Beginning Paper Mosaic Collages

Hi! Thanks for joining me for Beginning Paper Mosaics. So, what exactly is a "paper mosaic"? Well, we are using small bits of paper to make a larger image. That's a mosaic - made with paper - so... "Paper Mosaic"!

This course will take you step-by-step through the process of creating a paper mosaic from start to finish. You can join me and create a butterfly, or you can take what you learn and make something else. Even if you have worked in paper mosaics before, I hope you will find lots of tips that you can incorporate into your work and style.

The "Preparing Papers for Your Art" course is not a prerequisite for this course, but it is helpful to have the papers from that class to use in this one. If you don't wish to take that class, you can use other papers such as magazine papers, book papers, scrapbooking papers, etc... in this course.

We need a base upon which we can apply our paper! This lesson shows you some options. The easiest way to start may be the Mixed Media paper. You can just tape it down to a firm surface like a board or a piece of stiff cardboard to avoid the curling.

Why do I prefer the board? I just like the solid working surface and the solid final result. It's a personal preference. Even though it is made of wood, we have applied two coats of sealer and some gesso, and so there shouldn't be any issues with the acids from the wood interacting with the paper. Any of the options noted in this video are completely valid choices.

SUPPLIES: (The substrate you select depends on what you prefer after viewing the video. Here is my favorite...)

· Ampersand Hardbord (Item #14941-1212 Dick Blick) Comes in many sizes (or the less expensive Hardboard Panel (Item #14945-1066 Dick Blick - not mentioned in this video).

· Golden Gloss Medium for the sealer (Item #00628-1115 Dick Blick) Or try matte for less shine.

· Golden Gesso (Item #00628-1175 Dick Blick)

· Foam Brushes

Hmmm... What to make? It's difficult trying to decide. I can make it easy for you by saying we're making a butterfly! But of course you can make anything you want. :) The choice is yours!

Your butterfly, if you choose to make one, will and should look entirely different from mine. I'll explain all about how you go about finding reference photos and making a design that is entirely yours - not a copy of someone else's work!

For this lesson, you should gather up some sketch paper and a pencil. I also used a scissor here. Carbon paper and tracing paper can also come in handy! The websites I mention that have royalty free photos are morguefile.com and pexels.com.

Let's get started on the mosaic! But... where to begin? We'll talk about that in this lesson.

PS - A public service announcement... It's "MOD"podge, not "MODGE"podge. Thank you.

SUPPLIES:

· ModPodge (Item # 10047537 Michaels)

· Papers (You can use the papers you created in the "Preparing Papers for Your Art" course, or if you don't wish to take that class you can use magazine papers, book papers, scrapbooking papers, etc...)

· ​Brush - I use CraftSmart brand brushes that look like this picture. This package is $8 at Michaels but they don't seem to have them on their website. The bristles are called "taklon" and they are great to use with ModPodge.

· Low lid for holding ModPodge

We're moving right along! Sky, vegetation... flowers!

I'll show you how to make a template, so grab some tracing paper and a scissor for this lesson.

Now we tackle the butterfly. The wings are such fun! The body? Well, I'm having some issues...

I use an Xacto knife and a cutting mat in this lesson.

The body of the butterfly hasn't been sitting well with me, but I finally figured it out at the end of this lesson. Sometimes you try things and they don't work. The nice thing about working with paper is that you can always come back and fiddle with something.

You'll want a thin black Sharpie marker so you can sign your work!

Just in case you are using larger pieces of paper, I've included this video that shows an effective way to glue them down while avoiding bubbles.

Why varnish? Well, first of all, it gives the artwork a nice, even surface. Before varnishing, the top of the mosaic can be rough, uneven and splotchy. A gloss varnish gives it an even, smooth, glass-like finish. Secondly, a varnish will protect your artwork for dirt and spills.

SUPPLIES:

· Liquitex Gloss Varnish (Item #61670 Jerry's Artarama)

· Foam brush

· Cup for varnish

This article includes a few notes about framing.

Thank you so much for being a part of this class!

I would like to invite you to join my private Facebook group for students that have taken a class from me. Please post your finished work, your unfinished work, detail shots, a beautiful paper you made, etc... It's a place to be creative, get inspired and learn from others. Search "Art with Bebe - Share Your Work" to join! I can't wait to see you and your work there!

My art Facebook page is at Bebe Keith Designs. You can also find me on Instagram.

I look forward to seeing you again! :)

Music Credit: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/