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create a collage from magazine cutouts
Creative

Create a collage from magazine cutouts

Cut out images, textures, and words from old magazines and arrange them into a unique visual composition.

Time:
60 min
Cost:
free
Difficulty:
easy
Where:
Indoors
Best:
Solo

Collage is the most accessible visual art form there is, because the drawing skill barrier is removed entirely. To create a collage from magazine cutouts you only need to cut and arrange, and the interesting part comes from juxtaposition, which anyone can do well with enough raw material in front of them.

Why create a collage from magazine cutouts is worth an hour

Having a large pile of cuttings before you start arranging is what makes it work. With only a few pieces you are forced into obvious combinations; with a hundred you can find the unexpected pairing that makes the piece. Arranging without glue for as long as possible matters for the same reason, since committing early closes off compositions you have not found yet.

How to create a collage from magazine cutouts step by step

  1. 1

    Cut a large pile first

    Thirty minutes of cutting with no arranging. Volume of material is what makes good juxtapositions possible.

  2. 2

    Cut for shape and texture too

    Not only recognizable images. Blocks of color and patterned areas are what hold a composition together.

  3. 3

    Arrange without glue

    Move things around for as long as you can bear. Committing early is the most common regret.

  4. 4

    Photograph the arrangement

    Before gluing. You will move something and want the earlier version back.

  5. 5

    Glue from the back layer forward

    Background first, then working forward. Gluing out of order traps you into an arrangement you cannot adjust.

Tips to get more out of it

  • Use a glue stick rather than liquid glue. It causes far less wrinkling on thin magazine paper.
  • Charity shops and recycling bins are full of free material. Old maps and books add texture that magazines lack.
  • Work on card rather than paper. Wet glue warps thin paper regardless of how carefully you apply it.

Ways to mix it up

If you want a constraint, restrict yourself to one color or one source magazine, which produces a more coherent result than unlimited choice. If you prefer working digitally, the same principles apply, though the physical cutting is a large part of why the analogue version is absorbing.

Want to keep working with found words and pictures? Try blackout poetry with an old newspaper, or reuse the remaining pages for your next collage.

For another small project, browse our creative activities for a spare hour.

Create a collage from magazine cutouts: frequently asked questions

What should I use as collage material?

Magazines, old books, maps, packaging, tickets. Cut for shape and texture as well as for recognizable images.

What glue works best?

A glue stick. Liquid glue wrinkles thin magazine paper badly, and working on card rather than paper reduces warping further.

How do I make a collage look intentional?

Cut far more material than you need, then arrange without gluing until the composition works. Volume enables the good pairings.

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