How to make a collage? Create photo collages

2024 Author: Sierra Becker | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-26 03:46

More than 40 years ago, Eldar Ryazanov made the inhabitants of the USSR think about how monotonous their cities, streets and even apartments look. Today, a huge selection of furniture and finishing materials allows you to implement any design in your home. However, often the owners feel that the interior lacks individuality. In this case, the best solution is to decorate the rooms with photographs. They can be inserted into beautiful frames or simply hung on the walls. However, a collage of photographs will look much more interesting. This article will tell you how to create it.

What is a collage?

The name itself comes from the French word coller, which translates as "gluing". In the visual arts, collage is understood as a technique that involves the combination in one work of dissimilar elements that differ in color, texture, material and content by gluing them onto the base.

BeforeBefore learning how to make a collage, you should find out what materials are required. These could be:

• color paper;
• plastic;
• canvas;
• transparent film;
• bright fabric;
• wood;
• cardboard.

There are different ways to create collages. Let's take a look at some of them.

Photo collage on canvas

There are no restrictions on the shape and dimensions of such compositions. In this case, it is permissible to use not only images, but also products belonging to one specific topic. For example, a collage of photos about a seaside vacation can be supplemented with shells. Dried starfish, anchor decor, etc. are also suitable. You should also pay attention to the choice of frame for the collage. For example, a thick rope can be used instead.

Photo collage with captions

This composition is usually performed as a gift for some occasion. Many people want to learn how to make a collage of this type. Indeed, with the help of such a present, you can show your attitude to the hero of the day or the one to whom it is intended.

Let's look at how to make a collage with the inscription step by step:

• Choose the theme of the composition. It can be very different, from a family trip to a love story and just photos of children and parents taken at the happiest moments of their lives.
• Choice of materials. In addition to photographs, you need to pick up decor items and even ordinary things that can be used unexpectedly and used as composition decoration.
• Working on a collage. At this stage, you will have to show patience and accuracy so that a decoration for the house appears, which would not be ashamed to hang on the wall.

How to make a collage step by step?

The manufacture of such home decor is carried out in several stages, the first of which is the preparation of the base.

In this capacity, you can use any materials, from whatman paper to a figure carved from wood.

Most often, photos are pasted on cardboard or thick paper, as they are then easier to sign or decorate with painted frames.

A good solution would be to use Styrofoam. This will allow you to pin a photo of the help buttons and change them if such a desire or need arises.

A real work of art is obtained by using a panel of wood or a cut of the trunk.

Sizes

The correct choice of base dimensions is essential. After all, if it is too large, then the photo collage will look “poor”, and in too small a space it will be difficult to fit all the images that you want to include in the collage.

In order to choose the right size, you should lay out all the photographs and decorative elements on a smooth surface as they should look in the end. Then only it will be possible to cut out the base of the desired shape, according to the figure that you want to get.

The final step will be painting the surface or polishing and coatingvarnish, depending on the material that is selected in order to fix the photo on it.

Version with magazine clippings

To create such a collage, you need to have on hand:

• scissors;
• stationery knife;
• glue,
• clean rags;
• polyethylene protective film.

In addition, depending on which decor option you choose, you may need additional materials such as buttons, beads or coins, which are found in any home.

Collage in Photoshop

In our age of advanced computer technology, you can use special programs to create a collage. One of the most famous is Photoshop. This software product is installed on many PCs and can be used by anyone with basic office suite skills.

Creating a photo collage on a computer is easy because most people store their pictures digitally. In addition, "Photoshop" allows you to add various effects and edit imperfections in images.

Photoshop Collage Step by Step

• Open the photo we want to use as the basis for the composition.
• Slightly reduce its sharpness using the Gaussian Blur filter.
• Opening the first photo.
• Select using the keyboard shortcut "Control""A".
• Copy to clipboard by pressing "Control""C".
• Insert into the future collage by pressing the "Control""V" combination.

All the same is possibledo and with the "Place" key. In this case, the photo can be scaled without losing quality, as they will become smart objects.

If you want the photo to be framed in the form of a circle, ellipse or other shape, then you need:

• turn off the visibility of selected photos;
• place the right shapes by the number of photo images in the right places on the background;
• add Stroke style;
• enable photo visibility;
• make a clipping mask out of them;
• move the photo in the frame to the right place on the background and change the scale.

Example

In any family where a baby grows up, there are many photos. Of course, you can store them in albums. However, it will be more interesting to create a couple of original children's collages from them in the traditional way or on a computer.

By the way, you can combine these two options. To do this, they create a "panel" in Photoshop, print it out in full size on a printer and decorate it with decorative elements depending on the chosen theme.

It is also important to choose the right frames for the collage, which should be combined in their color scheme with the color of the wall, and with the theme and color of the photo panel itself.