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CreateMixedMedia.com
COOL COLLAGE. Copyright 2011 by North Light
Books. All rights reserved. No part of this book may
be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or
mechanical means including information storage
and retrieval systems without permission in writing
from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may
quote brief passages in a review. Published by North
Light Books, an imprint of F+W Media, Inc., 10150
Carver Road, Blue Ash, Ohio 45242. (800) 289-0963.
The projects in this book are copyright by the
authors of those books:
Blowing Ink Diana Trout, Journal Spilling (North
Light Books, 2009)
Crayon Cupcakes Traci Bautista, Collage
Unleashed (North Light Books, 2006)
Activate With Markers Eric M. Scott & David R.
Modler, Journal Junkies Workshop (North Light Books,
2010)
Draw Into Wet Paper Eric M. Scott & David R.
Modler, Journal Junkies Workshop (North Light Books,
2010)
Stamp-a Doodle Diana Trout, Journal Spilling
(North Light Books, 2009)
Altered Book Pages Kimberly Santiago, Collage
Playground (North Light Books, 2010)
Creating Texture on a Painting Sheri Gaynor,
Creative Awakenings (North Light Books, 2009)
Stencils for Fabric Alma de la Melena Cox, Collage
Fusion (North Light Books, 2009)
Clear Contact Paper or Clear Packing Tape
Darlene Olivia McElroy & Sandra Duran Wilson, Image
Transfer Workshop (North Light Books, 2009)
Fabric Crayons Darlene Olivia McElroy & Sandra
Duran Wilson, Image Transfer Workshop (North Light
Books, 2009)
www.fwmedia.com
Cool Collage
A compilation of Mixed-Media Collage Techniques
To convert to multiply by
Inches Centimeters 2.54
Centimeters Inches 0.4
Feet Centimeters 30.5
Centimeters Feet 0.03
Yards Meters 0.9
Meters Yards 1.1
Metric Conversion Chart
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Blowing Ink 5
Crayon Cupcakes 6
Activate With Markers 7
Draw Into Wet Paper 8
Stamp-a-Doodle 9
Altered Book Pages 11
Creating Texture on a Painting 14
Stencils for Fabric 16
Clear Contact Paper or Clear
Packing Tape 18
Fabric Crayons 21
Resources 23
Table of Contents
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For most mixed-media
artists, the term collage has
become as much a part of
their creative vocabulary as
paint, alter or stitch. Yet
as much as we engage in
collage, its like anything else,
we are always hungry for
new ideas and new direc-
tions to wander off it, right?
(Or, if youre like me, jump into
with both feet!)
I think youre going to be
really happy with the tech-
niques weve pulled together
for you because not only are
most, if not all, of the ideas
going to offer something
new to you, but there is a
wonderful variety since these
techniques come from nine
artists (and seven great
books) who are considered
true experts in the arena of
mixed-media art.
All of these techniques are
here to help you broaden
your creative toolbox and act
as a springboard for looking
at what youre currently doing
in terms of art in a new way.
Whether its blowing ink
around on your journal
page, using crayons as
a resist for what you love to
paint, or taking the use of
stencils to an unexpected
level, I hope you are inspired
by what you nd here and
make each new idea
work for you in your own
unique way.
~Tonia Davenport
Acquisitions Editor
North Light Books
Introduction
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From JOURNAL SPILLING by Diana Trout
From the author:
This couldnt be simpler or more satisfyingly random. (This
could also be very therapeutic at the end of a hard day!)
1
Put a couple of drops of ink on any paper.
2
Use a small straw, like a coffee stirrer, to move the
ink around. Thats it!
4
Adding a bit of water will make it easy for the ink
to branch out even more.
3
This ink was a bit thick so I had to give a spritz
to get it moving. Water can also refresh ink that
dried a bit when you went to answer the phone.
