It’s really difficult to start out this exercise. Creating block silhouettes is quite a straightforward process, however creating lines of an object using a pair of scissors or X-Acto knife instead of a pencil requires a different state of mind. Making lines in collages means being very aware of positive and negative space.
While I started to explore that on the previous exercise, this is the time for a deeper discovery.
This exercise calls for observing one object per sheet on several sheets of paper. So I varied the angles for some of the objects and added one more object to observe. Moreover, I experimented more with the variety of papers I have available and not limiting myself to simple cartridge and solid colored papers.
Drawing #1 (A3 size) : Mirror Mug
Out of all collage artists I research, I enjoy seeing Rex Ray’s works the most. One method of his I really like is cutting out a simple shape and put the cut-out shape next to it like a reverse mirror image.
I wanted to do something similar with my hand painted flower tea mug. It has different designs painted on the front and back, and re-creating those shapes using Rex Ray’s method seems perfect.
As expected, I had an easier time cutting out the mug’s silhouette and simple lines forming its lid. However, re-creating the flower designs was really hard to do. To control the perspective for each design, I used a tracing paper and a pencil to help trace the designs, as well as transfer them to a red textured paper.
For one side, the cut out shapes are what form the flower designs. For the mirror side, the cut out shapes are discarded. The former was quite tedious since I had to make sure all of the tiny shapes are hand cut, saved, and placed correctly.
While I was unable to convey the flowing quality of the original hand painted flower design, the overall feel is still there. Quite warm, romantic, and classic. The collage also looks really tidy.
On a first glance, it would look as if the flower designs on the left and right are the same. However, I really like how the Rex Ray’s method lends itself really well to this process. Below is what the final result looks like.
Drawing #2 (A3 size) : Pandora’s Box
For the next sheet, I want to try conveying a specific theme. I had a great time doing the impromptu collage with cut-out figures from fashion magazines, so I want to reduce the scale a great deal and use this second A3 sheet as a story telling canvas.
The theme I want to convey is the recent awakening to women’s issues, most famously with #MeToo and #TimesUp movements. The object I choose is my sugar container reimagined as a Pandora’s box. Stories of harassments, abuses, and varying degrees of inequality were no longer thought of as taboo topics, and many buried stories are coming out of the “Pandora’s box” of our modern society; they can no longer be contained.
I choose a dark colored paper to cut the sugar container shape out of, and I use a silver colored paper for contrast.
To depict the previously-thought-as-taboo issues and conversations coming out of the Pandora’s Box, I cut out several black-and-white pictures of Hollywood actresses and actor, as well as models. It’s quite a challenge to find photos of similar scales and lighting, however thankfully I have several fashion magazines to browse through 🙂
Once I have the people cut outs, it’s time to arrange them bursting out of the Pandora’s box.
To add a subtle effect of emergence, I sewed on several lines of red threads (inspired by the works of Jose Romussi, one of the artists I researched on). This is what the back of the silver base paper looks like.
This is what the in-progress work looks like. As you can see, the sugar container’s lid is also cut out, but it’s not going to stay intact for long.
For the last finishing touch, I tear apart the cut out lid shape, and arrange the broken pieces on the bottom of the paper.
I think the final result is quite decent, and I’m satisfied of how Pandora’s Box collage looks like. The Pandora’s box’s design looks rather ancient, while the emerging figures look modern, empowered, defiant, elegant, and strong.
Drawing #3 (A4 size) : Transparent
For this third sheet, I want to go back to basic. Instead of reimagining an object, I want to try depicting a tea time object as best as I can.
For the past few days, I get curious about my daily tea pot, which was not part of my tea time collection during the materials gathering. It’s all transparent, and I want to see how I can work create its lines and convey similar qualities.
Choosing which lines to showcase is tricky, so first I practiced making a “drawing” directly with my X-Acto knife on a piece of cartridge paper. It went as well as I expected, and my husband said, “It’s actually not that bad!”
Oh, thanks.
He’s right. The result is actually decent. The challenge is the closely intersecting lines near the pot’s lid and handle. They are quite fragile, and I did not even draw the strainer. The whole thing can fall apart very easily!
So I decided to create this transparent teapot collage using three layers of transparent films, a small piece of white tulle netting (to depict the strainer), some used teabag and genmaicha tea leaves, and a dark brown base paper.
Creating three layers of build-up line cut outs for on separate transparent films was very interesting, and I had to thank my transparent cutting board for doing its job keeping my line references and focus in check throughout the process.
You can see from the image above that I vary the line’s thickness as an attempt to express shading. The bottom layer is about the tea strainer. The middle is about the handle and spout, and the top layer is about the lid and pot shape.
Before stacking them together, I put a couple of used tea bags, used genmaicha leaves, and white netting on top of the first layer.
