Collage

Collage

Doing collage is a great way to get your students to use mixed media and use their creative skills to create interesting works of art.  Collaging gives students an opportunity to work more abstractly and incorporate what they have learned about the elements of art into their work.  Students can tear, rip, shred, cut, and manipulate their materials to create interesting collages.  They can use a variety of paper with different color, patterns, and textures.  You can also use paper of different weights and with different transparencies.  Students can use almost anything to create their collages; cloth, buttons, beads, magazine paper, wallpaper, paint swatches, tissue paper, the possibilities are limitless.  

I would encourage my students to create a non-objective collage image incorporating what they have learned about the elements of art.  So this is a good time to review the elements of art with them and also teach them about some different compositions they use for their collages.  

Composition Arrangements 

S-Z Curve 

Radial

Cruciform

Diagonal 

Rectilinear

Overlapping

Pattern

I would show some examples of non-objective collage art to the students so they can get some idea about how they can go about doing their collage.  I would recommend Matt Moore and Greg Larmarche who are both brilliant collage artists.  

Greg Larmarche

I would have students grab what they want materials they would like use for their collages and have them start cutting and ripping their materials and start arranging their collages onto their paper they are going to glue their work on.  This paper can really be any color, though in my opinion using black paper makes the colors and patterns stand out more.  Have student experiment and try different techniques.  Show students how they can create balance and unity in their pieces.  Explain to them that you do want them to have fun and experiment, but still want them to be intentional with what they are doing.  Also be sure that they don't start gluing down their work too soon, have them try several different compositions even until they find one they respond to the most.