M AT E R I A L S
liquid ink, any color
paper, any kind
small straw or coffee stirrer
water in a spray bottle
Blowing Ink
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From COLLAGE UNLEASHED by Traci Bautista
From the author:
Crayons. Broken crayons, metallic crayons, multicolor crayons
. . . who knew that this kids medium would be great to use for
painted backgrounds? I create crayon cupcakes in order to
have multicolored pieces to color with. This is a great way to use
up all of those broken bits! In this section youll discover various
ways to use the crayons in your artwork.
1
Remove the paper wrappers and break crayons
into small pieces. Cut apart the sections of the
mufn tin. Fill the bottom of one section with a layer
of crayons; use a variety of colors, including a few
metallic and glitter crayon pieces.
2
Sprinkle in glitter or mica akes for added
sparkle. Set the oven to 250 (121C) and
place the mufn tin in the oven until the crayons
are melted (usually in 1012 minutes). Turn off the
oven and let the tin stand in the oven to cool. Do not
move the mufn tin until the crayons have hardened,
to prevent the melted crayons from over-mixing.
M AT E R I A L S
variety of crayons,
including metallic and glitter
disposable mufn tin
glitter or mica akes
oven
Crayon Cupcakes
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From JOURNAL JUNKIES WORKSHOP by Eric M. Scott & David R. Modler
From the author:
A water-based marker used over watercolor pencil adds up to
a vibrant color blend. This technique leaves a lot of the watercolor
pencil pigment on the marker tip, so you may want to have markers
that you use only for this technique. Also, this technique is not effective
with darker markers because the darker marker overpowers the
watercolor pencil. All watercolor pencils will change in some way
when blended with water-based marker. It can be interesting to
overlap different colors or to purposely mix red with yellow to create
orange or combine blue with yellow to get green and so on.
1
After you have applied watercolor pencil to a
page, use a water-based marker in a contrast-
ing color to blend into the watercolor pencil. Yellow
and other light colors work well.
2
Continue until you have lled as much of the
page as desired. The tip of the marker can
quickly get covered with watercolor pencil pigment.
You may need to wipe the excess pigment from the
marker tip if the ink doesnt ow.
M AT E R I A L S
watercolor pencil
water-based marker
paper
water
Activate With Markers
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From JOURNAL JUNKIES WORKSHOP by Eric M. Scott & David R. Modler
From the author:
You can work watercolor pencil into wet paper as well as
dry. The look is similar to dipping the pencil into water, but more
bleeding takes place. Be careful not to tear the wet page
1
Brush clean water or a wash of watercolor onto
a page.
M AT E R I A L S
paintbrush
water
watercolor paint (optional)
watercolor pencil
2
Working quickly, use the watercolor pencil to
draw on the wet page. Be careful not to tear
the paper.
3
You may need to apply more water if the page
dries too quickly while you work.
Draw Into Wet Paper
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From JOURNAL SPILLING by Diana Trout
From the author:
Keep a page in your journal handy for doodling potential
stamp images.
1
Using a pencil, sketch the design of your choice
onto a piece of paper. Then turn the sketch over
and apply a layer of soft graphite to the back of it to
make a carbon.
M AT E R I A L S
graphite pencil
paper
soft carving block
craft knife
permanent ink pen
stamp pad
2
Flip the carbon side down onto the soft
carving block and trace over the image using
a rm hand and pencil or embossing tool. Lift the
paper design up periodically to make sure that
the image is transferring.
3
Ive removed the design paper, and you can
see the faint pencil transfer, here. Cut the
excess carving material away, using a craft knife.
Stamp-a-Doodle
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4
To make the lines easier to see, use a perma-
nent pen to retrace the image. A permanent
pen is best because pencil will eventually smudge
off as youre working. (Feel free to skip the transfer
process completely and draw simple shapes directly
onto the carving material with a permanent pen.)
