Collage Tips & Ideas
The Art of Collage
By Eileen Bergen
Collage, from the French word “coller” (to stick), is a technique
that incorporates fragments of paper and collected or found objects
into artistic compositions. The National Gallery of Art credits
Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso with legitimizing collage as fine
art. Today any material fixed to a surface may be termed collage.
As usual, the guys get all the credit! At the risk of generalizing
I think women have a genetic proclivity for collage and have been
creating it since time began.
Women tend to arrange and organize, rearrange and reorganize, until
they see a composition that is pleasing to the eye. Women do this
with home décor, their dinner tables, their closets, their makeup,
their apparel, you name it.
Men, on the other hand, tend to leave things where they lie, find
organization in disorganization, have little concern (and may exhibit
actual annoyance) if you ask them to pick up after themselves or
put things back “where they belong so you can find it when you want
it, Dear”.
Women’s genetic tendency to artfully arrange things explains the
current rage for scrapbooking which has evolved into a very advanced
form of collage. Also in the collage category are shadow boxes,
photo collages, collaged cards, framed family history or theme collages,
and of course collage art (-for-art’s sake).
1. Any collage starts with a theme or group of somehow related objects.
So look around you. Get the shoebox of family memorabilia out of
the attic. Keep your eye out for objects that appeal to you and
are mountable. Just a few suggestions: beach glass, shells, small
pieces of driftwood, dried flowers and leaves, jewelry parts, charms,
doll house furniture and accessories, machine parts, e.g. gears
from
a watch or small motor, kitchen utensils, or old silverware.
You may have several groups accumulating at once; and objects may
be moved at whim from one group to another. Once you have enough
in any one group, lay them out on a table and arrange them. Let
them talk to you. Leave them for a few days, glancing at them from
time to time and moving items around until you are satisfied with
the arrangement. Or if you’re really inspired, you may be pleased
with your first arrangement! It happens sometimes.
You may want to enhance or alter some objects for a special look.
Paper can be “antiqued” by carefull singeing the edges and/or washing
over the paper with tea. Some items can be painted or shellacked.
You may want only part of a photo. Tear or cut away the unwanted
portion or create a pretty mat from textured paper in a coordinated
color. Objects can be painted or colored: polka dots on a scrap
of metal, a stained glass design painted on clear glass, a matte
finish on one item that would
otherwise clash with all the glossy ones – or vice versa.
2. Depending on the size and weight of your arrangement, choose
your substrate. If the collage will be large and heavy, consider
masonite, hardboard or wood, at least ¼ inch thick. It is a good
idea to glue two firring strips to the back for support, both while
you work and when yougo to hang your collage. Metal can also be
used and is very effective in combination with objects welded to
it.
If you are scrapbooking, your substrate is most likely 12 X 12 inch
paper and your items need to be lightweight. Other possibilities
are stretched canvas, cardboard or wooden boxes, poster board, or
for cards - any type of cardstock or decorative paper including
handmade papers.
3. Prepare your substrate if necessary. For example, you may need
to shellac or seal if you are using wood. You may want to put a
wash of color or sponged pattern as a backdrop to your theme.
4. Decide what you will need in order to mount your objects. Choose
glues appropriate for the object and the substrate; preferably ones
which dry transparent. Try to avoid any glue seeping out from the
edges by carefully placing and spreading the glue and letting it
come to a proper tack before placing each object on the base. Follow
the manufacturer’s label instructions. Be sure the adhesive is permanent
and, if you are working with photos, also acid-free. Some consumer
tapes, glue sticks and liquid adhesives are not permanent or may
react with photographs and cause them to deteriorate. Some of these
adhesives contain acids and other materials, such as plasticizers
or softening agents, which can migrate onto a photograph and cause
discoloration, fading and brittleness.
Other possible fasteners are nails, tacks (especially decorative
ones such as upholstery tacks), pegs, bolts, glue dots, stick pins,
wire and tape. Or you might take up welding. You wouldn’t be the
first woman to do so!
If you are a woman looking for your artistic or profitable niche,
I recommend you give some type of collage a try. It just comes so
naturally to most women that you may find it feeds the soul, as
well as the pocketbook.
For more artilcrs, tips and ideas about crafts and the crafting
business, visit http://www.theartfulcrafter.com
Eileen Bergen
The Artful Crafter
http://www.theartfulcrafter.com
Ms. Bergen has had a varied career, first as a special education teacher and than, after getting a MBA degree, as a vice president of a major insurance company. For the last eight years she has been creating and selling her crafts.