Art Is Easy to Make!

Collage and mixed media

lesson 18

Need a sturdy surface so the collage wont crack; use masonite rough side or sanded slick side.
Anything goes – consider fading colors
Can use thin glue, elmers with water
See the collage as label, want all to stick and not fall off.
A few supplies:
Metalic drylon
Textile medium, painter’s helper
Extender medium JARPAQUE
Gesso
Big p knives
Gold leaf, liquid leaf

Start with black – create a surface
Spray with Krylon if you want to keep black
Use gesso
Use extender with powdered tempra, press and spray if you want, or mix
Dip into glue water, scrumble and pull and brush with glue water
Want a strong surface for collage
Use water color sticks and clean water
Gold is important in collage, knife in the leaf extender too
Dig in with knife tip or scrape with brush end.
Scrape off paint from one knife with the other and then mash into work
Sor far these are “cool” colors.
Don’t rush – surface should look good at any stage.

Pour on elmers glue and work with knife – it dries clear so put where ever you want, on top of gold you will get a refraction
Next use tube watercolor into the elmers glue
Used with glue water it will ‘pearl’
Pick up and knife down elsewhere – the glue will hold it
Using a big brush wet all images with water
Use spatula and cut in and then print
When you want a neutral ground then use compliment
Sprinkle green on red and tone it down using glue water
Use a brush to neutralize the color-wet all over several times for consistency
Just keep going till you get what you like

In collage if you make the base bright then use black on top
Use newspaper, leave sharp edge and ripped edge, incorporate
Paint on this with dirty water – be sure all is embedded
Collage is mysticism
Keep it moist
To change something then use a knife to cut or trim away edges
Stay in muted tone first – can always use bright later
Paint over the pieces and scrape carefully
Add more pieces using glue water. Think of juxtapositions.
Switters used newspaper messages in his collages.
Now when dry think of light color where you want to put gold
Gold is metal so if you mix with paint it will be coated metal only. If you want gold then use on top

Focal point you can use sharp light color with the knife.
Use straight edge and pick up paint and print with it.
Use elements of the printed material – think of it as it was paint.
Can use messages in the collage
Composition can be structural or dynamic, but dynamic does not work.
Dynamic collage: stick to one thing, cuty and fit in loosely, leave mostly uncovered, use torn paintings. Try pressed charcoal on top.
We use the light first so the gold will be clear
An interrupted line looks fragile
Use a matt and look at it.

To finish this collage: Use small amount of black pen or face paint.
Emphasize the gold with a black pen
Never use the black in the open field, just the edges
Center of enterest – use black only to emphasize
Play with any letters or images
Use graphite on lesser letter or image, it’s softer and not promanate
Use liquid gold now on focal point edges.  Metal always stays metal. Solvent only holds it.
Try new images lay carefully on your collage just to be sure you don’t need it.

If you glaze it all over it will unify the collage, Damar Varnish or Matt Krylon

Collage origami and crumpled paper collage

Origami: Only use straight edges
Score the surface and fold it, push together, glue with rubber cement

E6000 glue
Crumpled paper: Can have torn edges or straight, Crumple wet or dry.
When you like it then glue it down and hold till holds.
Use Spray Damar to use on this sculpture.
Or spray gesso to stiffen.
Wood glue holds great and drys fast.

When glue dry you can add color, spray glue, cut with sissors.
Try primary colors and simple brush
Leave one paint thick and one thin.
Underpainting dark to light.
Put a splash of color here and there

Sammelsurium (everything)

this is from 2007 art lessons from joe loeber, Key West