HOME | DD
hogret — Collage Tutorial: Background
by-nc-nd
Published: 2011-05-22 11:08:24 +0000 UTC; Views: 12553; Favourites: 82; Downloads: 262
Redirect to original
Description
A journey though creating a collage background.Starting with a simple text page and adding layers and layers of finishes.
This is not intended for you to replicate, as you will undoubtedly have your own inspirations and aesthetic preferences, but I was interested in tracking my own process.
It is worth remembering that there will have to be a sequence in the media you apply.
Ink (or watercolor paint) has to go first because it absorbs into raw paper.
If you want to sketch with pencils or marker pen, you would need to do that next, because they don't adhere too well to acrylic glazes.
Acrylic paint goes next, and last go oil-based media.
You need to leave beeswax until pretty much the last step, although you can still apply oil pastels over it.
Ink stamping can happen anytime up until you use an oil-based medium.
Finished collage:
Related content
Comments: 41
so where is part two? inquiring minds want to know...
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
*assumes Colonel Klink voice* Zat is unacceptable! Off to work with you! Schnell, schnell!
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
It amazes me that out of all my art forms collage is really one I over look. I keep wanting to do it, and now have a project planned.... it is a large one- 24x36 canvas... trees, organic colorings etc... I have been searching for a 'how to' and yours came up on pinterest! I actually have an account both places, so I ran right over! I <3 what you have done with this! Thank you for the tutorial as well, makes this make so much more sense!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Cool! I hope you have lots of fun on your huge canvas!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
I had a lot of fun 
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Thank you so much for posting this! I've always wanted to try this sort of layering, but it has always seemed too complex to pick apart. I'd only just learned about distressing the paper with sandpaper in my drawing class last year, and this adds a few more levels. Going to use your tutorial as a guideline and see what happens.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
The most important thing is to play and not to stress about the end result. Often, "mistakes" (eg paint spills, smudged stamps) work out fabulous in the end. And you can always slap more paper over ugly bits, or tear strips off and paint or ink over the bald patches that result. Collage is so forgiving!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Yes it is! And that makes for a wonderful type of art therapy. From needing tight control of everything I did at school to learning how to relax and have fun again, collage makes for the perfect transition.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Love this, and the result. What were you using as an icon, or whatever, to keep you on the rich, Russian track? Or were you simply conjuring from an image in your head? At times, if I am going for a look (say, a 1930s feel), I'll grab a magazine of that vintage to steer me clear of mis-steps before I make them. I'm enjoying the white shapes in the upper right corner. As you have instructed us previously, that is where the eye doth tend to wander. Well done piece. Bring on the second installment!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
All in my head, I assure you.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
I spash turquoise on everything every since you got me hooked....
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Amaaaaaaaaazing tutorial! THanks a lot for that! ( *¬*)
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
You're welcome ... hope it's useful.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
I've just ordered some beeswax to experiment with, Margaret, so the timing of this tutorial couldn't have been better!
Would you recommend buying a quilting iron? I looked at them, but £30 seemed a bit expensive for the amount of use I would get from it. I have ordered a heatgun however.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
See my note to mcdermid also on this page - you might like to get an iron that you can use for heat transfers at the same time.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Very cool. I like learning about what media other artists use, and how they use it.
I've wanted to try encaustic for some time now. I was recently watching how to videos on You Tube.
I've noticed that some inks for stamping do not play nice with acrylic mediums. Have you ever tried using block printing inks for stamping? I was thinking that if you used it sparingly it might work. I haven't tried it yet.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Proper encaustic is wax blended with resin, and I can't find that here, so I suppose my technique is more of a faux encaustic.
I haven't tried block printing inks - may work better. The pigment inks do tend to go a bit smeary, and they don't like sticking to glazes much.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
This is what I've been looking at: [link]
Part of the reason why I haven't pursued encaustic yet is the price. So expensive! What if I spend the money on the materials and then decide that I don't like it? I can't tell you how many times I've browsed the encaustics at my local art store, only to wind up buying my usual supplies.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Oh so tempting, but eek expensive. Particularly if you have one go at it, hate it, and then shelve it. This is where it would be nice to have a collaborative studio, where we could invest in new mediums together, and all have a try!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Not only that, in a collaborative studio we could afford to experiment as we learn, and bounce ideas off of each other.
The online art store that I often shop from (Dick Blick) has an encaustic starter set that is $600. Don't think I've ever spent that much on art supplies ever in one go before.
👍: 0 ⏩: 2
Audrey, I think it's time we moved across the world! Love your collaborative studio idea.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Could you imagine the fun that could be had if we were all able to meet up? Woo hoo! Collage party!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
It would be the coolest thing. Who's the geographical wiz here? What would be the midpoint between east coast, west coast, mid-atlantic states, the south, South Africa, Germany, Lebanon....
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Ooo Very nice! Thank you for sharing! I should get some beeswax to try out, I've heard good things!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Beeswax gives a wonderful finish and makes your collage smell of warmed honey!
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
This is exactly what I need, but could you say more about preparing and applying the beeswax, and about preparing the acrylic glaze?
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
I buy beeswax in solid bar form,and shave bits off of it with a vegetable peeler. Scatter the pieces evenly over the collage,and then iron over them so that the wax melts into the paper. (I have a small quilting iron, but a household iron will work too, provided it's not a steam iron, and - of course - you can't use it for the laundry afterwards!) I've tried painting with melted wax, but it just doesn't work for me.
Acrylic glazes are a tinge of coloured acrylic paint of your choice, mixed with a good dollop of acrylic gloss glaze medium. Proportions depend on how intense you want the colour. The more glaze medium you use, the more transparent the colour. You can layer glazes over each other (letting each coat dry first, obviously) to build up translucency and depth.
Hope this helps!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Extremely helpful. Thank you so much.
Can the iron simply be held above the paper?
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
You need to make contact and iron the beeswax into the paper. A heatgun works if you want to keep your distance!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Okay thanks. I only have one iron so I either need a heat gun or another iron. I'm guessing an iron preferable?
How did you like my first foray into collage-inspired haiku?
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
A heat gun is useful if you want to do resin work, or embossed stamping because you will use it for those too.
Otherwise a heat transfer tool is a good buy, because you can use it for wax and heat transfers (one available at dickblick - [link] ).
Info on heat transfer technique is here [link]
But a small travelling iron is probably easiest to get hold of, and works fine!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Thanks. I think I will go with the travel iron option; pretty sure I can find a cheap one.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
If you iron the beeswax onto the collage through kitchen paper the iron stays fairly clean.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1