Collage making: such a fun process!

Collage making: such a fun process!

Dear reader!

I’ve been busy making collages from my own hand painted collage paper lately, and I would love to share my process. It’s so much fun, and so easy!

First: The collage paper

The first thing that I did was making the collage paper. In this phase, I just do something. I get out my paint, markers, brushes, and just paint, with nothing in mind. No composition yet!

The six visual elements

But: while I’m doing it, I keep (my version of) the six visual elements in the back of my mind. These are:

  • Marks & Lines
  • Color
  • Value
  • Shapes & Images
  • Texture
  • Depth.

In the beginning I don’t pay attention to them, but later I start asking myself: is it interesting enough? Then I check all visual elements.

 

To give an example: this was my collage paper

 

 

 

As you can see, it’s quite a mess.

But I did take a good look at whether it is interesting in terms of the six visual elements:

 

These are the questions I asked myself:

 

  • Is there enough variation in color? Within the limits I have set for myself (only two colors, Turquoise and Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold), I think I have enough variety in color have
  • Is there enough variation in Marks & Lines? Most of them are hidden under the layers. Here I can possibly add more to the final collage
  • Is there sufficient variation in Value? Yes, I used a lot of white and black, which gives a lot of variation in Value
  • Are there enough Shapes & Images.? Yes. I often use the same type of shapes (Circles with a cross, infinity signs, little ‘creatures’). They are sufficiently varied in size and appearance.
  • Is there enough texture? Yes, I have applied enough variation in texture by means of dry-brushing, splattering, and lifting paper/monoprint.
  • Is there enough depth? Yes, I applied many layers of paint on top of each other, both transparent as opaque. Through splashes and monoprint I have enhanced the sense of depth.

 

But you see: when making the collage paper I did not pay attention to composition. That will happen in the next phase.

Composition

 

In this part of the process,  I look within the collage paper to see if there is an interesting detail somewhere, on which I can continue.

On the left  below you can see the detail I chose.

On the right you can see the final result (on business-card size:)

This is what happened in terms of the six visual elements, when I finished the small painting (from left to right):

 

  • Color: I haven’t changed much about that. I worked with two colors.
  • Marks & Lines: Not much changed either, I thought it was good enough, more would get messy.
  • Value: I increased the value difference by making the black a bit blacker and the white a bit whiter.
  • Shapes & Images: I made the shapes a bit stronger by adding extra lines
  • Texture: I added extra splashes.
  • Depth: There was already a lot of depth due to the many layers, but by adding a layer of opaque paint I added contrast between transparent and opaque. That also gives depth.

 

Time

Making the collage paper may have taken me about an hour, but making the small business card sized-collage only took me 5 minutes. Extremely satisfying and fun, and very easy to fit in when you have a busy life.

 

Do you find this process interesting?

Then consider my course ‘The Joy of Collage Making’. Here you will learn everything about making collage paper, the six visual elements and making compositions.

 

With love!

 

Simone

 

PS 1: you couldn’t call it a real collage, because I only stuck on one piece of paper, but it still feels like a collage to me.

PS 2: Check out the online course ‘The Joy of Collage Making’ here.

Back to the Basics: Mark Making

Back to the Basics: Mark Making

Dear readers,

Today, I went back to the basics: mark making! Often, when I feel blocked or in a slump, I like to do the simpliest things, like picking up a marker or crayon, and move my hand! Feel the energy inside my body, let it stream into my fingers, my marker, my paintbrush or some kind of stamp, and let it flow.

Today, I wasn’t particularly blocked, but I enjoyed it anyway!

Below you’ll find some of the results. I used:

  • pencil
  • crayon
  • marker
  • brush
  • other mark making tools, like stamps, a cardboard ‘thing’ that was used to pack something, bubble plastic.

Anything that you can find around the house and has an interesting form can be used as stamps!

 

Here you see the pencil:

The crayon (Caran d’Ache, Neocolor II):
An empty Molotov marker, filled with Golden High Flow acrylics (one of my newest findings: wonderful type of paint – it’s even more ‘flowy’ than the Fluid Acrylics, and I like it very much).

Pencils with high flow paint and fluid acrylic paint:

All kind of stamps:
So, if you’re bored, blocked, or could use some fresh inspiration and energy: go back to the basics and pick up your mark making again!

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Five minute painting: forgetting about time

Five minute painting: forgetting about time

Dear readers,

Lately, I did a five minute painting. I love this process. It doesn’t take a lot of time, and it teaches me a lot about letting go, getting out of my own way, not thinking too much and just letting the painting unfold.

Halfway I had to laugh out loud, about the craziness of this process. I see myself painting like a madwoman – in the meantime making all kinds of mistakes. 

For instance: I wanted to add some transparant Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold – but by accident, I grabbed the brush with black paint on it. But: with some white added, it became an interesting sort of greenish color (which I painted over, because it wasn’t so beautiful after all).

I painted for five minutes, and after that I wanted to give myself a second five minutes. Alas, I forget to set the timer, so I believe this second part is about 6,5 minutes long.

It’s a big difference between the first part and the second part, and I think the most important difference is that I covered a lot. By taking away a lot of the ‘noise’ the painting comes together.

Of course I could have taken this painting further, but for now, for this experiment, it’s enough for me.

This is the result of the first five minutes.

And this came out of it seven minutes later:

I created a small video about it. I’m sorry for the noise of the hairdryer. Normally I would have edited it out, but to get a feeling for the five-minute process I didn’t cut it away. Watch the video here:

Have a wonderful, creative day!

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Live painting demo: Floating Around

Live painting demo: Floating Around

Dear reader, Today I made a painting on A4 format. I recorded the painting process, and if everything has turned out well, you can watch the video below. I actually really enjoy recording the process. It takes a bit time on beforehand (and afterward editing the video), but the extra concentration puts me even more in the flow. I don’t think, I paint ;-)! Here’s the result:
And here’s the video:
Have a beautiful day!

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Live painting demo: go with the flow

Live painting demo: go with the flow

Dear readers,

 

Today, I continued working in a ‘surrendered mode’. See for my inspiration yesterday’s blogpost.

I made a video of it, that you can see below.

 

Here’s the final result of the painting process:

And here’s the video:

Thanks for watching and going this journey with me!

Have a beautiful and creative day,

 

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Video Tutorial: Collage on a postcard (2)

Video Tutorial: Collage on a postcard (2)

 

Some links in this post are affiliate links, which means that I get a small commission if you buy the product when you follow them. You can read all about it on my disclosure page. Thanks for supporting me!

 

 Dear reader,

 

Today I created a video of the process of making a collage on a postcard. Collage-making is a wonderful thing to do. I write here about why it is so freeing, and why you can learn so much from it.

Because I’m such a big fan, I created a free video series about it, see below:

FREE ONLINE VIDEO SERIES!

Would you love to paint, but never take the time? Sign up here for the free video series about collage making, and start painting now!

 

I used the following materials:

  • Matte medium (I used the Dutch brand ‘Vanbeekart’, but you can also use Golden Matte Medium)
  • Golden Fluid Acrylics: Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold
  • Golden Fluid Acrylics: Turquoise Phtalo
  • Golden High Flow Acrylics Carbon Black
  • Empty Marker (Molotov)
  • Caran d’Ache Neocolor II (white and green turquoise)

 

MY FAVORITE MATERIALS!

Do you want to know which materials I use all the time? You’ll find my list in the Free Library!

Here’s the video! Subscribe to my channel ;-)!

Below you’ll find the final result:

Bye! Have a wonderful and creative day!

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