learn: Collage with Ana Karen San

This is the collage piece I did for Week 25 – Dots.

For the sake of this tutorial, and to document each step, I have replicated the artwork (you will notice that the colours are slightly different).

After I had my final sketch I identified all of the elements on it, since I was doing a collage it was better to recognize all the parts I needed beforehand. I decided not to work on the background until the end. Firstly, I copied the character from my final sketch onto new paper in order to make a cutting guide of the two parts needed for making the character in fabric.

Then I cut a piece of fabric according to the patterns.

Having the parts of the character cut I proceeded to copy the ball and the bucket from the sketch in a white sheet of paper and applied color with some markers. After coloring them I cut them with a blade or stencil knife.

Then, for the stuffing I did my own confetti.

For this part it is important to place your piece of paper on a board and tape its sides well in order to avoid it moving or distorting. Also, it is best to use paper with a high percentage of cotton for these types of watery techniques.

For the next step I applied the watercolour with only a small amount of water because I wanted solid colours.  Before you continue further you must wait for the paper to dry.

Then I used two methods for cutting the paper. First I used a whole punch (like the one you see below) for the biggest circles, and for the small ones I folded the paper and start to cut with scissors in a circular shape (the folding was for being faster).

Then for putting it all together, I sewed the two parts of my character by the sides. Then I cut a line on one side of it for making the hole, which would be the place where all the confetti will come out and then I stuffed it with the confetti. Then with a contrasting color sewed it loosely.

Then I pasted the character onto the brown paper background, and added more confetti. I went for that paper because the character was going to play at the beach, so I needed sand.

After pasting I added the other elements (the ball and the bucket) and took a picture of it finished. (If you do collage and you like how the multiple layers stand out from each other is better to take a picture to register your piece rather than scan it as most of the time you lose the lights and shadows you achieved when scanning.

Lastly in Photoshop I applied some yellow light to the background in order to give it a sunny feeling. Then it is complete.

Crop, then it is complete.

Ana Karen San Emeterio