Collages have long been seen as the preserve of six-year old children with yoghurt pots full of PVA glue. Few people beyond the age of ten are moved to cut up their own/their parent's magazines and stick them to the back of cereal packets. However, collages can be art just as surely as watercolour paintings, and they can be a lot of fun to make.

Famous Collages

No one really knows how long ago collages originated. They've probably been around for thousands of years, but before a hundred years ago they were rare among artists. It was only in the early twentieth century that they were given the name of 'collage', from the French 'colle', or 'glue'.

Some claim that the first collage that can be called 'art' ¹ was made by Pablo Picasso, titled Still Life with Chair Caning. His collage was exhibited after those of his friend Georges Braque, who he worked with in developing the medium and is co-credited in bringing it to the attention of the experts at the time.

Many other famous artists have created collages. Salvador Dali, a great fan of Picasso, experimented by producing works such as Cubist Self Portrait, an early masterpiece.

Do It Yourself?

The most important thing to consider before you make a collage is that it is not a painting. Obvious, perhaps, but it needs to be said. There are some important differences. The effects you'll get with a collage are completely different, but that isn't a bad thing. Subtle colour mixing may be out, but sticking autumn leaves to your masterpiece is a possibility, provided you can find some.

Backing

Usually you'll need something to stick your collage to. This researcher has been known to stoop to cereal packets, but generally sticks to bits from cardboard boxes, which can be much larger than even super-big packets of cornflakes. Don't worry too much about any patterns on the backing - they'll soom be covered. The improtant thing is that you are able to stick things to one side of it. If there's a pattern on the other side then you can cover it with some black paper or similar. Just so no one sees that you actually eat Weetabix.

Bits and Pieces

The fun bit - finding things to stick on to your collage. The obvious is paper, but don't just go down to the art shop and buy some coloured sugar paper. That's missing the point somewhat. Cut up magazines - good for pictures of mystery bare flesh, and lots of bright colours, newspapers - excellent for assorted letters, should you wish to spell your message out, fabrics and anything else that doesn't have a pulse. Go outside and gather various things - leaves and feathers are obvious, but why not consider sand, tree bark or anything else that happens to be available in your area?

There is no set way to make a collage. You could cut all your scraps of paper into tiny pieces and make a mosaic-style pictures, you could stick cut-out people onto a painted background or you could make a careful montage of the photographs that mean a lot to you. There aren't any rules. Just see what you can persuade to stick to the cardboard.