Unleash Your Creativity with Collage

Collage is the French word “coller” which means to stick/glue and the French term “papier coller” translates to pasted paper. The origins of collage can be traced back to 10^th Century Japan and is often associated with 20^th century artists Picasso, Braque and Matisse. Although collage can be used to create finished works of art it can also be used to explore creativity and “sketch” with.

It is very healthy for any artist to experiment and explore different approaches and techniques every now and then, as it can open up new possibilities and help to develop ideas and techniques. Collage is a technique that can open up all sorts of possibilities and can be used as a prompt for new work. If you have reached a point with your art where you feel like you're in a rut, or you need to take a different direction, or if you are new to art and you just want to explore your creativity without the pressure of achieving perfection, collage can be a good way to start.

Different Types of Collage

There are different types of collage for you to explore and find your voice with this approach to making art. The traditional method is the craft of cutting, tearing and arranging materials on a surface to create a composition of some sort. You can create abstract imagery or use a theme such as the human form or landscapes to base your collage on and arrange your materials to depict a scene or form. The use of photographic imagery that is cut and rearranged to create a new image is a Photomontage. Both types of collage can be brought together to create mixed media collages, all of which can be added to with other media, drawn and painted onto a collage.

Materials

• Support: Choose a rigid support to create your collage on such as a piece of board/mdf/wood or strong card, something that won't crinkle and buckle when you use paste on it. You might also like to try working on a stretched canvas or canvas board

• Adhesive: The choice of glue or paste is usually by preference for the individual artist, therefore you may like to try a few different glues, however PVA, paste, including wallpaper paste and glue sticks are all good types of glue for this sort of project. For heavier additions such as buttons and beads, you may like to use a good blob of PVA, which will dry clear, or a glue gun

• Scissors, craft knives etc. Sometimes it can be more freeing to tear paper and explore some of the effects from doing that

• Paper: every and any type you can image and feel inspired by, including newspaper print, origami paper, wallpaper, printed wrapping paper, brown paper, magazine prints, vintage prints, photocopies, coloured tissue paper, the list is endless!

• Other materials: fabric, buttons, beads, ribbons, natural forms such as dried leaves, flowers seed heads etc. Again the possibilities are endless

  
  

Tips

• Start by playing with composition, arranging materials on your board

• Once you are happy with the composition, take a photograph of it directly from above so that you can refer to it as you are sticking the items down. You can still change things as you are sticking your materials to the board, but having the reference can really help if you are happy with the composition

• Lose yourself and try not to be too prescriptive as happy accidents can occur. Allow your art to guide you through the process

  
  

  Last but not least, have fun, there is no right or wrong way, happy collaging!