More Tips For Creating Collage With Mediums
Since I started creating collages I have asked a few friends for advise, and came up with my own solutions. Typically almost everyone will use a Matte Medium of some kind to do their collage work, but I have discovered that it is not as clear as most gloss mediums. Matte medium works a little like plain white glue, when it dries it is slightly opaque while gloss medium dries like glass, transparent.
I am finding there are pros and cons to both. Gloss medium has seemed to punch up color when it is applied as a varnish, and when you plan to add a final gloss coat using it to apply the collage is an excellent idea, it will avoid the clouding caused by matte medium. Gloss is nowhere near as forgiving as matte, it requires a lot more massaging to prevent the paper from puckering or wrinkling. Excessive massage of the paper is dangerous for tears as the medium dries. The idea is to squeeze out as much medium from under the paper as possible.
Matte medium is much more forgiving for application of paper. When you lay down the paper and massage out the excess it is not necessary to be as thorough, the matte medium will flatten wrinkles that are mild as it dries. Being a perfectionist I must remove as much as humanly possible when applying paper, wrinkled collage makes me insane.
The above image shows the pieces after their final gloss coat, the blue piece was done with gloss and the magenta with matte. There are still small wrinkles in the blue piece that you cannot see unless inspecting it closely, but they are in fact there. On the matte piece, the wrinkles disappeared as the medium dried and shrank.
At this point, I am using diff technique for gloss and matte when applying a collage piece. Either way, I have found that you should let the piece cure a MINIMUM of 24 hours before applying the collage, 72 hours would be better especially when using matte medium and wiping away the excess with a wet cloth.
Matte:
1. Apply a liberal amount of Matte medium to the area where the collage is to be applied (spread even with #6 brush)
2. Apply a liberal amount to the back of paper to be applied (spread even with a #6 brush)
3. Position the bottom of the paper while holding the top off of your piece.
4. Squirt some matte medium on top of the paper while holding it up, for lubrication.
5. Using the same #6 brush, start at the bottom and brush hard from side to side as you lay the paper down a little at a time.
6. When the paper is all the way flat, use a damp cloth to wipe away the excess around it (not touching the paper)
7. At this point I rub out the excess medium from under the paper with my fingers
8. Wipe off excess again
9. Using same brush, make a few light passes over the paper to make sure the medium brush strokes go in the same direction as the paint.
Gloss:
1. Apply a liberal amount of Gloss medium to the area where the collage is to be applied (spread even with two inch wash brush)
2. Apply a liberal amount to the back of paper to be applied (spread even with a two inch wash brush)
3. Position the bottom of the paper while holding the top off of your piece.
4. Squirt some gloss medium on top of the paper while holding it up, for lubrication.
5. Using a #6 brush, start at the bottom and brush hard from side to side as you lay the paper down a little at a time.
6. When the paper is all the way flat, use your fingers to squeeze out any excess
7. Use two inch wash brush to spread the gloss evenly across the paper and painting
8. Use fingers to remove excess again if necessary
9. Using same brush, make a few light passes over the paper to make sure the medium brush strokes go in the same direction as the paint.
Remember to work AS FAST AS POSSIBLE, both mediums dry very fast, the gloss faster than the matte, even though it appears to be opposite to the eyes. Gloss medium will require more work to keep the paper flat, working fast is key.
At this point the mediums we speak of are “Liquitex Matte Medium”, and “Liquitex Gloss Medium And Varnish”
©2010 James H. Pickett
Workshops Added To Schedule
To RSVP without payment please send an e-mail to James with the full name of the attendees and what workshops you will be attending.
*Price change, Day of pricing will now be the same as pre-registraton.
Saturday November 28: Photography Fundamentals
$200 Pre-registration or day of. Paypal, cash, money order accepted.
Lunch included.
8am-5pm
100 N. Mohawk St.
Cohoes, NY 12047
Photography Fundamentals Workshop Details.
Sunday November 29: Studio Lighting Fundamentals
$200 Pre-registration or day of. Paypal, cash, money order accepted.
Lunch included.
8am-5pm
100 N. Mohawk St.
Cohoes, NY 12047
Photography Fundamentals Workshop Suggested before taking this course.
Tuesday November 31: Why Shoot In Raw?
$50 Pre-registration or day of. Paypal, cash, money order accepted.
