Collage (Senior badge)

**The Collage badge** is part of the Legacy badge set introduced in 2011.

## Step 1: Explore collage

As you work through this step, record thoughts, sketches, images, and ideas in an inspiration notebook – it will make a great reference to guide you through the badge.  Pay attention to composition, color, material, and message, as those are the collages you’ll be making in the next steps.

CHOOSE ONE:

**Read about three collage time periods or styles.**  You might explore paper collages by 12th-century Japanese calligraphers, research medieval artists who enhanced religious images with fibers, gemstones, and precious metals, or look at the work of modern artists who pushed the boundaries of the medium.

OR

**Visit a museum or exhibit featuring collages.**  Talk to an exhibit employee about the artists and what materials they use in their work.

OR

**Find out how far back you can trace collages and then create a timeline.**  Was the technique a respected art form or a novelty?  When did it begin to be taken seriously by art critics?  Include at least three influential artists on your timeline.

All aboutGLUE

Not all glues are created equal.  Think about using glue that dries clear or an archival glue that is sure to hold.

**For lighter items, such as paper, try:**

A glue stick:   Take care to lay your paper flat in order to avoid lumps.

3-in-1 glue:     It promises instant grab and a clear and fast dry.

**For medium-weight items, such as cardboard, try:**

An adhesive all-in-one gluing and sealing product.

**For heavier items, such as fabric, try:**

A thick craft glue

**To last forever, try:**

Archival glue:  It comes in stick, adhesive, and liquid forms.

OR         Make Your Own PASTE

Throughout history, artists have turned to basic kitchen materials to create paints, inks, chalk, glues, adhesives, and modeling dough.  Try this recipe for your own paste – it’s think and very useful with projects involving paper.

You will need:

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup wheat flour (not self-rising)

½ teaspoon powdered alum

1¾ cups water

¼ teaspoon oil of cinnamon

What to do:

1. Combine dry ingredients in a medium saucepan.
2. Slowly add 1 cup of water and stir until smooth.
3. Bring to a boil over medium heat – stir constantly until smooth.
4. Remove from heat and add oil of cinnamon and remaining water – stir thoroughly.
5. Apply to paper with a brush.
6. Store in a covered jar for several months.

## Step 2: Focus on composition

Visualize how you want your collage to look.  How do you want your viewers’ eyes to travel across your work?  Is there a hierarchy to other objects on your canvas?  How and where you place the visual elements in your collage can change the mood and the experience the piece creates.

CHOOSE ONE:

**Compose a collage using cubomania.**  This technique means cutting one image into squares, and then reassembling each however you desire.  You might try to re-create the original image with some variations, or place each square randomly.

OR

**Create a collage diary.**  For one week, collect things – these might be store receipts, a card from someone, restaurant menu, train ticket, movie theater stub, flyers, etc.  Cut up and compose what you’ve collected into a composition that defines your week.  (Make sure you have no personal information on anything you collect.)

OR

**Create a photo collage.**  Use physical photographs or digital scans, or find free images if you’re working on the computer.  You might choose a theme – “favorite girl Scout experiences,” “everything that means home to me,” or “pets of everyone I love.”

## Step 3: Create with color

Isaac Newton, during his groundbreaking study on how light is responsible for color was the first to arrange colors in a “wheel.”  Scientists and artists found the concept an incredibly useful way to organize and study the effects of one color’s relationship to another.  Explore – and express – your feeling about color in collage.

CHOOSE ONE:

**Create a collage using one color.**  If it’s yellow, you might find materials in every shade of yellow from mustard to bright, pure yellow.

OR

**Create a collage with a color theme.**This might mean colors that evoke a patriotic theme: red, white, and blue.  Or Victorian-era colors: gray, brown, teal, and purplish red. Or, think about cool color combinations, such as turquoise and silver, or your favorite Girl Scout colors.

OR

**Create a collage that’s a study in color harmony.**  Harmony means the combination isn’t too jarring or too bland.  Colors next to each other on the wheel usually give a sense of balance and harmony. But contrasting colors – those from different parts of the color wheel – can also seem harmonious.

**FUN FACT**

To a printer, black is considered a color because they use it as one of their colored inks.  But the truth is, neither black nor white is a color; they are a result of all colors. How?  Black is a result of absorbing the light of all colors equally; white is a result of reflecting the light of all colors equally.

**The Color Wheel**

A basic color wheel shows color varieties, how they are organized, and how they relate to one another.  Most color wheels are based on three primary colors, three secondary colors, and six tertiary colors.

**PRIMARY**colors are red, yellow, and blue, also known as RYB.  Printers use the terms magenta (red), yellow, and cyan (blue).

**SECONDARY**colors are a mix of two primary colors, producing colors such as orange, green, purple.

**TERTIARY**colors are a combination of primary and secondary colors, such as red-orange, yellow-green, or blue-violet.

**COMPLEMENTARY**colors are opposite each other on the color wheel.

**SATURATION**refers to the concentration of color; for instance high-saturated colors are vibrant, low-saturated colors are muted.

## Step 4: Use found objects

What you’ve tried with composition and color should help you choose objects that will fit together well. Or, you might specifically decide to pick things that don’t seem to have a rhyme or reason – that depends on your vision as an artist.

CHOOSE ONE:

**Create a collage using 3-D materials.**  A tech theme might have computer chips, old cell phone parts, and colored wires (and maybe a screw or lug nut as a not to older technology)!  A games theme might have Monopoly pieces, dice, and a spinner.  Or you might not want a theme at all.

OR

**Create a collage on a found surface.**  What about making a collage on a lampshade, a shoe that’s past its prime, a piece of tire, driftwood, or even a tabletop that could use a creative spark?

OR

**Create a collage from everyday things.**  You might ask friends to give you things from their pockets that they intend to discard.  Or, you might make a foodie collage using napkins, chopsticks, cutlery, sugar packets, and other culinary items.

### **Rita Boley Bolaffio      (1898-1995)**

Rita Boley Bolaffio was born in Italy.  She grew up to become a painter, poet, textile designer, violinist, and accomplished horseback rider.  During World War I, Rita escaped with her family to the United States where she launched a career as a collage artist.  Her highly imaginative collages were displayed in department store windows and on magazine covers.  Eventually, her work was exhibited in museums and galleries.  Rita is credited for popularizing collage art in America.

## Step 5: Share a message

A collage is a fantastic way to share a powerful message.  What kind of composition, color, objects, or textures say “This is what matters to me and why?”  Experiment with bringing your meaning to life.

CHOOSE ONE:

**Create a self-portrait collage.**  It doesn’t have to be your face – just a piece that tells the world something about you.  A girl with a sweet tooth could make art with her collection of jelly beans, an entrepreneur with coins and play money.  Or, create your face using Girl Scout badges and patches.

OR

**Create a collage with an advocacy message.**  Collages, especially in the 1940s, were often used to express powerful social commentary.  Find a way to use this art form to express your cause or a message in which you believe.

OR

**Create a collage advertisement.**  Perhaps it’s to promote your favorite girl Scout camp, a travel adventure, or a great book or recipe.

MORE to **EXPLORE**

**Make your message collage – and get your message out!**Show your artwork and explore one of the most fascinating aspects of art:  how others react to your work.  (You might even host an art show with all your art from this badge.)

Careers to Explore

* Handbag designer
* Floral designer
* Screen printer
* Art therapist
* Painter
* Museum curator
* Sculptor
* Art conservationist
* Art historian
* Textile designer
* Printmaker
* Graphic designer
* Scrapbook artist
* Glass artist
* Illustrator
* Fabric designer
* Advertising designer
* Art critic