Why Collage is the Perfect Creative Outlet for Beginners by Aspen Leavitt

Hey CreateSpace!

I think from time to time, every artist finds themselves in a place where their favorite art forms are presenting challenges, or their wellspring of ideas has run dry, but trying new techniques to spice things up can be daunting at best, and downright discouraging at worst. I think everyone should have a chance to create work that reflects the learning period as much as the end product, is quick and accessible, and has a rich history of inspiration to draw from. If you’re guessing I mean collage.... you’re guessing correctly!!! Stick around for some inspiration and some guidance on how to get started with your first collage project!

Collage (also referred to as assemblage) is one of those mediums that is all around us, but many people may not know how it came to be so prolific! As familiar as we may be with the works of Eric Carle and “Hungry Hungry Caterpillar” (just an absolute banger of a kid’s book), we may know less about the storied history of collage being rooted in the cubism, surrealism and dadaism art movements, or how California played a big role in assemblage/collage art as a whole! Maybe I’ll do a whole history post--but that’s for another time!

I may not be here to tell you about how collage came to be, but I am here to encourage you to give it a shot, and talk about why I think it’s so perfect to get you out of a creative slump! As I mentioned before, I think collage is a medium that truly reflects the creative process, along with the learning curve. It has endless possibilities and applications, and can be done digitally, or traditionally! My favorite thing of all, though, is that other than the rules of art we are familiar with already (scale, composition, color theory, contrast, and so on...), collage is an artform that has very little barring new artists from entering the space! Every craft store has isles upon isles of scrapbooking stickers, scalloped scissors, and paper cutouts, and grocery stores and gas stations have magazines aplenty! Even if you wanted to create using items in your own home, like old photos, ticket stubs, or flyers from events you went to, there are ways to incorporate your life and interests into your new collage piece.

One of my favorite places to start with collaging is the ever-popular moodboard. Who hasn’t created a Pinterest moodboard for their favorite aesthetic or popular beloved tv show character? Well, now you have the chance to stretch your legs in a creative way doing much the same thing! Before you get going, write down a web of words that reflect this project! What colors, themes, or textures would convey the message you are trying to get across? Thumbnail sketches can be helpful for some during this stage, but others may want the collage process to take them where it may! This is what I mean when I say the learning curve is reflected within the project: every overlapping line or bump on the canvas shows where you chose to layer one cutout over another, and shows your journey from start to finish! If moodboards don’t interest you, try telling the story of an experience you had, or try to visualize an emotion! My favorite tip if you have absolutely no idea where to start is to start from your materials first and see where that takes you! You may not know you had it in you to make art about downtown LA, but if that’s what kind of magazine or periodical you have access to, see what kind of story you can make!

My greatest wish is that you’ll give collaging/assemblage a good honest try, because I genuinely find it to be engaging, relaxing, and truly unique. It has really bumped me out of some creative ruts, and I think there’s massive potential for everyone! There’s low-effort ways to get started and there’s a project out there for everybody! I’m putting some of my favorite getting-started tips and tricks below, use them joyfully, and go forth and create!

Tips and Tricks:

• For traditional collage:

  • Mod Podge is your best friend for assemblage, but if you only have access to glue, that works just as well! There are also TONS of recipes online for how to create your own very strong adhesives, including recipes using cornstarch!

  • I mentioned scrapbooking stickers, but O.M.G! The world of stationery is endless! Hit up your local school supply section and see what inspires you!

  • Try applying collages to different surfaces! Collages make great gifts, so try collaging on canvas, shaped wood, jewelry boxes, the possibilities are endless! I even collage over the top of old paintings/art pieces that I feel need some work!

  • For digital collage:

    • Sky’s the limit! If you have access to an iPad or Photoshop (or even Canva or Powerpoint!!), you can use images from anywhere on the internet! My advice is to steer away from using other hand drawn work directly, since it’s often quite recognizable, but photos published online are fair game as long as they’re changed by you!

    • Since it’s digital, use colors and textures unavailable to traditional versions of this artform, such as CD textures, TV static/snow, or chromatic aberration (the red/blue 3d effect)

    • Try making fake “stickers” by making a white border around text, icons, or doodles, and add small drop shadow to enhance the effect!

As always, tag us or share your work in the discord if you use our blog as inspiration, we just ADORE seeing what you create! Thanks so much for reading this! Until next time, CreateSpace!

Love, Aspen