Creative Collage

There will be demonstrations on creating the ground to work on, plus colouring more paper with colours and patterns you love.

When these are dry, they will be used to glue onto the surface and extend the collection of stuff you brought with you.

Students will learn how to cut, tear, and manipulate different papers and see what happens to the edges when you tear them in different directions.

You will learn to find those fragments of colour that you just might want to use that are in the middle of an illustration from an old magazine article. You will learn how to deal with glue and then how to add drawn and stitched lines to create a completed two-dimensional image.

Part of the demonstrations and discussions will be on how to go about designing your working surface and how to work with colours. Students will be able to choose an abstract or realistic way of working.

This is a chance to express your ideas freely once you have been guided through some technical knowledge.

Please bring the following on your first day of class:

PAINTING

• Watercolour paints

• Palette

• Brushes large and small

If you prefer to work with acrylics, bring them with the appropriate brushes.

PAPER

• A3 pad of 300gsm watercolour paper

• A4 pad of 120gsm watercolour paper

• Fifty sheets of A4 computer printing paper

• Optional – small pieces of paper to work on, plus extra for trials. Bring as much as you think you will need for five-days, you can also be adventurous with the base you work on.

COLLAGE MATERIALS

• Variety of interesting papers: (suggestions only) wallpaper, wrapping paper, handmade papers, coloured papers, fancy papers, old envelopes, old sheet music, old maps, old photos, old calendars, scrap drawings, scrap prints, newspaper, magazines with photos, tear outs, old books, tissue paper, foil chocolate wrappers, brown paper, corrugated cardboard

• If you sew - threads in variety of colours as well as bits of fabric and fabric scissors, different size chenille needles for sewing through work surface

GENERAL SUPPLIES

• Marking pens and pencils

• Notebook and pen/pencil

• Cover for the table: old sheet, plastic shower curtain, newspapers

• PVA Aquadhere glue – available at hardware shops (If you have an allergy to the chemicals in Aquadhere glue, please bring an alternative. Paper glue that is neutral pH will work)

• Variety of different sized cheap bristle brushes for gluing

• Small towel and paper towels for working with watercolour paints

• Rags for glue clean up, plastic bag for a wet rag

• Old newspapers or an old telephone book for gluing, and to keep work surfaces clean

• Two tall water jars – one for watercolour, one for glue brushes

• Apron or old shirt

• Paper scissors large and small

• Needle nose tweezers

• Cutting board (no larger than A3)

• Retractable blade knife

• Awl – a sharp implement available at haberdashery or fabric shops

This is a fun and supportive course to open your creativity.

No prior experience is required.