Graphic Design Class: Collage

Collage is a great way to change the way you see things by combining several elements (magazine clippings, photos, words, textures, fabric, and found objects) to create a new whole. You can create a collage by cutting and pasting your elements onto paper, but you can also create a digital collage by assembling images in a document on your computer with the help of design software like Adobe Photoshop.

The way collage relates to graphic design is in the way in which we consider the overall composition. Will our collage use typography and words? Will there be a few small white areas, or negative space, that we intentionally leave blank to make other areas really pop out and grab our attention? Will we use pattern, cropping, or unusual juxtaposition to create surprising new images?

By considering all these details, we are utilizing the fundamentals of good graphic design.

Click on the Pinterest link below to visit a collage inspiration board:

 
Follow Gerri DiCarlo’s board Collages on Pinterest.

Here’s a link to a page that shows various collage techniques, from fabric and paper, to digital: