Playing with Collage
My local art group has been playing with collage for our last several meetings. We usually find an interesting online video to “follow” and then take off with the basic ideas from the video.
The first attempt was with small squares on a page and using a limited palette in all the squares. Then add some markmaking with different tools, small pieces of paper glued in place; then more mark making on top. This is my attempt at the technique. I wasn’t able to attend our meeting so I didn’t get any photos of my friends work.
The next video suggest starting with an old gelli plate print glued into the sketchbook. Then to “randomly” add collage, printing and painting on top “without thinking too much”. I never seem to do well with this type of activity as it gets way too jumbled and nothing ends up looking good to me.
Here’s where we were working and you can see my hideous collage results in the foreground of the photo. There are many layers and thinking a bit more about my choices might have improved this mess.
Here’s the final outcome of my collage. Still pretty hideous to me.
Sally created two collages using up a lot of her eco printed papers that she had in her stash.
Louise was still working on hers but had a great start.
And here’s Paula’s effort. She was working on two pages in a spread. I don’t think she was finished with these yet.
The nice thing about this project was using up painted and printed paper from our stash and just allowing ourselves to play a bit. Even though I wasn’t happy with my outcome, I had fun messing around 😉
17 thoughts on “Playing with Collage”
Glad it was fun Ruth, even if you weren’t too happy with the result. I must admit that I’ve never been one to have a go at collage, at least paper collage. I am thinking of trying it with felt and fabrics however, though I will try for a coherent result rather than the “throw everything at it and hope for the best” type that I have seen many workshop leaders try to get us to do.
Perhaps it’s our inner child that sometimes likes to just make a mess for the sake of it!
Didn’t someone say something about the journey being better than the arrival or some such?
Ann
Thanks Ann, I’m not sure why I don’t remember from previous disasters, that “the throw everything at it” approach doesn’t work for me. But that’s OK. I need reminders now and again. Plus, I think it’s good to show things that I create that “aren’t perfect” and that many pieces of bad art are made but not shown online. And yes, the journey is the point, not the outcome.
It’s definitely the journey that’s the important and fun bit! And yes, it’s good to know that we all have things that don’t turn out quite as we’d hoped.
Really like the first pages of squares – the design/pattern and colours would look good on a roll of fabric.
Thanks! I always learn something or relearn something when I play around so it’s well worth the journey. That’s a good idea about printing the first pages as repeating designs on fabric. I think that would be cool.
I tend to agree with you, randomly adding pieces to a collage invariably ends up being a dog’s dinner. For me the fun in this sort of activity is auditioning different pieces with the background to find pleasing compositions. It drives me crazy when lazy You-tubers advise, “it’s easy! You don’t need to think about it!” when what they really mean is they can’t be bothered (or don’t know how) to explain the theory or rationale behind composition.
Do your group have plans to take any of their collages further?
Thanks Teri, I’m glad that someone else agrees with me on how “not easy” it can be to come up with a pleasing composition in collages. It takes a lot of practice and a good understanding of the principles of design to really create a worthy collage.
I’m not sure about taking any of the collages further. Paula usually works on hers over long periods of time and may add pieces to a collage months later. And I don’t think Louise’s was finished. But these were generally work in the sketchbook that was more “playtime” than anything.
I kind of agonize over the collage work as well but I keep trying. Yours has kind of a grunge look going for it. Reminded me of Jenny Grant’s work. Maybe you need a tree person in there.
Thanks Tesi, it is definitely grungy. I’m not sure about the tree spirit but you made me laugh 🤣
I always have great admiration for anyone who can just do things ‘without thinking about it too much’, but I cannot do that! I do like your limited palette 2 pages very much.
Thanks, I know exactly what you mean. Thus the really ugly collage that I made “without thinking about it”.
I really like your limited pallet squares. Your other piece is very dark. The white added at the end perks it up a bit. I guess the making with friends is the best part.
I am not good at the non thinking method. I imagine if you do enough of them with thought, it can become intuitive. More me it is just an ugly mess 99.9% of the time. I think most of Terri’s You Tubers have thought it out ahead of time and then pretend to be spontaneous.
Thanks Ann! Yes, the piece ended up very dark because it was such a mess of colors and jarring pieces that didn’t go together. So I added black paint but got too much on, then I added the white to bring it back a little. But it is still a mess. Yes, I do think you can get more intuitive with practice and you’re probably right about the fictitious spontaneity.
Your limited colours squares are very creative and as above I could see them on a fabric.
Like you and others the ‘it’s easy’ approach is not in my vocabulary. I have to audition the right piece in the right place, the right way round….standing back each time with all the elements of design whizzing around in my head.
Now on to your piece that you are not happy with, I see so much potential….two possibilities immediately come to mind.
A – cut your piece into strips (either similar width or a mix of wide and narrow) then either leave them in sequence but slide them some up some down, or randomly swap the strips and again stagger them up and down.
B – cut into squares (or rectangles) and randomly (I know you’ll fiddle till the balance looks right 🤪) place them either together or (as in your limited colours piece) space them apart.
C – if your squares are spaced apart you could add simple machine stitching to link them maybe. This could also be done with your strips too.
D – combo of strips and squares as in quilting
E – pieces spaced apart but leave one out as a focal point
F – interspersed with a plain colour….woven perhaps!
Ooops far more than two….I’d best stop here as I could go on. Just have another look with a different head on your shoulders.
Xx
Thanks Antje, I am sure it would look better cut up and rearranged. I’m not sure it’s worth the effort. It might just stay in my sketchbook and never be looked at again!
I run a mile from collage Ruth. I find making choices overwhelming as I feel I have programmed myself to obtain success (or it’s a waste of time in my mind). This is a very silly approach as it is very limiting. I need to try harder.
I love your limited palette pieces – very easy on the eye, (perhaps this could be a starting point for me into collage??) I could see what you describe as your ‘hideous piece’ hanging in a gallery as abstract art. Not joking.
Helene x
The limited palette idea is a great place to start Helene! And yes, I have seen uglier art in exhibitions but somehow I doubt I will ever exhibit this piece of junk 😜
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder Ruth!