Time for a Collage of the Beach, Sandcastles

Step 1.  I start with a good photo reference.  In this case, I used several photos I took myself at Monterey, Carmel, and Pismo Beaches in California.  I sort of mashed them together into one drawing and began cutting and tearing paper.  

Step 2.  I like to start at the top and work my way down.  The sky first, then the water.

Step 3.  The children had to be traced onto tracing paper to save the shapes because the water and sand pieces will cover the lines.  Then I glued the collage pieces directly onto the tracing paper to make the children.

Step 4.  I left the background land jutting out into the water for last.

Step 5.  Then I search through my little drawings, faces, and words for just the right pieces to fit into my composition.  And I'm done.

A Collage of a Charming Boy I Call Blue Boy

While my computer was being fixed in the shop, I did several from photo references I saved on the iPad.  I thought this boy had a charming face.

I started with a light background then worked on the boy's face.  In order to keep the lines I used tracing paper and traced out the face.  Then I glued the facial pieces onto the tracing paper.  That way I could move it around as needed.  When the face was all finished I glued it down onto the background.

The last step was to add a few words and pictures.

A Pool Party in Collage

What an ordeal it has been being without a computer.  I had to go 18th century and do everything by hand.  I wrote articles by hand, kept notes by hand, did my art by hand.  It was refreshing in a way, but I still felt I was lacking something fundamental.

When my computer returned there would have been singing and dancing in the street but a lot of things were different.  Sure it was faster and better upgraded, but the upgraded operating system meant some of my old software was not incompatible.  I was faced with the decision of spending the money to upgrade the software systems I used all the time like Photoshop and InDesign, or downgrading my computer operating system.  I'm trying trial versions and we will see if it lasts.

In the meantime, here is one of the collages I worked on while I was roughing it.  I call it Pool Party.  As the temperatures rose outside to 104, I was cool inside working on collaging blue water and yellow innertubes for this little collage.  I like the finished product and hope you like it too.