5
Now you are ready to start carving. Begin with
a ne blade and work through the details in
the center. Tip: To carve circles, its easier to turn the
block and keep the blade stationary. After youre
done with the ne details, carve off the excess
softblock material outside of the image, using a
craft knife. Make sure that you create a gentle
sloping valley away from the cut. A shelf will break
down and weaken your stamp.
6
Sometimes it is difcult to see where you are in
the carving process. If this happens, ink your
stamp and test it. Examine both the inked stamp
and the stamped image. Youll easily see if more
material needs to be carved away.
Here is my rst proof of my pod image. There was
a little bit of material I wanted to remove outside of
the image on the right, and the white line on the
right seemed a bit wavy.
7
If there are parts of the stamp that printed
that you feel still need to go away, continue
carving and make a second test print. I did a bit
more cutting until I was satised with the print.
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TIP
You do not have to allow the paint to dry to continue to step 2. In fact, by adding a second color to the wet
paint, you blend to make a new color! Try different applicationsremember, you have an entire book of pages.
From COLLAGE PLAYGROUND by Kimberly Santiago
From the author:
The pages of vintage books offer an endless supply of collage sources.
By adding a little paint, adding matte medium, cutting out shapes or
tracing stencils, you can manipulate each page to be unique. Because
this is such a fast process, I suggest creating multiple pages within one
sitting. Remember to seek books that are copyright free.
Painted: Use acrylic paint as your surface-enriching medium to create
backgrounds for collage work. The transparency of the paintmixed with
matte mediumallows the words from the page to show through.
1
Prepare your work surface for paint. Tear out
multiple book pages. Select three complemen-
tary acrylic paint colors for your palette. Add a small
amount of matte medium to the palette.
Lay out three to four book pages. Begin by
dipping your brush into the clean water, followed by
one paint color and nally the matte medium. Brush
over a large area of your book page. Repeat on
other book pages.
M AT E R I A L S
acrylic paint set
vintage book pages
matte medium
palette for paint
paintbrushes
cup of clean water
2
Lightly clean excess paint off the brush. Dip
your brush into a second color and the matte
medium. Brush over a small area of the book
page, blending the paint into the rst color. Repeat
on other book pages.
Repeat this step, using a third paint color. Allow
the pages to dry.
Altered Book Pages
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M AT E R I A L S
colored markers
vintage book pages
scissors
stencil templates
1
Tear out multiple book pages. Lay them out on
your work surface. Position the stencil template
on a book page, looking closely at words or graph-
ics you might want to capture within the shape.
Using a ne-tip marker, trace in and around the
template.
2
Using scissors, cut the shape out.
Positive Stencil
A positive stencil will take on the whole shape of the image. Cohesive
images work best, but you can add interior details if desired.
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M AT E R I A L S
colored markers
vintage book pages
colored pencils
stencil templates
1
Tear out multiple book pages. Lay them out
on your work surface. Position the stencil on a
book page, looking closely at words or graphics
you might want to capture within the shape. Using a
ne-tip marker, trace in and around the template.
2
Using colored pencils, color in the stencil picture
as desired.
Negative Stencil
A negative image creates an empty space perfect for embellishing with
markers, pencils and paints. I typically dont cut these images out, but you
can if you want to keep track of the pieces.
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From CREATIVE AWAKENINGS by Sheri Gaynor
From the author:
Using Claybord as a substrate is an easy way to get instant
texture into your mixed-media pieces. Its uses are varied and the
results can add surprising and unexpected elements to your
artwork. Here, Im trying out some of artist Mary Beth Shaws secrets
for texture like those she used for the piece, The Clarity Cave.
1
Paint over the Claybord with thin layers of paint
mixed with gel medium. There shouldnt be a lot
of paint on your brush. Here, I mixed a layer of green-
gold with yellow, then added a layer of ultramarine
blue over the top.
M AT E R I A L S
Claybord (Ampersand)
acrylic paint
matte gel medium
paintbrush
colored pencil
carving tools
Dremel tool
wire brush
sandpaper
2
Let the paint dry, then use a colored pencil
to sketch out your desired composition. Here,
Im using a white pencil so it shows up against the
blue. If you make a mark you dont want, it usually
easy enough to just rub it out.
