Hey everyone, it’s Kate back with another art journal project! Today, we’re diving into the world of collage.
I pulled out a few different papers I had on hand. Some came from pre-made packs at Hobby Lobby and Dollar Tree. I even included a piece with a cute Christmas print that might find its way into a future holiday project!
For this piece, though, I decided to go with some florals from the Hobby Lobby pack. I love that it has different shapes pre-cut – it’s so fun to play with! I grabbed my glue stick and started arranging the papers on my sketchbook page.
Collage can be intimidating, but it’s also super freeing. You can always paint over something you don’t like – who cares? That’s the beauty of it!
I decided to go with a background piece that covered the entire page, gluing it down with the glue stick (much easier than waiting for liquid glue to dry!).
Next, I grabbed some gesso to mute the background a bit without completely hiding all the pretty patterns. Gesso is also a great way to add texture and prepare your surface for further embellishments.
Now, for a touch of distressing! I pulled out some clear stamps I found at Dollar Tree (another budget-friendly win!). This is actually my first time using them, so I decided to experiment with a couple of floral designs. I wanted to add some subtle texture that echoed the flowers in the background paper.
To color the stamped images, I used some gray ink. I like to test things on scrap paper first to make sure the color intensity isn’t too strong. You can always add more gesso later if you need to lighten things up.
After stamping a couple of areas, I grabbed a yellow water-soluble pencil to highlight some of the paper edges. This pencil is fantastic because it blends beautifully with a little water.
Finally, I felt like the piece needed a little extra something. I have these gel sticks from KingArt. When you’re adding water, they’re great on top of gesso, but on plain paper, they still leave a bold, crayon-like mark. So depending on the effect you’re going for, just keep that in mind.
After a bit of deliberation (because choosing colors can be tough!), I decided to go with a touch of purple. I dabbed the color onto a scrap piece of paper first, then used my brush with a little water to gently move the color around and soften it up.
I love how this project turned out! The background papers provide just enough visual interest to make the pre-cut floral design pop. Plus, everything kind of leads your eye right to it.
In the end, I decided to leave the piece as-is. Sometimes, it’s good to know when to stop!
So, that’s my art journal collage for today. I hope it inspires you to get creative with your own collages! Until next time, keep on creating!