DIY: Magazine Collage Art

When folks see my artwork, I often get the question, "How did you do that?" So today, I wanted to share with you my process for creating a collage using my Rumi Rocket (one of my earliest pieces) as an example.

Gather the following supplies:

• Magazines
• Pencil
• Paper (card stock or thicker) or Art Board
• Foam paint brush
• Mod Podge
• Scissors

Step 1:  Decide what image you want to create.  For the collage above, I decided that I wanted to create an earth.

Step 2:  Use your pencil to sketch the image onto your paper or art board.  This sketch does not need to be perfect, as it will just be used to identify the different elements.

Step 3:  Identify what colors you want to use for different parts of your image. 
For my collage, I decided that my background would be black tones, and the earth would be blues and greens.

Step 4:  Flip through magazines and tear out pages that have the colors you want.

Step 5:  Tear those pages into smaller pieces.

Step 6:  Now it's time to adhere the magazine rippings onto your sketch.  Use a foam brush and Mod Podge to adhere the torn pieces in place.  You'll want your first layer to be the background. Use the Mod Podge liberally and coat both your paper and the top of the magazine pieces.  

Step 7:  Repeat Step 6 for each layer.  For the collage above, I did the black area first, then blue and then green.

Step 8:  Step back and admire what you have created.  If you are happy with it and it feels complete, CONGRATS!  Go directly to Step 12. If you are not happy with it, or feel it is not complete, continue on.

Step 9:  Ask yourself what could you add that would positively impact your collage?  For mine, I decided to add stars and the rocket ship.  And because I wanted them to stand out differently than the earth, I decided to use scissors to cut out the shapes, instead of tearing them.

Step 10:  Add the new pieces to the collage.  

Step 11:  Repeat Steps 9-10 until you are happy with your masterpiece!  On my collage, I didn't decide to add the quote until after I had the stars and rocket ship done.  I felt like I needed another component for the artwork to be complete so I googled "inspirational sky quotes" and found one that really spoke to me.

Step 12:  Be sure to sign it and find a place to display it and share it with others!  Sharing art is an important part of creating it!  Don't forget to do this! Before I show any artwork to my husband, I always say, "Ok, it's time to Ohhhh and Awe for me!" so that he knows that it is important to me.  

I hope that you have a great time creating your artwork!  I would love to see it and hope that you share it on the Kim Dettmer Art facebook page!

Make it a Happy Day!