Collages are not just for children.
Wall collages are fitting accents in a Victorian-inspired, contemporary or modern room. Collage has existed in various forms for many centuries, although it became a prominent fine art form in the early 20th century. They incorporate clippings from books and periodicals with photos, textiles and lightweight found objects to create a mood, make a social commentary or explore emotions and social boundaries.
Instructions
Prepare Your Items
1. Clip a variety of images from magazines, catalogs, brochures, postcards and glossy ads that appeal to you, evoke an emotional response or make a statement. Sort your chosen images by theme.
2. Leaf through old books and newspapers for bits of text from headlines, captions and advertisements that fit any of your image themes. Clip any words or groups of words that provoke a strong reaction, whether positive or negative.
3. Trim your clippings as you wish. Trim neater for positive, inspiring or traditional themes, or leave ragged edges if your themes are provocative, challenging or nontraditional.
4. Lay your images in various combinations with one another, adding, removing and repositioning everything until the effect makes the statement you want to convey and appeals to your eye.
5. Place found and natural objects such as twigs, feathers, seeds, pressed flower petals, leaves, stones, bits of fur or cloth, jewelry findings, shells, beads, aquarium gems or any other items with personal significance where they create the effects you desire in your collage. Add, remove and reposition everything until you are satisfied with your arrangement.
6. Remove each found object, placing it in the same position it held in your collage, in a separate area on your work table. Remove the images you intend to layer over your central image as well.
Prepare Your Background
7. Use a heavier, stronger material such as plywood, particle board or melamine for your background if your collage includes heavier items such as large aquarium gems, branches or anything that might require a stronger or faster-drying adhesive than white craft glue. Use paper, cardboard or craft foam sheets if most of your collage items are lightweight.
8. Measure the area where your collage will hang, and cut your background material to fit that space.
9. Finish your chosen background material to the extent that is most compatible with your collage. For example, give a carefully trimmed collage with delicate elements a smooth, painted background with a formal frame. Leave your background unpainted if your collage theme is rough, negative or provocative.
10. Use a damp sponge to brush the back of a paper, cardboard or poster board background with water. This prevents curling and wrinkling caused by unequal moisture levels. Allow the background to dry before proceeding.
Finish Your Collage
11. Turn your chosen central image "bad" side up. Squeeze white craft glue back and forth onto the back of the image, avoiding the edges by at least 1/4 inch. Use less glue than you think you need since it is easier to add more glue than it is to clean excess when you press your image into place.
12. Dip a 1/2-inch to 1-inch wide paintbrush in water, and stroke it across a piece of scrap paper several times. Use the wet brush to feather and smooth the lines of glue on your chosen image. Smoothing ensures that your image will adhere to the background and eliminates ridges formed by lines of dried glue.
13. Use care when you pick up your image. Dip the unglued side of the image in water, and allow it to drip-dry for two to three minutes.
14. Hold your image glue-side down so only the center touches your background. Smooth the image from center to top right, center to bottom right, center to bottom left and center to top left to prevent trapping air bubbles. Poke any bubbles that do form with a pin and smooth the image again.
15. Glue the remaining images and text in their correct positions. Allow the glue to dry for three to five hours before proceeding to glue anything that is too heavy for white craft glue.
16. Glue all of your found objects in place.
17.Mat or frame your collage, and hang it as desired.
