Create a Dynamic Collage

COLLAGE

Have you ever thought of creating a collage of images for one of your walls? It's a new trend. The pieces do not have to be of the same artist, or same medium. In fact, it makes it so interesting to have an eclectic collection in a grouping. I was planting my spring flowers today and realized that creating an interesting planter is like creating a collage of pictures. Here are some tips for creating a collage in which every piece is enjoyed by the viewer.

1) Determine a focal point (probably the largest piece with possibly the most intense color and/or texture) and place it just off-center. A focal point is the main part of the collage, the place your eye tends to rest when looking at a grouping of some sort. Your art focal point could be something as simple as a family portrait that you want to display in an interesting way. Something like this colorful, variegated plant works :






2) Then choose other pieces (as you do flowers) of different textures and coordinating colors and heights to place around the focal point. Choose contrasting colors, white, textures such as smooth, rough, fuzzy, etc. These pieces could be part of a theme or not have any connection at all except that they look good together. Or perhaps, in this case, the rest of the collage are items that remind you of that picnic where the portrait was taken. Keep in mind the space in which this collage will go. Just as you choose flowers that might only flourish in sun, the collage must take into account the formality of the room, How much wall space you have, the kind of light that might bounce off each piece and the colors of the walls and furniture.

3) Do not try to be symmetrical because then your eye doesn't know where to go. You want the viewer's eye to move around the whole collection in the collage.








4) The viewer's eye should begin at the focal point, such as this shamrock-like purple plant. .










It could then move to a bright or white piece, such as this white fern.











Down to a textural piece such as this squiggly plant. Texture in art can be in the medium, or in the picture itself. It could mean a shiny photo, a thickly gessod painting or a spotted animal photo. It could even be a fabric.





Finally, over to a long tall piece or white or colorful plants that lead the eye back up to the focal point. Your Art collage might have a tall thin image on one side. Or perhaps it's an image that has a dark bold line that draws the eye up.


All along the way, the viewer's eye will move over fillers such as very small flowers or grasses. This is true of art as well. You could add a textured tile for color and texture. Use fabric or abstract images.



Here is my finale:












Here is an image I found on Design Formula blog. In this case, the focal point is the group of candlesticks sitting on a table in front of the wall. From there, my eye goes to the long horizontal picture on the left because of the whites and textures of the animal pictures. My eye moves up to the longish picture because of the white and shadows. Next I look to the right to see the tree with the sunrise or sunset, seeing the smaller fillers in between. Finally, I go down to the largest picture in the grouping which is just continuing the palette but is large so I go there. The texture of the pouf in front of the furniture and the colors within the room make this collage work. You see textures in the animals and then the smoothness in other photos because of the way the colors blend together.