Collage Journeys: A Practical Guide to Creating Personal Artwork

by Jane Davies

The only book to focus on creating meaningful, expressive collage

• Exciting step-by-step techniques and ideas for self-expression through collage
• Collage is extremely popular with crafters and scrapbookers
• Innovative viewpoint and inspiring examples

Collage can be more, much more, than just cutting and pasting. It can be a wonderful art form and a means of self-expression. Collage Journeys presents a series of innovative workshop assignments, each designed to relate the technique and format of a collage to its subject. Gathering materials, generating ideas, painting with paper, working in layers, using text, keeping a visual journal—project by project, new collage skills are explored. Stunning finished pieces offer additional ideas and inspiration. For anyone who has ever wanted to take collage to the next level‐adding meaning, subtext, and style—Collage Journeys offers the journey of a lifetime.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Journaling, Reference, Crafts

144 pages, Paperback

First published November 11, 2007

Reviews

[liberal sprinkles · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an excellent book this is on the process of making collage and using art as a tool to express yourself! Author Jane Davies helps you think about what type of art you want to create, what you can put in your work to get your message through, how to develop your own style and make meaningful art.

The book explores various techniques and methods to achieve different artistic effects, convey meaning, seek and find solutions to aesthetic and conceptual issues. Doodling, making several collages on the same subject and putting thoughts in writing/noting down an ideas list are just a few of the projects in the book aimed at helping you create more personal art, get past an artistic rut or get ideas for collages.

The book is also filled with gorgeous works, from Davies and a number of contributors, created in a variety of styles and using different techniques. Although there are no tutorials for them, there are plenty of ideas to absorb.

This is not really a step-by-step instruction book although it includes several projects and discusses artistic techniques to create mixed media art. Among them: layering, using text, making your own backgrounds and materials, exploring colors and composition, making tissue paper and cut paper collages, using digital software to created altered images for collage.

The instructions are clear and the exercises and techniques covered are enough to get a beginner started on making collage and art in general. But in my opinion, this is a more advanced art book because it goes beyond the basics of introducing tools, materials and techniques. Collage Journeys: A Practical Guide to Creating Personal Artwork makes you pause and think about what you want to achieve through your art, which direction/s you would like to take, and equips you with tools to help you on your journeys of discovery.

Truly inspirational.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

What it says in the title. :) Definitely one I'll pick up for my collection - I think I like it the best of the collage-related books I've read.

[Sarah Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is full of colored pictures from both the authors art stash and other collage artist. It has various projects that you can try to explore collage art techniques as well as exploring yourself. It talks a lot about collage in different formats from large size, small size, collections and journaling. Collage can be the basis for art peices or the art itself in full. This has given me lots of ideas on how to pursue my future art projects as I just got into postcard making and ATCs and would like to start art journaling.

[Maureen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book but not what I was looking for.

[Aimeslee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now that I have read it, this will be one of my go-to permanent references for collage in any form. The title tells it all. This book truly is a collection of journeys in collage. Davies thoroughly and colorfully explains and displays collage in most of the physical forms we paper artists are into right now: atc's, books, journals, as well as on more traditional substrates such as boards, mats, canvas. I am not a beginner in this medium, but I do think that if I were, this would be a necessary book to have for learning it. I would have to fight feeling overwhelmed, though. The book is jam-packed with techniques and eye-candy samples. For mixed media folks with some experience like me, it can definitely provide a fire under the old muse to get her going. Sooo glad I bought and read this one.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an exciting compendium of the variety of collage techniques, period - not just specific to journallers. Beautiful photography, inspiring exercises, and comprehensive breakdown of a huge variety of materials.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots and lots of fantastic ideas of mixed media techniques to use to make collages. These techniques can be transferred into other areas of art (like art journaling for example.) Lots of photos included. Very clear instructions.

[Candy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love to fillup blank pages with my thoughts and with color and odd paper.
This is a tremendous book for ideas.

[Patti Lindeman]

I saw this on someone's blog and it looked interesting. I love the idea of collage- do not think I can do it- hopefully this book will help

[Karen Floyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great ideas! Now I need to put them into practice....

[Sassa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent instructions. Wonderful examples by the Artist/author Jane Davies. I check it out from the Library and then had to buy it.

[Elusive.Mystery · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice ideas and examples of collage techniques.

[Quinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this book. It's got a combination of inspiration, how-to, and nice, comfortable writing.

[Bridgett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book.