2024.]