The Great Collage Project

January 23, 2009

I love collage!  Ask my mom, I cut up her polaroids when I was 10 and made her one...she nearly had a heart attack!

So on Wednesday I used all things black n' grey (charcoal, loose charcoal, ink, diluted ink, graphite, microns, etc) to make a large scale 'loose' form compilation of a bunch of organic items. Once it was all finished I decided to cut/rip up the thing to make a collage out of it.

The first is the whole thing- It's pretty huge. There a cactus stick thing, a fuzzy seed pod, wheat grass, a leaf, rock- you get the picture.

This was my favorite part--- I KNOW what it looks like, lol It's still my favorite part. whatev. .


I want to do this portrait of Bette Davis. ('Betty Davis Eyes'- Had that song in my head all weekend)


I took the photo and adjusted the levels, and posterized it in photoshop to get the difference in shades/ highlights here (below).


The fun part was what was transferred onto the 24x18 canvas, it took me forever and a lot of erasing to get it right, but partially because I'm slightly OCD about realism, and my graphites were straining not to break under my VERY tight grasp. Now I just have to cut up my original nature compilation and place the shades of grey accordingly. hopefully when I am finished it will resemble the portrait pretty closely. I'm excited! I will take pictures throughout the process.. more to come!

(UPDATE: January 28, 2009)
I pulled an all-nighter and finished my collage...It was so fun and calming... music and art, can't beat it!  I have pictures of earlier stages 
For now though....

Had a buyer offer to buy the framed and matted version for 700$, great offer, but not for sale.  More of these to follow...