Goal: To combine collage and mixed media to create a unified piece of artwork. Collage can be used as a ground and or a focal element within a work of art. Your mixed media can be used as linear elements highlighting collage, or as a more central aspect of your design.
Process:
1. Identify an artist's work that you feel drawn to and would like to model your final piece after. A great place to look for contemporary collage artists to be inspired by is visiting This is Colossal, The Jealous Curator, My Modern Met, or Booooooom. Document your research in your sketchbook. This should be accomplished by printing off several pieces of artwork (5-7 minimum) you visually connect with and are inspired by. Place these into your sketchbook and annotate the artwork.
Questions for Artwork Annotation:
1. Include the credit line information for each image found.
2. What about the artist's composition stands out to you? (How the art is made.)
3. How is the artist's content or message supported by their composition?
3. What is one specific take away you apply to your own artwork?
2. Now that you have identified the process that your inspirational artist has used, experiment with their processes and techniques in your sketchbook. You should have several thumbnail sketches focused on developing a greater understanding of the artist's technique and application. Your investigation should cover at least one sketchbook page with annotations of your processes.
3. How can you apply this artist's technique to your unique content? What will your unique message be?
4. In your sketchbook, connect the collage technique of your artist to your personal content. Create three rough sketches focused on the composition you could use to illustrate your content. Make sure to think about how your composition choices will affect what is emphasized within your work. How you choose to use your medias and collage will also affect this.
5. Find two peers to critique your composition sketches. Allow them to provide feed back. What do they perceive your message to be? Does their response match your intended message? If not, what can you do to modify it? If it already matches, how can you strengthen it? What about your composition most directly expresses the content.
6. Use your peer feedback to create your final piece of artwork. Remember the minimum is 8"x10" and the maximum is 18"x14" for your final project.