How to Make a Collage Part 2: Assembly

This is the second in a series of posts about the technical bits of my collages: where I get materials, how I assemble them, and and other tips/tricks I’ve learned along the way. To read the first post about the source materials I use, click here. 

Substrate

I assemble my collages on acid free mat board, the same stuff that goes behind artwork during framing. I like this surface because it is nice and sturdy, so I can lift it and prop it up while working on it without worrying about it folding or crinkling. I also like the bright white and smooth texture of mat board, it makes for a good background if there is space between hexagons. Mat board is easy to find in large sheets that I can cut to size if needed and a 32x40 inch sheet is a lot cheaper than a wood panel of that size would be. Some of the brands I have used are Crescent white mounting boards, Strathmore museum mounting board, Bainbridge Alphamat Artcare Matboards, Super Black Presentation and Mounting Board, and Crescent collage boards. These are all archival/acid free/ph-neutral so all are good options to use, but I would recommend seeing them in person before buying because they are different shades of white. 

Construction

Constructing one of my collages begins with cutting out all the hexagons. To do this I use a Fiskars hexagon squeeze punch found on Amazon. They come in medium (1 inch), large (1.5 inch), and extra large (2 inch), as well as a bunch of other shapes. Sometimes I cut up images randomly and allow myself to be pleasantly surprised by the outcome, while other times I cut so that the image is retained when the pieces are fit together (like a puzzle). 

When I’m planning what a collage will look like, I sometimes move images around before they are cut because it’s easier to see how the elements will look together. I then cut them up and continue rearranging/fine tuning and adding “fillers” in (random background pieces that didn’t make it in to previous collages) so that I’m happy with the composition. However- there are times when I have no plan for a collage at all. I’ll be inspired by maybe just a color scheme or a particular hex that caught my eye. In this case, I sift through the hundreds of hexagons I have in stock, looking for ones in a particular color or that compliment other pieces. These types of collages are the most fun for me because I can just play around and rearrange pieces. Things tend to come together spontaneously and I don’t have to worry about forcing images to fit together.

Adhesion

Once I have everything placed the way I like it, I tape each hexagon down using Scrapbook Adhesives double sided mounting squares, available on Amazon and in craft stores. These are acid free and nice and strong, but I can still reposition them if I need to which is a major plus because glue seems way too permanent for my indecisive nature. One thing I like to play around with while taping is the spacing between each hexagon. If the hexagons are right next to each other with no background coming through, the viewer easily sees the whole image, but if they are spaced farther apart the focus shifts to the individual hexagons. It all depends on the look you’re going for.

The taping process takes about as long as the arranging; a 17x22 inch collage will take a few hours to tape down and an 8x10 inch one takes just about 20 minutes. Once everything is taped, the collage is all finished and ready to be photographed, framed, and hung!