Notes on my collage technique

 

250 lb Bockingford paper

Substrate

1 Canvas board

2 Stretched canvas

3 Heavyweight paper 200lb and above

Found papers for collage 

1 Text from magazines

2 Coloured tissue paper - staining and non-staining

3 Dressmaking patterns

4 Wrapping tissue paper

5 Coloured patterned paper

6 Gelli pad designs on paper and strong tissue paper

7 Holiday and promotional brochures, postage stamps, maps, inside patterns in envelopes etc 

Glue

1 Acrylic Matt Medium - peels away easily from the fingers when dry- my favourite

2 Others Mod Podge, PVA or wallpaper paste.

3 It is best to moisten heavier papers to avoid creases- the glue is applied to the substrate and the collage paper.

4 Tissue paper should be applied with glue on the substrate only and lightly brushed over when in position. 

5 Synthetic flat brushes are used for the application of glue.

Collage Placement

1 For landscapes I normally paint the sky in acrylic to just below the horizon line and in watercolour on paper.

2 I placed the paper randomly below the top horizon line either vertical or horizontal and avoiding diagonal lines trying to vary the shape of each piece and completely covering the surface on the canvas.

3 I tend to keep the stronger warmer colours to the foreground. Tissue squares are placed across areas to have a gradual change in tone.

Penwork

1 Waterproof black ink

Acrylic 

1 Opaque Titanium white to define the shapes and transparent acrylic to change the colour if necessary.

2 Transparent colour glazes for the darks to allow the collage pattern to show through. Never black or Payne's grey for the shadows.

Others

1 Stencils and stamps can be used as well as alcohol pens

Sealing

1 UV sealant to prevent the colours from fading.

2 Two to three coats of varnish to finish either matt, gloss or satin. My choice is matt.

 

Outdoor Sketching at Dunbar and finished painting

 

Sketch from over the drawbridge on my stool with my back to the rock outcrop using a black pen on a 20x16 inch canvas board. Inset shows the view. It was getting cold so I returned to the cottage.

Some coloured tissue added to the buildings and dressmaking patterns to the harbour area.

Returned later in the day to photograph the returning fishing boats. Our cottage was just to the left of the orange buoy up the steps.

The finished painting by adding the boats, lobster pots and just indicate some detail along the quayside.

Lanchester collage of Middle Eastern City workshop

Collage using a 12x12 inch variegated sheet from the Works with magazine offcuts.

For the Cairo painting the pyramids where formed using a cut stencil and Distress ink from Ranger.

The main domes and minarets where placed in their approximate positions and remaining spaces filled with random offcuts maintaining verticals and horizontals. The sky remained the colour of the substrate.

Black lines using Uniball waterproof for the thin lines and Sharpie for the broader lines where used to indicated windows, doors, smaller domes, battlements and roofs.

Transparent burnt sienna was used to indicate the shallow behind the building with a blue glace added when dry to deepen the colour.

Cairo

My efforts

Jerusalem

Some of the members work after two sessions -still line work and shading to do

My collage workshop at Chester-le-Street Tuesday Group.

Two projects :- Town scene and Vases

Random collage strips on a sheet of mount board and a quarter sheet of 200 lb Bockingford using tissue, newsprint and wrapping paper.

My paintings

Staithes

Vases shapes from stencil then negative flat opaque painting for the background and transparent darks for the table and some tinting on the vases.

Some of the work in progress.

Staithes Collage

Canvas covered with collage using dressing making patterns, tissue pattern paper and newsprint from an artist magazine.

-sketch added with black pen and sharpie

-painted sky and white buildings

Finished painting

Collage workshop at Corbridge Tuesday 13 June 2017

Workshop at the Corbridge Parish Hall, St Helen’s Street organised by Katy who I had met previously at Rothbury Coquetdale Art Gallery. Ten members attended the workshop which lasted from 10 until  3 with Judith having to leave early so I have no photo of her work.
The work consisted of drawing the image of Staithes and covering the work with a watercolour wash to kill the white of the paper. Collage of tissue paper, dress making patterns and newsprint were added to the painting then the drawing enhanced with black pen work. Subsequent washes of watercolour were added to definite the buildings. Finally, white acrylic was used to bring out the highlights. 
We had two images to work from, one showing the buildings across the footbridge from Cowbar in perspective and the other showing a stylised profile with no perspective of the same view.

My paintings

 This painting was completed at the workshop and left with the group.

This one was started at the workshop and completed at home.

 Members Work

 Katy

 Linda

 Alison

Maggie

 Neville

 Judith

Lynette

Dorothy

Julia

Tissue dress patterns as substrate

  Staithes 

Random lines using dress making pattern glued on to canvas board  then watercolour added.

Drawing added then white acrylic 

Whitby East Bank

Robin Hoods Bay