For the past few days we have discussed the wonderful and exhilarating world of collage.  I’ve challenged you to open your mind, let your juices flow and freely express yourself in the most creative manner.

A collage is a picture made up in part by gluing or otherwise attaching found objects, images and textural materials to a surface. The composition can be made entirely of those things or it may also incorporate drawings, paintings, printed matter, and photographic processes among other things.

Unlike glue, acrylic mediums make successful adhesives because they retain their flexibility when dry and do not stain the materials they touch.

Below is a list of the four different categories of collages divided by materials (not all inclusive):

1. A collage of materials found rather than created; such as, photographs, labels from cans or bottles, photographs, newspaper, magazines and so forth. These can be used in part or whole.
2. A collage made up of textured materials including fabrics, corrugated cardboard, wood, carpet, buttons, small shaped objects, screws, mesh, matchbooks, string, hair, nails, unusual things, mementos, and more–almost any textured object you can imagine.
3. A manipulated shape collage. The type of collage created by manipulating the chosen materials. The process of soaking materials with acrylic medium and folding, crumpling, creasing, and pushing them into unique forms and configurations creating 3rd dimensionality with high and low relief.
4. A collage created by tearing colored paper into different sizes and shapes and arranging and gluing them onto a substrate. Many artists prefer to paint their own colors onto the paper with acrylics in an effort to have more color control of their painting.

Now using the four categories of collages above and combining them in any way you wish, you have an infinite number of great collages. Go ye therefore and do it.