Where 2 Begin...Where does one begin when making their first collage? That is exactly what I asked my mother (well, more or less) at the tender age of eight when I made my first collage with her, as we sat at the dining room table, snipping through old magazines. My mother told me to begin with an idea. Is there a color you like? A theme you want to represent? An image that inspires you? "Start with an idea and the rest will follow," she said, and that is how I have started my collages ever since. Happy collaging!
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What Is A Collage?Before you learn how to make a collage, it is essential to know what exactly you are getting yourself into. A collage is a combination of pictures and materials placed together to make a new picture or image. While the concept itself may seem confusing, the wonderful thing about collage is there are no limits to what you can or can't do. You are the storyteller, and there are no boundaries to the stories you can tell.
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The Step-by-Step
Gather your supplies. You will need a sturdy piece of paper to use as your base, a glue stick, scissors, and magazines to find pictures from. The thicker the paper the better, as it will hold up better under the glue and added layers.
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Find your images. You can find images in magazines, books, print pictures found online, and even use personal drawings. You can also use text and materials such as glitter or stamps to add dimension to the collage. Think about the story you are trying to tell, or the feeling you are trying to communicate to the viewer when gathering your images.
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Narrow down your pool of images to the ones that fit your theme. You will want a variation of sizes and colors in the images you have, as well as the type of images you have. You want a variation of shapes, as well as several different focuses of the images – natural, landscapes, portraits, editorial, etc.
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After gathering a decent collection of images, enough to cover the surface you are working with (as well as some extra images), begin to place the pictures on the surface in a way that appeals to you. The images should be overlapping, but there is no right or wrong way to complete this step. Fill the space on the paper, adding one image at a time, moving some pictures underneath each other, and some over. Do not glue down any images yet.
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Once you have covered your surface in the way you like, begin to glue down the images, starting first with the ones closest to the paper, underneath the other pictures, and working your way upwards, to the images laying on top. Images may move during this process, so take the time you need to readjust and center your images.
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Work your way out, gluing images down one-by-one. Take your time to smooth out the images as you glue them down, as not to get glue bumps.
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Glue the last few images down and smooth out your collage. You may need to flip the paper over after everything is glued down and press the back of the collage with your palm to ensure everything sticks and no edges curl up.
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With the collage flipped over, trim the edges off to make a clean appearance.
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Admire your work of art! You have just made a collage!
Optional Step: To preserve your collage you can laminate it or cover your collage in a layer of Mod Podge with a paintbrush. Both options will seal the edges and make sure the quality of the collage lasts.
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