How do artists make collages?
A collage is a piece of art made from different pieces of paper, photos and other materials.
Collages also might have painting and drawing on them.
Collage artists spend time arranging the materials and trying out different ideas, before sticking them onto a surface.
They tear or cut materials before sticking them together.
Collages can be of anything and might be True to real life. Art that doesn't represent reality, but uses shapes, colours and textures for effect. or even Strange and dreamlike.
Watch how to make a collage
Find out about collages and how you can have a go with Oliver Jeffers
Oliver Jeffers: A collage is a picture made by sticking torn or cut up materials together.
To make a collage, you can use pieces of paper, card, or any other items you can find.
Some artists make collages using photographs, like Hannah Höch did. That type of collage is called photomontage.
Brianna McCarthy makes colourful pictures of faces using collage. And Kurt Schwitters made collages out ofthings other people had thrown away.
Right, I'm going to make my own collage.
To start with, I'll think about a theme or an idea. Then I'll sketch it out.
The next thing to think about is what to use to make it.
I've got some leftover materials, old pieces of paper and things like that, that I'm going to use.
I'm tearing and cutting pieces for my collage.
If you're having a go, you'll need help from a grown-up to use sharp scissors.
Before I glue them, I will lay out all my materials and move them around until I'm happy. Yes, that looks great!
Now all that's left to do is to stick them down using glue.
Okay, there we go! And piece by piece, I've made a house collage! I think it looks great.
Examples of collages and collage artists
Look at these examples of collages and collage artists. Maybe you will get some ideas and make your own!
Image caption, Kurt Schwitters's collage - Untitled (It's terrific!), 1944
The German artist Kurt Schwitters collected things that he found on the streets. He used these materials that were someone else's rubbish and made them into a collage for his art. He took his time to arrange the items in a way that looked pleasing to him.
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Make your own collage
You could make a collage using pieces of paper that would otherwise be thrown away, such as envelopes and old newspapers. Make sure you ask an adult if you are not sure what to use.
You could have a go at collaging an imaginary face using different types of paper and card, in the style of Brianna McCarthy.
Activity
Did you know?
Paper was invented in China thousands of years ago.
The French word papier collé is where the word collage came from. It means pasted paper or paper cut-outs.
You can make a collage using anything that you can stick to a surface.
It is a good idea to play around with your collage before you stick things down.
Quiz
Glossary
Here are the meanings of some important words.
Abstract - Art that doesn't represent reality, but uses shapes, colours and textures for effect.
Collage - You can make a collage using anything that you can stick to a surface.
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