Mixed Media Dedication Collages Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up. -PICASSO

Mixed Media Collage gives you the chance to be a kid again and discover possibilities as you are creating the work. Layering is key in mixed media collage. Layering and overlapping need to happen over and over to create depth, or visual space. To create this depth, we will start our artwork from the bottom layer and build it up, layering paint, paper, paint, marker, stamps, etc. until we feel it looks finished. Important point- you need to let go and have fun with the process. Don't worry excessively about the product. Just let yourself experiment and discover possibilities with paint, paper, words, etc.

Can You Find These Things in the Following Artworks? *Let’s revisit the art elements and principles and see how they enhance artworks: look at your vocabulary sheet for clues. Color- What is color? Why is it important in artworks? Contrast- What is contrast? Why is necessary in artworks? Texture- What creates texture? Why is it important in artworks? Space– What is space? How can you create space in artworks? Emphasis (Focal Point) What is emphasis? How do you create emphasis in an artwork? Why is it important to emphasize one thing in an artwork? Now look for these elements and/or principles in the following artworks and discuss how they enhance the artwork and why. color -contrast- texture- space- emphasis

color -contrast- texture- space- emphasis Where do you see: contrast, texture, space, emphasis? Painting opposites near each other, like dark values near light values, creates contrast, which adds interest to an artwork. The object which is nearest the darkest area will pop out in front and become the emphasis of the work also creating visual space. Various textures are produced, using bubble wrap and other printing methods.

color -contrast- texture- space- emphasis Where do you see: color, texture? Texture is created here with repeated bubble wrap prints adding interest to the background space. Choice of bright or intense colors gives a cheery, uplifting feeling to this artwork.

color -contrast- texture- space- emphasis Where do you see: color, emphasis, contrast, space? Where is the emphasis in this work of art? Why do you think so? Notice the layering of paper, paint, and stenciling, which is located on the background of this artwork. The muted colors in the background help the contrasted bright blue bird pop out in front or foreground, creating visual space.

color -contrast- texture- space- emphasis Where do you see: color, contrast, emphasis? There is contrast in this collage because some areas are detailed and focused while other areas are fuzzy and faded. Also some areas are dark while others are light. The contrast will cause those areas to be emphasized and cause the viewer to look there first. Color choice can create mood in an artwork. What is the mood of this work? What standard color scheme did the artist mainly use? (monochromatic, achromatic, triadic, complementary, split-complementary, or analogous)

color -contrast- texture- space- emphasis Where do you see: color, contrast, space, emphasis? Notice the artists’ use of a subtle achromatic color scheme and the bold dark contrast of the man and descending stairway. Our eyes go to the man, then move down to the stairs into the front of the picture plane creating space.. The stairway and especially the man are emphasized.

color -contrast- texture- space- emphasis Where do you see: color, contrast, emphasis? Robert Rauschenberg was a famous artist who used paper collage, paint, and found objects to tell visual stories. Our eyes go to the area emphasized which is the white center building. It is the focal point because the bold red and yellow color is all around it and because it is different and contrasts(lighter)with everything else around it. Robert Rauschenberg

color -contrast- texture- space-emphasis- movement Where do you see: color, texture, movement? Movement is created as the repeated words travel over all the different heads in different angles. Texture is seen in all the dotted areas from the colored papers used, which creates interest. The pastel colors create a whimsical mood in this artwork.

What can you discover when you create your very own expressive mixed media collage dedication? Let’s begin the journey....