Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Can you guess who the woman is in the collage??


This is a collage I finished a few months back. It was my first attempt at this, so I was really quite happy with the outcome, especially since it was my first attempt. I had the whole "Masterboard" technique in mind when I started this. If you are not familiar with that, it's where you make a "Masterboard" and then copy your image, regular full size, reductions and so on. You then use those copied images in your artwork for other art pieces. Stampers Sampler has published a lot of these and that's where I actually got the idea. Helga Strauss is doing something similar right now on her blog as well.

This particular one all started with a magazine picture of Penelope Cruz that I came across that I thought was so beautiful. I pretty much just ripped the picture out of the magazine, slapped it on a thin canvas with some gel medium and built the collage up from there. I added printed tissue paper, ephemera and collage images. I also stamped several different images on the piece and I also embossed on it. Pretty much you can do a little bit of everything until you reach a point where you are happy with the outcome. I also went over it with some handmade acrylic paint washes, Distress Crackle Paint and different inks.

Give it a try if you've never done it. To be honest they are fun to make because there are no restrictions or rules.

When I was done I took it down to Staples and make some nice quality colored copies of it. I make full size copies and reduced size copies. From there I made some tags, cards, ATCs, just about everything I could think of. And the great thing is that it's your own work that you can incorporate into whatever you want from here on out. It's not someone else's image that you are using in your work, it's your own creation.

I want to make one in blue's and green's next and then yellow's and orange's.

By the way, I do realize that artist's have been doing this for some time, making their own original collages and then copying it and reincorporating it into their other artwork. I just personally happen to get the idea from Stampers Sampler's Masterboard articles.

7 comments:

  1. Shannon...this is lovely. Before I read who this was...I looked at her and thought it was Julia Roberts....so I was surprised to find out who it is.

    You're composition and techniques are fantastic...and you've done a fantastic job capturing my soul!

    Christy

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  2. What a great technique!!! I think I'll give this a try myself!

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  3. Beautiful! Full of gorgeous delicate layers and textures! Very, very beautiful!

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  4. this is just fantastic!!! amazing background!! thanks for visiting my blog.

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  5. Shannon,

    The outcome is beautiful, and you make it look so easy. Thanks for the inspiration!
    Gigi

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  6. Shannon the very talented, "Shannon" !!!
    This is just wonderful, I love it.
    The collage just screams lovely and the colors work so well. REALLY, REALLY, COOL, ARTWORK.
    Thanks for sharing, enjoyed seeing this piece.
    All the best Shannon, Hugs Laura.
    Awesome...............

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  7. Beautiful! This is exactly the sort of thing I keep trying to achieve, yet somehow, mine keep coming out totally different. One day I'll have to sit down and actually follow the process and see if I can make it.

    BTW I really like how her face is hidden but not completely covered. Nice work!!

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