HAVE YOU EVER LOOKED THROUGH YOUR PHOTOS and noticed that a small part of a particular photo would make for an interesting composition if it was enlarged? Taking macro shots (an extreme close-up shot) or enlarging a photograph often yields a unique perspective. In one of my travels to the beach I came across a nest of buoys hanging from a tree. Perhaps they were left over from a fisherman’s trip out to sea. The group would definitely make a great photo or painting, but there was something about the texture of the buoys that intrigued me. Perhaps it was the cracks and marks, I’m not sure. For this example, try using one of your photos enlarged to highlight only a portion of the overall picture. Then you will incorporate gel mediums or textural mediums to enhance what you are trying to convey in your collage.
6" × 6" (15cm × 15cm) wood substrate
Assorted acrylic paints: Napthol Red, Green Gold, Quinacridone/Nickel Azo Gold, Titanium White, Carbon Black
Black gesso
Brayer
Brush
Clear crackle medium
Collage papers that coordinate with your macro picture
Glass beads
Glazing medium
Laser copy of a macro picture (Choose something that has an interesting textural component)
Matte gel medium
Palette knife
Paper towel
Prep your surface with black gesso. Allow it to dry.
Take a laser copy of a photograph that has been blown up or taken on a macro level so that the details are enlarged. Adhere the image to a portion of your surface using gel medium. Roll your brayer over the top to bond the photocopy to the substrate.
Add any collage elements you find interesting. Here a paper painted in an earlier chapter was used. Once the papers are dry, you can enhance the photo’s appearance by painting it with a color that coordinates with the paper. In this instance I created a glaze using Napthol Red and glazing medium, and brushed it over the right side of the buoy to add more saturation to the picture. Use whatever color matches closely in your collaged photograph copy.
Mix paint into a dollop of glass beads. Green Gold was added to the clear glass bead texture mixture since it is the complement of red, and they naturally go well together. Add the mixture to the left of your collage elements using a palette knife.
Add a layer of clear crackle gel medium over the photograph. Double-check that you are using clear crackle medium and not crackle paste. The clear medium will dry transparent and the paste will dry opaque. Allow it to dry approximately twenty-four hours, depending on your climate. More humidity will require more drying time.
Spread the crackle gel evenly with a palette knife into any area you would like to enhance with a cracked surface.
Once completely dry, add a touch of white paint over the top of the crackles. This will add to the mystery of your unique, textured collage.
Warm up the top layer by brushing on Quinacridone/Nickel Azo Gold over select areas.
Push back some of the paint by wiping gently with a paper towel immediately after you’ve painted with the Quinacridone/Nickel Azo Gold.
If you like, add a touch of Titanium White to a few select areas. When you’re done, touch up the sides using carbon black acrylic paint.
SHATTERED BUT NOT BROKEN
12" × 12" (30cm × 30cm), acrylic, glass beads, modeling paste, Stabilo pencil on canvas
THE LOOKING GLASS
11" × 14" (28cm × 36cm), acrylic paint, crackle medium, glass beads, collage on MDF board