Exploring Collage
This project is designed for artists of all ages, but young children may need assistance from an adult. A collage is an artistic composition made of various materials glued on a surface (Webster’s Dictionary). Eric Carle and Leo Lionni are two examples of artists who have used collage in their picture books; both artists were also inspired by nature. Use these suggestions to make your own collage inspired by the world around you.
Here are the materials we use for this project in the Art Studio at the ECM:
- Construction paper, assorted colors
- Scissors
- Glue sticks
- Rubbing plates or textured surfaces for rubbings
- Crayons for rubbings (we remove the paper wrappers)
- Shape stencils
Explore:
VISUAL TEXTURE is a texture you can see rather than feel. Eric Carle and Leo Lionni both use VISUAL TEXTURE in their artwork. Use rubbing plates to experiment with different textures on construction paper before you cut them.
ORGANIC shapes are freeform, irregular, or asymmetrical. An oak leaf is an example of an ORGANIC shape. Try cutting or tearing ORGANIC shapes from a piece of construction paper.
GEOMETRIC shapes are made up of a set of mathematical points. Squares, rectangles, triangles, and circles are all examples of GEOMETRIC shapes. Try to cut GEOMETRIC shapes from a piece of construction paper.
For younger children, adults can cut ORGANIC and GEOMETRIC shapes from construction paper and have them ready for younger children to collage.
This bird is based on one of Eric Carle’s birds from The Mountain That Loved a Bird.
Use the ORGANIC and GEOMETRIC shapes you cut to make your own bird.
Describe the shapes you find in other pictures or artwork you can find.
Look inside and outside. Describe the ORGANIC shapes you see. Describe the GEOMETRIC shapes you see.
Books to look at for more ideas:
Animals, Animals illustrated by Eric Carle, complied by Laura Whipple
Beautiful Blackbird illustrated by Ashley Bryan
Pie in the Sky illustrated by Lois Ehlert
Rooster’s Off the See the World illustrated by Eric Carle
Six Crows: A Fable illustrated by Leo Lionni
The Art of Eric Carle illustrated by Eric Carle
The Mountain that Loved a Bird illustrated by Eric Carle, written by Alice McLerran
The Tiny Seed illustrated by Eric Carle