It’s quite difficult to take proper photo of this collage without accidentally seeing parts of my reflection on the transparent films. It’s definitely one of those things that look much better in person, I think.
Nevertheless, I’m actually surprised to see how well this experiment turns out! Yes, the shape is not perfect, but I find collage making to be more about styling, story telling, and mood making than creating perfect lines or shapes. So in that sense, I think the results so far have been really successful!
Drawing #4 (A5 size) : Untitled
I realized that aside from Pandora’s Box, I have not use my bare hands to tear papers to create collage. The results are hard to control and I am hardwired to not care much about things I can’t control. Nevertheless, I am aware that experimenting with this cruder method is just as important for my learning as cutting shapes with scissors or X-Acto knife.
So why not create a collage of my favorite tea cup – facing backwards with its bottom facing me – using the tearing method and see what comes out?
So first, I made a pencil drawing of the tea cup using my left hand on a scrap paper. This is then used as a proportion reference when I tear out pieces of the tea cup from several different paper leftovers from previous exercises.
Apparently, some papers are hard to tear off, and they even have these “eye lashes” fringe effects. And it just so happened that a scrap piece of polka dot shimmery ivory fabric – with its fringe-y edges – was laying around. It just feels natural to use the fabric to enrich the texture of the base paper, which I painted brown.
While the result is definitely not my favorite, it has its charms. The rough, organic nature of the tears give the whole collage a gritty, raw feel. The eye lash, fringe-y tear off paper (which I accentuated with black ink) looks very greasy and gross. Yet the overall color scheme and the polka-dot texture give a sense of royalty. Combined together, it’s a sad feeling… like encountering an abandoned house in a lost village some time after a certain tragedy strikes.
BONUS! Drawing #5 (A3 size) : Hidden Figures
I actually created this collage first, right after I finished my last sheet on the previous Block Silhouette exercises. I made this work impulsively, I was inspired by kintsugi, a form Japanese art of repairing broken ceramics with lacquer.
I happen to have three varying colors of the same printed wallpaper samples. With some print matching, I decided to “hide” five floating tea time objects within the printed wallpaper sheets, creating broken lines on the objects to make it harder for the viewer to see the actual objects’ silhouettes.
Here’s a quick visual aid of how four of the five shapes are placed on the collage. My husband had a hard time seeing the shapes I hide, so I figure this visual aid would help.
I took this photo after the collage is finished, and I forgot to put a place holder for the tea container. Regardless, you’ll get the idea.
This collage drawing has three layers:
- Bottom sheet – a dark brown base with gray print. I did not do any cuts on this layer; I did that on the middle and top layers.
- Middle sheet – a beige base with black print.
- Top sheet – a shiny silver base with gold print.
Here’s the in-progress photo I took when I was finished cutting out parts of the middle layer.
And here’s what the finished drawing looks like!
I really like how my eyes and brain fight to view this collage.
Do I want to see the layered printed shapes on the paper(s)?
Do I want to see the silhouette lines of the five objects?
Do I want to see the broken lines or floating shapes of the three layered papers?
Do I want to see something else?
What do I see?
I believe all those questions are what makes this collage so interesting and delightful to enjoy. This collage presents both the block silhouette AND lines, even though the lines resemble those of kintsugi golden lines wrapping the objects instead of the objects’ natural lines. I hope that makes sense.
OVERALL REFLECTION
Coming into this Collage: Line exercise, I had worries about creating similar works but in varying scales in observing the objects. Much to my delight, I am really surprised to see the vastly different mood each of the four sheets conveys.
Throughout the exercises, I am quite particular about controlling the object proportions as they are quite challenging to master. Other than that, however, I find myself let the process decide the outcomes instead of the other way around. That’s quite a liberating journey to undertake no matter how long each work takes, and I believe that’s the main reason why each sheet looks so different than the others.
The paper size constraint (A3, A4, A5) don’t affect the process too much, however it serves as a good variable to represent an experiment’s “risk” factor. I chose to work with transparent films or paper tearing off method on smaller sheet size because I view them as having higher risk of failure. The smaller paper size constraint helps to control the process. Even if I made mistakes, it’s faster to redo them since their sizes are small.
Cutting more precise shapes with X-Acto knife or sewing through paper are things I get gradually more accustomed to, and therefore more confident in doing. More confident means less errors (or more happy accidental mistakes). That’s why the bigger collages make perfect sense for such chosen methods.
Working on different backgrounds of papers, transparent films, thread, and fabrics only enrich the whole experience. In a way, I feel like a stylist when creating a collage. So many different characters and moods can be conveyed, and it’s really fun to experiment with all of them. On the next exercise, I am really excited to use the papers I made! I can hardly wait.
Thanks for reading,
Mira
Talk Textile Study 
2 comments