Tutorial for Collage

How do you create a collage?

There is more than one way to

approach any art process...

but here I will share one of

the ways that I create collage

in my visual art journals.

1.) Apply watercolor to the page. Notice that for this particular background I did not blend the colors into one another, but left 'hard edges', (not blended) or even a little white space between colors.

2.) Collect/choose an assortment of papers and images that could be used in the collage. I usually use the background colors as a guideline.  Above: ledger paper, graph paper, stamped cardstock, my drawings with watercolor on cardstock, vintage game piece images, fabric, scrapbook paper, and a random ticket. Not all of them will end up in the final collage. Part of the fun for me is sorting through what I have on hand.

The possibilities for use of ephemera are pretty much endless!  From junk mail to vintage photos, the images you choose to use in your work will give the collage its own unique quality.

3.)  Arrange your chosen collage elements on the background.  This will take some trial and error. Move around the shapes and images, until satisfied with the arrangement.

Once I chose the bee image, that suggested the leaves and the flower. "Tea with honey" and the little tea cup drawing were chosen to go along with the T Tuesday theme over at The Altered Book Lover Blog. 

Various printed papers, like the ledger and graph paper give additional texture and color to the composition. I also like lined yellow or white writing paper. I've included a scrap of tissue-box-cardboard (blue behind the flower) and my own painted and drawn doodles. The British stamp was chosen simply for color and shape. Color is usually the dominant factor that helps me choose the collage elements.

4.) Add lines in pen to the background.  This helps unify the collage elements with the background.  (At this point, other mediums could also be added: pencil, pastel, acrylic paints, etc.  I chose to keep the number of layers to a minimum)

The overall flow of the shapes, spaces, lines and color should keep your eye moving over the surface of the collage. With collage, if something isn't quite working, you can remove it and replace it with something else, or just cover it up with paint or another piece of paper.

Here's a diagram of the shapes I've chosen and how the basic layout forms somewhat of an oval to guide your eye through the collage...

Since we read from left to right, our eye tends to also read the composition of an art work in the same way.  I keep that in mind and try to make an 'easy entry' point in the upper left hand corner of the work.  Of course, Eastern art and writing don't read from left to right, so it all depends on how you choose to work.  As we often are reminded, there is no 'right' or 'wrong' in art.

Linking up with 

Bleubeard and Elizabeth

for the T Tuesday link-up party.

All you have to do is include

a reference to a beverage to

join in.  Tea is good, but I am

a coffee lover too! Share a photo,

poem, art work, recipe or anything 

beverage related.  Maybe even

a tutorial?!

Enjoy your tea with honey...

and enjoy some art

with collage.