Guide To Making Collages!…

Plenty of freedom is afforded when you create collages. Basically you can use anything you like to make up your collage, and not only that, you can express your feelings on it in any way you choose.

Collages can consist of many different types of textures. Some people cut pieces out of magazines, you can use fabric scraps, cardboard, string, wood jewels, silver paper, there are no bounds.

You could make a start by having a hunt around and collecting items you think you could use. You will need a base to work from, so whatever you are using for a background will maybe be needed to be painted and an outline sketch drawn on it. Then you can start by positioning bits and pieces to fill in your sketch and other parts.

At this stage, eliminate anything you are not going to use. You could use crepe paper, but any sort of paper you will need in your collage, is in need of tearing or cutting into various shapes and colour choices.

Should you only be using paper, you will need a glue designed especially for paper, just the same if you are using fabrics and other materials, you will need the right type of glue for these for them to stick fast.

I am sure you will have ascertained that this collage mentioned here, is just to give you a base to work from. Obviously, you do not have to stick to these very basic guidelines detailed above. Get inventive and use more exciting things like shells, grasses, coins or leather, just to give you a few ideas. The vision is yours, remember, and collages do not have to have a flat surface.

Why not try doing a collage with plain old black and white newspaper? If you think this out well, you can achieve some quite startling results. If you think what is done by children in schools, they are quite inventive, using everything from bottle tops to silver paper for their projects.

Of course you could heap together a gallery of photos of people significant to you personally and mix and match them. This seems to be one of the hip and up to date collages at the moment.

So, to do a collage, we have established that you need a base and these can differ enormously with the different weights of objects to be applied to it. Your background plays an important part too. It could be that you paste photos or magazine shots, or you may even have to paint it first, but you will need to sketch out the subject.

Then you need an assortment of gathered items to choose from. You are unlikely to use them all and no need to fret about using, what may seem rather strange items, nor do they all have to be flat on your surface.

Lets arrange it all now, move your treasures about and once you are convinced that is where you want them, get the appropriate glue and stick them in place. Wait for this to dry and then, I myself, would actually then apply sealant, to give it a degree of protection.

Now, it may be, that you want to frame it as a picture or have it raised on a mat. You could also do a wall hanging this way, the choice is endless.