Tips and Tricks

We're about to end with my documentation here, so to sum it all up, I give you three simple commandments:

Collaborate, Don't Copy

An important perspective that's been keeping me reinvigorated is to view collages as collaboration. Don't get carried away with just copy + pasting images from the internet, spend some more time with the image or the artwork instead. Get to know its context. Find out about its artist. Get to know their lives. What could it be about them that stirred them to make the artwork you're looking at right now? What does it stir in you as a result? What do you want to make out of it? Something I've learned is that as you keep practicing, your instincts in what you want to do with your collage will align with the artworks you're using. See if their work really fits your vision.

Focus on Silhouette, Not Accuracy

When you want to cut out a certain figure out, there can be a tendency to focus on cutting out the figure way too accurately. You may want to get every fold and curvature down to every detail, but once you've cut them out, there is a good risk of making them stick out from the rest of the artwork like a sore thumb. Intentionality is key when cutting. Instead of cutting the figure accurately, focus more on cutting around the overall shape or silhouette of the figure. You don't need to include every miniscule fold of their clothes or limbs--just include enough to get the point (of their body) across. This makes your figures look easier on the eyes and it also saves you time in cutting.

Keep Yourself Humble

A collage artist does not exist without paper. A collage artist does not exist without other artworks. A collage artist makes anew what has already been made. So before you get high and mighty that your collages look excellent while other artists' don't, this is your reminder that about 70% of the work has already been done for you in terms of rendering, and that the rest is mostly up to your composition. You are in charge of remixing, recreating, and repurposing. You are a champion of artists that came before you and you are a steward of their work. Be honored. Be grateful. Keep your chin up. Don't look down on others.

That's it! Abide by these commandments and it will keep your collage experience enriched. The rest I have for you are simple bullet points and tips I'd like to give. These are simply optional and it's up to you how to do things.

For Analog Collages

• Consider thicker paper as your background, like a canvas or board paper, for both durability and texture
• Keep your Pile accessible and at some level of organization
• Take your time to cut
• Use your bare hands to give your collages a textured, torn-paper feel
• Use scissors for cutting at more accurate angles
• Use a scalpel or cutter for tiny details you might want to remove
• Paste sticks are a better option compared to glue

For Digital Collages

• Use the hard round erase tool when you want to take your time (and also relax!)
• Put all your downloaded images in a folder (bonus points for proper naming)
• Use the pen tool when you want to make faster, accurate cuts
• Use the soft round erase tool when you want to blend in an element to the background
• Use the quick selection tool when you're in a hurry
• Add some noise texture to give your artwork a little crisp
• Add a mask for important elements just in case you decide to remove/add more from it
• Undo button is your friend. Take advantage of it
• Make sure your working file is at 300dpi and CMYK color profile in case you want to print!

And that's it. Godspeed with your collages!