Creating mixed media art journals and scrapbook pages is becoming more and more popular amongst both artists and hobbyists alike but while there are plenty of books and websites about collage that are full of eye-candy, the underlying techniques needed to create successful collages are often ignored. This article explains the tools and materials – as used by professional artists – which can help everyone create mixed media artworks that are as durable as they are well-finished.
Picasso and the Origins of Mixed Media Collage Art
The word "collage" is derived from the word French word coller, meaning "to paste." The Spanish word for glue ‘cola’ has the same origin. A collage is taken to mean a pictoric composition composed of diverse cut or torn paper elements and adhered to a flat surface. This technique was widely used by Cubist and Dadaist artists such as Pablo Picasso and Kurt Schwitters and has subsequently gained a very wide following being one of the most intuitive ways of making art.
With the increasingly wide range of craft supplies that have become available during the second half of the twentieth century and the first part of the twenty-first, the concept of collage has been extended to include a variety of mixed media techniques resulting in textured and embellished surfaces that are a far cry from the original flat surface technique.
Why Not To Use Craft Glue for Adhering Paper Art
Given the variety of papers, card and mixed media now used in making collages, one of the biggest headaches for artists and crafters is how to permanently adhere the components of the composition. The use of glue sticks whilst avoiding staining and wrinkling often results in subsequent peeling off. Conversely, craft glues tend to cause papers to buckle. (Whatever the glue used, its important to use acid-free paper wherever possible. Read more about this topic in Palyn Peterson's article on preserving scrapbooks.)
Probably the best glue for collage is acrylic matt medium and virtually any reputable brand will do the job. Acrylic matt medium creates a very strong bond and although white when in the bottle, it dries matt and transparent, making it ideal for sticking down paper, card and mixed media items. It does not buckle even the thinnest of papers and it dries invisible except in very rare cases such as on coloured card/kraft paper where overspills may show due to the slight change in the surface texture created by the medium. In this case it can be removed by gently rubbing with a cotton bud dipped into denatured alcohol (methylated spirits).
Matt medium can also be used to seal collage elements before applying colour or as a varnish if surface colour is applied using water-based media such acrylics or ink.
Cheap brushes – either bristle or nylon – in a variety of sizes should be used for applying the medium. Between uses the brushes should be immediately dipped into slightly soapy water and then rinsed in clean water and dabbed on cloth to remove the excess water – this avoids the brushes going hard. If they do harden off, they can be gently coaxed back to life by soaking in hot soapy water and rubbing gently between the fingers to remove the glue or by immersing in denatured alcohol.
An old piece of acetate or a plastic file divider makes an ideal pasting surface to keep acrylic medium off the work surface.
Glue Sticks for Travel Art Journals
Although glue sticks have generally not recommendable for collage because of their tendency to come unstuck over time, it is now possible to buy permanent and acid-free brands which are more suitable for collage work.
Glue sticks (or Pritt sticks as they are known in the UK after the brand name used by the German company, Henkel, who invented the glue stick in 1969) are useful for travel journals when it is not practical to use liquid medium or for the beginner as they tend to permit a certain amount of readjustment of placing and some of the heavy duty ones can even be used to stick media other than paper.
Scissors, Scalpels and Craft Knives
For all types of collage, art journal-making or scrapbooking, a pair of strong and sharp scissors are essential. The ideal pair has very pointed, narrow blades which aren't too thick and are a comfortable fit for the size of the fingers. It isn’t necessary to buy very expensive scissors – although for a long-lasting pair, hairdressing scissors make a good choice because their blades are very fine and and they stay sharp for a long time.
A surgical scalpel or X-Acto knife– though they need handling with care – make the best craft knives because they have very fine, precise blades. ('10A' is a popular size for the Swann Morton scalpel blade and is often available in art and craft supply stores in the UK as well as through medical suppliers. '11' is the normal size for X-Acto which are more commonly found in art and craft shops in the USA.) Using one of these in conjunction with a metal ruler or straight edge and a self-healing cutting mat make trimming small or detailed elements much easier although curves are probably still best done with scissors.
Tearing out images rather than cutting them out with scissors gives the image a soft edge that can be more easily made to blend into the background or into other images in the composition.
Mixed Media Art Journals and Scrapbook Layouts That Last
Whatever the desired style or design, the secret to creating mixed media pieces that will stay looking good is choosing the right tools for the job.
By using these simple techniques and easily-sourced supplies used by experienced artists, anyone can create professional-looking, long-lasting mixed media art journals and scrapbook pages.
Read More About Collage Techniques and Art Journals
- Brommer, Gerald: Collage Techniques - A guide for Artists and Illustrators (Watson-Guptill Publications, 1994).
- Perrella, Lynne: Artists' Journals & Sketchbooks - Exploring and Creating Personal Pages (Quarry Books, 2004).
Cherry Jeffs - Artist, designer, gardener and earth-lover, I was born in the UK but have been living in Spain for the last thirteen years which gives me ...