Creating Texture on a Painting
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3
Use a ne carving tool to scrape outlines of the
lines youve drawn. 4
Use the Dremel tool to scratch texture into
some of the shapes, like these ower petals.
5
Use a wire brush to create cross-hatching
texture. 6
Use sandpaper to soften areas and add
subtle distressing.
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1
Using the black marker, outline the stencil
design on the paper. (Note: My stencil has an
A stencil and a B stencil. If you have a two-piece
stencil, its important to trace them in order: A rst,
then B.)
From the author:
Decorator stencils are not just for paint but for fabric, too. They help create repeating patterns
that can unify artwork. This stencil design uses two fabrics, but you can use many more if youd
like. The cover of a wood photo album can capture a theme for the memories inside.
M AT E R I A L S
black ne-tipped permanent
marker
stencil
paper
Steam-A-Seam 2 (SAS2)
scissors
fabrics
iron
Stencils for Fabric
From COLLAGE FUSION by Alma de la Melena Cox
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2
Using the black marker, trace the design onto
the back of the SAS2. (The stencil I used does
not have a right or left side, so I traced the design
directly onto the back of the SAS2. Because one
vertical half is the mirror image of the other, the
design transfers the same.)
3
Using the scissors, cut out the pieces. Lay the
pieces on their corresponding shapes on top
of the paper stencil design to help keep them in
order.
4
Remove the back paper of the SAS2 for each
piece and place them on the artwork surface,
making sure the design is the same as you transfer.
Fuse the fabric and continue the process until
youve nished the piece.
TIP
When laying the pieces onto the painted
surface, nd the point you consider the middle
and work out from there. I concentrated on
placing the largest center pieces rst, then
worked my way out and around.
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1
Select the image to be transferred. If using
packing tape: Use scissors to cut the contact
paper to the size needed. Peel off the backing and
put sticky side down on the face of the image.
If using packing tape: layer the packing tape to
the size needed to cover the image.
From the author:
These are two of the easiest transfer techniques, and they use products we often have available at
home. You can use either toner-based or magazine images (with the exception of magazine images
that are coated with either a varnish or plastic coating).
Packing tape is thinner and more transparent than the contact paper, but it has restricted width.
After applying the packing tape or contact paper to the image face, the trick is to burnish the
image well so the ink sticks to the adhesive. You can actually see this happen.
M AT E R I A L S
toner-based or magazine
image
clear contact paper or
clear packing tape
background surface
bone folder or large spoon
sandpaper
spray bottle of water
soft cloth (optional)
soft gel (gloss) or polymer
medium (gloss)
paintbrush
scissors
Clear Contact Paper or Clear Packing Tape
From IMAGE TRANSFER WORKSHOP by Darlene Olivia McElroy & Sandra Duran Wilson
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2
Using a bone folder or a large spoon, burnish
the image thoroughly. You want the ink from the
image to transfer completely to the contact paper
or packing tape.
3
Using the sandpaper, lightly rough up the back
of the image to break up the paper backing.
4
Using the spray bottle with water, moisten the
paper backing. 5
Using your ngers or a soft cloth, rub off the
wet paper, leaving the ink on the contact
paper.
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Troubleshooting
GHOST IMAGES
If you dont remove all of the paper, youll have a
ghost-like paper residue. Let the paper backing dry,
then repeat steps 4 and 5.
6
Using a paintbrush, apply polymer medium or
soft gel onto the background surface. 7
Lay the contact paper or packing tape image
sticky-side down. Using a paintbrush, smooth
out the image to the surface with polymer medium
or soft gel.
MISSING PIECES OF THE IMAGE?
