RazzWorks

What is a collage

If you have you ever cut out pictures from magazines or catalogs and stuck them onto another paper or poster board to make a big picture then you’ve made a collage. Or maybe you’ve made one of those pretty scrapbooks with vacation photos, stickers and other embellishments. If you have, you have made a collage.

The word collage comes from the early 20th century from the French meaning to glue or gluing. It is a type of art where you assemble and combine images and/or other materials by pasting them to a backing or flat surface to make the final image.

The word collage itself is both a noun and a verb. The verb being the action of clipping and gluing. Noun as in the finished project you have created.

Types of Collages

-There are many different types, styles, and techniques of collages. Here I have provided a few to help your thinking process to come up with ideas to merely consider.

Paper collage is made by using lots of material like pages, whole or part, from magazines, words or sentences from newspapers or other written material. Sometimes extra items will be included like pictures you’ve taken, bits and pieces of fabric, or other material used for embellishment. All of these things are then glued to a flat surface to create most commonly a poster board.

The Dream-board which is images and/or words glued to a backboard. The creation would be a representation of what you want in your life in areas such as but not limited to health, love, family, fitness, financial, career, spiritual, and personal. The backboard is divided and labeled for each category and then filled with images of your choice.

Composit style is putting together separate pieces of material like paper, fabric, etc, to form a single image like a scene, or picture. When you step back and look at the overall created piece it appears as if all the separate materials are one image. The simplest example I can think of would be papers from two different colored sticky pads, stuck to the wall in a way that, from a distance, looks like a happy face.

Decoupage is basically gluing various pieces of paper to an object. Examples: Cut out cartoons and glue them all over your desk; Cut out pictures of flowers and glue them all over the cover of a book; Collect old newspapers and glue them all to a wall as if they were wallpaper; Cut up different colored pieces of paper and glue them in a pattern on a helmet. After it’s all said and done there is usually an extra layer of glue applied to protect it.

Photo montage is when you glue together a whole bunch of photographs to create something else. Like a word, shape, or design. Then you take a photo of that so the finished photo can have the appearance of a seamless design.

A vision board is one that tends to be very personal and reflects your inner desires. A basic vision board will have a bunch of images and words cut out of magazines that represent your goals or aspirations. It is often used as a form of motivation or a reminder for the improvement of your true inner self.

Assemblage style is where objects are glued to a more sturdy surface. The creator makes it more three-dimensional, sometimes even creating a sculpture. Sometimes it can consist of multiple layers and/or items.

Just so you know there are other types of collages. Also, some of these other types can include combinations of types already mentioned. Two examples of combined are. 1. scrapbooking: it is photomontage, with a little bit of Assemblage and could include elements of a vision board. 2. Mosaic: a combination of photomontage with composit style.

So as you can see there are many styles and methods of making a collage. However, I highly suggest you only use the information to spur your imagination. In other words, make your collage whatever way you want. Forget all the rules and let your imagination go wild. So let’s take a look at some materials and tools you could use.

What Might be Needed

The most basic and really all that is truly needed is your fingers to tear out some pictures and or words to paste, a stiff flat surface to paste your tear-outs on, and some type of glue to stick the items to the board. Which means it’s an extremely inexpensive project.

I will provide you with a standard material list just in case you have some of the items around already, or when it’s all said and done you decide to turn it into a hobby because you enjoy it so much.

Basic items

• flat cardboard/canvas
• glue
• scissors
• cut out images/words/letters/shapes

Sources of cut-outs

magazines, old books, photographs
newspapers, junk mail,
flyers, newsletters, pamphlets, brochures

Common additional tools

-coloring pencils, markers, pens, paint
-paint brush, pencil sharper, glue brush
-ruler, cutting mat
-Art knife/blade
-glue stick, white/craft/wood glue
-magazines
-water, rags

Optional accessories

sea shells, dry flowers, twigs, leaves, etc. from nature
sand, glitter, beads, stickers
yarn, bottle caps, ribbon, etc. for embellishments

Instructions for designing and putting together your collage

Think of an idea
A collage can be about whatever you want it to be. Start with an idea of a theme, or purpose you would like it to be. It’s really about whatever pops into your head. Some ideas could be a message, your family, or what you want for your future family. You could create a picture or a nature scene. You can make it anything you want, there are no rules, just let your imagination go free.

Collect source material
Once you have a rough idea of what it is you might create. It’s time to get some material to help put it together. Start looking through some old magazines, newspapers, whatever you can find. Look for stuff to cut or tear out. Maybe tear apart some old wrapping paper for its colors. Perhaps some photographs you have copies of. Collect whatever you want to use to put together the idea you’re thinking of. Perhaps you have old rags you can cut apart into small bits. Just collect stuff and put it into piles so it’s handy.

Backboard
Now go find something you can use for a backboard. A side cut out of a cardboard box, perhaps the back of a cereal box, pizza box, or any food box that is big enough for you, a piece of wood, or an old broken skateboard. Anything that is flat and strong enough to be used for a canvas.

Background (optional)
Optional you might want to consider making a background like wrapping paper on your backboard. If you have paint you could paint it, just make sure it’s dry before attaching anything. Maybe an old cotton sheet that was used for a drop cloth. It’s not needed, just an option. It really depends on the theme or idea you’re working on and your personal preference.

Layout
Before you glue your items together try laying them out on a surface without gluing. This way you can create the overall look you want moving things around until it’s just the way you want it. Once you’re pretty much done with your creation you can check to see
if there is anything else you want to add. This will give you a chance to go find any extra material you might need.