6pm-8pm
100 N. Mohawk St.
Cohoes, NY 12047
Saturday December 5: Automotive Photography Workshop
$200 Pre-registration or day of. Paypal, cash, money order accepted.
Lunch included.
8am-5pm
100 N. Mohawk St.
Cohoes, NY 12047
Photography Fundamentals Workshop Suggested before taking this course.
Tuesday December 1: Concert Photography
$100 Pre-registration or day of. Paypal, cash, money order accepted.
6pm-10pm
100 N. Mohawk St.
Cohoes, NY 12047
Wednesday December 2: Workflow with Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Bridge
$100 Pre-registration or day of. Paypal, cash, money order accepted.
6pm-10pm
100 N. Mohawk St.
Cohoes, NY 12047
Adding A Four Hour Workshop To The Schedule, Concert Photography.
For All of you that want to shoot bands in their most natural and emotional environment.
-How to capture the moment
-Increasing the number of shots that aren’t blurry
-Tripod and Flash etiquette
-Getting close without being seen
-How to deal with how little light you have
Make suggestions as to other aspects of concert shooting you would like to add.
Sample image of Jared Funari at Valentines.
Photography Fundamentals Workshop Course. November 28, 8AM-6PM
Price Reduction $150
To RSVP without payment please send an e-mail to James with the full name of the attendees and what workshops you will be attending
Take a day and learn a semester’s worth of information to control your camera and enhance your talent. This workshop is for anyone that sees a picture in their head, but cant always get it to come out the way they want it. Anyone can turn on a camera, look at a scene and take a picture, but you dont want to be anyone, you want to be a photographer.
Taught by internationally published photographer James H. Pickett with covers and features in many national and international magazines. (Black Enterprise, Skin Art, Tattoo’s for Men, Modified Magazine, Modified Mustangs, European Car, and many more.)
Even if you are making money as a photographer, you can benefit from having the knowledge and ability to venture away from the pre-programmed and automatic modes in order to truly take control of your camera and produce the images your mind sees, instead of accepting images that are “close” to what you desired.
Learn simple secrets that will improve your photography and increase your income.
Learn how to craft a photo, and not just take pictures.
This workshop is designed to educate you and take technical questions out of your photography, allowing you to focus on the creativity of your image.
This is a hands-on, attendance required workshop – NOT an e-seminar. Attendees will be required to bring their SLR and lenses. Laptops are welcome. Broadband Wifi access available. Attendees are also welcome to bring examples of previous works to answer specific questions.
If you are currently working as a photographer your attendance will be kept anonymous to the public.
A Brief Overview
Workshop will include but is not limited to the following:
Shutter Speed
Controlling time
Freezing and showing motion
Hand-held photography
The shutter speed rule of thumb
Tips to help prevent blur and break the shutter speed rule of thumb
The inverse shutter speed law
Aperture
What is an aperture, really?
What is an ƒ-stop?
What is depth of field?
Controlling depth of field
Lens selection
ISO Speed
What is ISO speed?
What is my camera really doing?
ISO speed in relation to noise.
When and where to select a particular ISO speed.
White Balance
The color of light that your mind tries to hide from you
Training your mind
Why it looks different when you get home
Understanding white balance
Setting your white balance for your situation
Using tools to control your white balance
Exposure
Understanding the ƒ-stop
Why not to use automatic modes
How color effects your in-camera meter
When to use automatic modes
How shooting manual can speed up your post production
Picking your exposure battles
Incident light meters
Spot meters
Quick tricks when incident meters aren’t available
The sunny 16 rule
Light
Pinpoint VS. Diffuse
Using reflectors
Shadows
Light direction
Light diffusion
Low light
Your Camera
Focus Modes
Drive Modes
Metering Modes
Sensor type and conversions
Preview screens, histograms and the reality they are not
Lens selection
Technique and Other Info
The human tripod
The tripod, when, where, why and why not
Tripod etiquette
Composition
Model (people) releases, when and where they are needed
Filters
Pre-registration or day of. Paypal, cash, money order accepted. Pre register deadline is November 26, 2009
Pre registration is non refundable, but will be transferable to other times if you cannot make it.
Photography Workshops, Help Us Tailor The Program
Live in classroom workshops will be coming soon, please fill out the polls to help me tailor the program properly. If you want to be notified when the workshops will be, please subscribe by e-mail to the blogs RSS feed to be notified.
Loading ... Loading ... Loading ...