If youre missing pieces of the image after remov-
ing the paper, there are two possible explana-
tions: Either you didnt burnish the image enough,
or you rubbed too hard while removing the paper
backing. This result can actually add more texture
and interest to your transfer, but if youre look-
ing for a near-perfect transfer follow this advice:
Burnish hard and several times in step 2. Be gentle
when removing the paper in step 5take off one
layer of paper, then let it dry. Repeat steps 4 and
5 until all the paper is removed
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From the author:
This is a fun and easy technique. You can build up textures and layers of fun
drawings. It is also a great way to create a resist on a water-based painting.
You can build up interesting patterns using different rubbing or textural surfaces with
different colors.
You can also use a candle or regular crayon on the copy paper over texture and impart
this to your painting as a resist.
M AT E R I A L S
Crayola Fabric Crayons
textured plates or surfaces
background surface
copy paper
Iron
thin towels or paper towels
silicone paper
scissors
paintbrush
glue
Fabric Crayons
From IMAGE TRANSFER WORKSHOP by Darlene Olivia McElroy & Sandra Duran Wilson
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I WAS USING A PAINTED BACKGROUND AND
NOTHING SHOWED UP. WHAT HAPPENED?
We discovered that when trying this technique over
an acrylic painting that the crayon didnt transfer
as well. We then tried a washacrylic paint mixed
with waterpainted over the surface, and it acted
as a resist. When we tried ironing the pattern again,
it did show up.
I WAS USING A PAINTED BACKGROUND, AND IT
MELTED. WHAT HAPPENED?
The heat from the iron can melt the paint if there
is a thick layer. Try using a background that has a
thinner layer of paint.
Troubleshooting
1
Place a piece of copy paper over a textured
plate or textured surface. Using a fabric crayon,
rub over the surface. You can also blend another
color on top.
2
If desired, prepare additional rubbings, and
use the scissors to cut them to desired sizes. Set
the background surface on the towel. Place the
rubbings crayon-side down onto the background,
then place the silicone paper over the rubbing
paper. Place a thin towel over the silicone paper.
Using an iron on a medium setting (no steam), iron
the transfer using gentle but rm pressure. Pull back
a corner to see if the transfer is working.
3
You may continue to iron other patterns onto
the background until you have the desired
results.
When you are nished ironing, peel the image
paper off the background. If desired, you can use
the scissors to cut the image paper into shapes.
Using a paintbrush, adhere the shapes to the
background with a medium or glue of your choice.
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To learn more about the artists or
purchase any of the books featured
in this publication, please visit the
web addresses listed below:
Resources
DIANAS WEBSITE
DIANAS BLOG
DIANAS ETSY SHOP
JOURNAL
JUNKIES
WORKSHOP
by Eric M. Scott &
David R. modler
BUY IT
BUY IT
JOURNAL
JUNKIES
by Diana Trout
JOURNAL JUNKIES
WEBSITE
JOURNAL JUNKIES
BLOG
TRACIS WEBSITE
TRACIS BLOG
TRACIS ETSY SHOP
COLLAGE
PLAYGROUND
by Kimberly Santiago
BUY IT
BUY IT
COLLAGE
UNLEASHED
by Traci Bautista
KIMBERLYS WEBSITE
KIMBERLYS BLOG
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SHERIS WEBSITE
SHERIS BLOG
SHERIS ETSY SHOP
COLLAGE FUSION
by Alma De La Melena Cox
BUY IT
BUY IT
CREATIVE
AWAKENINGS
by Sheri Gaynor
ALMAS WEBSITE
ALMAS BLOG
To learn more about the artists or
purchase any of the books featured
in this publication, please visit the
web addresses listed below:
Resources (continued)
IMAGE TRANSFER
WORKSHOP
by Darlene Olivia McElroy
& Sandra Duran Wilson
BUY IT
IMAGE TRANSFER
WORKSHOPS
WEBSITE
IMAGE TRANSFER
WORKSHOPS
BLOG
DARLENES WEBSITE
SANDRAS WEBSITE