Beginner's Collage Techniques : Creating Compelling Collage Textures

Creating Compelling Collage Textures & Effects

Experimental Process of Texturization

By Chris Dunmire

In Parts 1, 2, 3, and 4, I showed you how to make a magazine collage, assemblage, mixed-media collage and book cover collage.

As you've learned, it's the eclectic mix of colors, textures, and elements that make creating collages fun and interesting to the eye. By using a variety of materials and techniques, you can discover "happy accidents" in texture design that adds to the appeal of your collage.

The following examples demonstrate some unique texture effects I discovered during my own collage experimentation. Be open to trying anything, including allowing yourself to "ruin" some materials, make less-than-perfect "messterpieces", and let your creativity flow!

Part 5: Collage Textures and Backgrounds

Additional Materials Needed:

• Open to a variety of papers, fabrics, and techniques.

Collage Technique: "Peeling Paint"

Made from found papers and acrylic paint on a wood support. This texture, reminiscent of peeling paint, is the result of combining and painting over different papers in the collage — while leaving some parts unglued and lifted.

Collage Technique: "Wrinkled Blue"

Made from tissue paper, coffee filters, and acrylic paint on a wood support. This texture was created by painting over and down folded tissue paper and coffee filters onto the support.

Collage Technique: "Mosaic Kitty"

Made from brown paper bag strips, shredded origami paper, and acrylic paint on a wood support. Using strips from a paper grocery bag gave the background on this collage a hard, leathery texture. Torn bits of foiled origami paper gave the inner kitty a flecked, mosaic effect.

Collage Technique: "Webbly Weave"

Made with tissue paper and acrylic paint on a wood support. When tissue paper is crumpled, pressed down, and painted over, it creates an interesting textural effect that reminiscent of fibers or spider Webs.

Collage Technique: "Shredded Treat"

Comprised of shredded papers glued on a wood support. Mixed shredded paper also creates an interesting texture effect that can act as a background or design itself. An assortment of tissue and printer paper was run through a paper shredder and used for this background.

Are you ready to see all of these techniques come together? Move on to Part 6 to see how I combined background texture with magazine collage and other interesting elements to produce more unique and interesting collage combinations.

Continue to Part 6, Collage Combinations »

About the Author | More by Chris Dunmire
Chris Dunmire is an artist, humorist, Kaizen-Muse creativity coach, and the driving force behind the popular Creativity-Portal.com Web site. Chris inspires people of all ages with creativity articles, printable playbooks, and fun projects such as her world-famous Dollar Bill Origami Money Plant.

Please respect the creator's copyright by not duplicating this article on your Web site, blog, electronic or print publication.

Updated 03/22/09