Adding Collage Layers in Your Artists Journals

Collage… it’s about layers, right…? Sometimes just a few. Sometimes a lot.

They can be layers of paint, crayon, colored pencil, stickers, paper, fabric, glitter, and…

Well, you get the idea.

Some artists – including me – use lots & lots of layers in our art journals and other mixed media art.

Here’s some inspiration that may spark fresh ideas.

This first video is by Samie Harding.

 

In the next video, artist Robert Burridge – in a “BobBlast” – shares how he layers his collages. His video is three minutes long and filled with ideas for using paper elements, gel medium*, paint, and stencils.

Video URL: https://youtu.be/FA3revJTO6A

Anne Bagby created some amazing mixed media work, including art journals. Her layered collages and journals have an extraordinary depth. In many of them, her use of cut paper unifies her designs. This five-minute video shows how she used quilting supplies to cut paper strips for a crisp, even effect.

Video URL: https://youtu.be/SICVXhn0V-A

 

To learn more about Anne’s techniques – with lots of photos from her gallery work – this 17-minute video is inspiring. It’s sort-of an illustrated podcast. (Don’t be put off by the opening. The video is filled with photos of her mixed media art. Absolutely astonishing. I kind of drooled over my keyboard, watching it.)

Video URL: https://youtu.be/SRk2cn5rTJA

And, finally, here is an intriguing video by collage artist Michael Madzo. He’s working with his own paintings, paper elements, and gel medium, he’s also using sewing to bring added depth and meaning to his work. Though many artists don’t work with their own fine art paintings, Madzo’s techniques and concepts might spark some of your own collage ideas. The video is about five minutes long.

Video URL https://youtu.be/bR0abMN3T0I

Finding and curating these videos, I found myself being tremendously inspired to revisit some of my own past paintings (ones that I wasn’t happy with) and see if some of these materials & techniques might bring new life and fresh energy to them.

Also, I’ll admit that I’m looking at some framed canvas images – posters, sort of – that we’d bought at IKEA, just to decorate the walls, short term.  They might make wonderful starting points for mixed media embellishments.

* I used to use gel medium throughout my art journals, too. Now, I use it to seal my art journaling pages, before painting them.

Otherwise, I’m using Yes!Paste since it’s less likely to bubble and warp the layers I add. It’s also repositionable, far better than gel medium.

Gel medium still has a use in art journaling, for sealing pages and canvases. This can be useful before painting or stamping over them. Otherwise, I rely on Yes!Paste. (If you’ve found a better product, let me know in comments, below.)