Glue
Alright, now it’s time to put together your masterpiece. Make sure the backdrop is attached or the backboard is painted first. Now you can start gluing your pictures, images, words, letters, and whatever else from your layout to your board. Put some glue on the back of your material and stick it to the board where it goes. You might want a bit of water and a rag because you’ll likely get some glue on your fingers.

Optional ideas
Your collage is pretty much finished. However here are some additional things you can do if you desire. One is after you let your glued paper dry for a few minutes, you could put an extra layer of glue over the whole thing. When it dries, it will help to protect it. Also, you can add embellishments to it like ribbons, yarn, things from nature, beads, gems, or whatever decorations or treasures you find that you think will make your collage look better. Just keep in mind that these extra items might be heavier and therefore might need a stronger glue to hold them on.

Dry
Lastly, you want to make sure you allow it to dry completely. Especially if you put extra glue on top for protection. It is best to let it sit until the next day so you can be sure it dried completely. Once it’s dry, go and put it on display and enjoy your masterpiece.

Benefits of Making a Collage

There are many benefits to doing a collage. While working, without you realizing it, you’re improving your mental, and emotional wellbeing. As you create you’re strengthening your self-confidence and self-esteem with every choice you make while putting pieces together. Because you are enjoying what you are doing it reduces stress and anxiety just to name a few.

For example, it helps you to break a mental block as it opens your mind to possible ways of putting pieces together during the process of creating your collage. Because you do not have to follow any rules while creating, it lets you explore emotions, ideas, and possibilities freely. Especially when you’re having difficulty expressing your thoughts through writing or speech simply because you can not find the right words to describe what is going on in your mind. Once done with putting your collage together, many times you find all of sudden everything just flows.

Despite all the unseen or unrealized benefits you may be getting while creating the collage there is most certainly one great benefit I’m sure everyone can agree with when they are done.

The personal satisfaction of having created something original.

7 Main Benefits for Everyone

Requires only basic materials – A collage can be made with just scissors, glue, and pretty much anything you have handy for material to stick to a backboard of some sort. You don’t need to buy supplies unless you really want to. You could go super basic by using any paper with color, image, or words on it. Use your fingers to tear into pieces, and mix 1 part flour with 2 parts water for gluing the paper to a flat surface.

Ease of originality – Putting a collage together is so easy. Use whatever shapes, colors, materials, or words you want. Switch it all around, every time you create a new unique creation.

Improves thinking – Creating collages requires a lot of thinking and decision-making. You never know what kind of solutions and ideas you come up with when trying to piece together your art.

Risk is non-existent – There are no hard rules, just create what you want how you want. If you want to use a different image, color, or idea, no problem. There is no right or wrong way to do it. Just do it your way.

Freedom of expression – Since there is no risk you can choose to express yourself and your art however you want or feel. If you want to express your inner turmoil or anger, go ahead. Maybe you really want to express how great you think something is. That’s fine too.

Relaxing – It allows you to zone out and deal with only what is directly in front of you causing you to be ‘in the moment’ with no distractions from the hassles of everyday life.

Reduces anxiety – Due to being relaxing and something you know you have complete control over you have a sense of calm. Not only while you are working on it, but also the effects can linger into the next day.

7 Personal Benefits just for You

Personally satisfying – You get the satisfaction of knowing you have created something only you could make. It took some time and work to make it this good, and you finished it.

Reduced stress – Making a collage is simple and stress-free. All you do is cut, chop, shape, tear, glue, stick, whatever pieces of paper you choose, items from your place or outside, and in the end you had fun doing it.

The feeling of creativity – With all the cutting and shaping and pasting, you feel like an artist because you know you created something truly original and unique.

You can better concentrate – Due to following a series of steps and seeing it all the way through until the end of the project you helped increase your ability to focus with perseverance.

You learn to be patient – If someone told you that you need to learn to be more patient now you can say you’re working on it. You can not move to the next step in your art until you wait for the glue to dry. It’s like watching paint dry.

Increases your imagination – It gives you the excuse you need to daydream. A chance to mentally leave and escape the day-to-day world and create whatever your mind can think of. If someone asks what you’re doing you can let them know you’re coming up with some inspiration for your collage.

Gives you ‘me time’ – On a more serious side, it gives you that needed break from your busy life so you can have a moment to think and reflect on things.

7 Bonus Benefits when Working with a Partner

Team building with problem-solving – If you choose to work on the same collage at the same time together it’s a great opportunity to work together on figuring out how best to show your idea or concept. As well as finding the right pieces to use.

Improves communication skills – You can not work with someone and not communicate. So it gives you the chance to improve your conversation skills, a chance to catch up with an old friend or build a relationship with a new friend.

Improve cooperation – Whether two people are working on the same collage or making separate collages you usually need to borrow, pass, share or lend something back and forth. You can not do this unless you cooperate.

Perfect for bonding – It gives you time to spend quality time with someone in your life. Whether it’s a friend, child, grandparent, family member, or neighbor you get to spend precious time connecting with each other, creating memories that could last a lifetime.

A chance to express your feelings – Creating a collage with someone gives you the perfect opportunity to express your admiration, love, or respect for the other person. If you can not find the words to say, you could create your collage to express it for you.

Encouragement – It provides a great opportunity to encourage the partner you’re working with, letting them know the things you like about their creation and ideas. Also if you’re the one receiving encouraging remarks then your self-confidence and self-esteem increase.

Reduces depression – People tend to feel happier when working alongside someone during an activity they are enjoying. This is because of the amount of sharing, and communicating that takes place as they work side by side. At the same time, it lets you know you are not alone.

There are very possibly many other benefits that I never even thought of. Perhaps in the comments, you could tell me what benefits you would get from it or why you would enjoy making a collage.

Razz