Owning It: Design: Projects: Photo Collage

Also known as Assemblage, create a familiar thing using other things as the building blocks.

  • How do I create a convincing image by the effective use and manipulation of other images?

What am I making? And Examples

How do I make it?

  • You can see a Video of me making mine - recommend scrubbing through it rapidly

  • Follow the Steps below...

Steps

  1. Imagine what you will make out of smaller images - a Face? a House? a Body of a human or animal? a Car?

    • Then imagine, what kinds of building blocks you would use -- like tomato slices for car wheels?

  2. Using Photopea or Photoshop, create a new blank document,

    • 300 DPI, 8.5 inches by 11 inches

  3. Using the File menu, do Save or Save as PSD often so you don't ever lose a lot of work!

  4. Copy and Paste at least 10 images into your scene, for each image...

    • Name the Layer by double-clicking on it

    • Use Selection Tools like Magic Wand to select and delete the background from the pasted image

    • Also can use Eraser to delete unwanted parts (after using Select menu, Deselect)

    • Edit menu, Free Transform to do resizing and rotating and moving

  5. In the Layers panel, drag Layers up and down to change how they overlap

    • Naming your layers really helps - double-click on the name to change it!

  6. Apply Effects to help Blend the elements together

    • Layer menu, New Adjustment Layer lets you adjust brightness, exposure, levels, etc...

      1. then do Layer menu, Clipping Mask so it only affects that one image and not everything beneath it!

    • Click eff or fx at the bottom of the Layers panel to add Layer Effects such as Outer Glow or Stroke or Drop Shadow

    • Can also experiment with Blending modes, change Normal to Multiply or one of the other ones

  7. Look at the Grading criteria below, make any adjustments needed

  8. Using the File menu, do Save or Save as PSD one last time

  9. File menu, Export menu, Export As... and use the JPG format

  10. On Google Sites, under Pages, create a new page called Photo Collage.

  11. Use Insert Image or a layout to place your photo collage.

    • Make sure you uncrop it

  12. Write one or two things about What You Learned in doing this assignment.

  13. When done, push the Publish button, review the settings, and publish.

  14. Then click the chain-link button, Copy the link for your page, and turn in the link.

Grading

  • Uses Graphic Design Principles such as Alignment, Emphasis, Contrast to effectively present an image concept

  • Blended: Find a way to make all the image "parts" work together

  • Quantity: Quality matters most, but find a way to include at least 10 different images into your composition

  • Fill the Page: create a full Composition that uses the whole page

Career Connections

  • Flex those Photoshop skills! This will empower you for many future projects

Resources