Freeform Collage Project
I wanted to reflect on the process and outcome of a recent lesson I lead with a small group of students—a freeform collage project. I taught this collage lesson to 3rd-5th graders and students were told to first brainstorm what they wanted the subject to be—there were no rules or guidelines! I let students know that organic shapes such as flowers, birds, fish, or plants would be easiest to collage. Some chose to go this route while others had their heart set on something specific already. Throughout this process I enjoyed seeing each student’s creativity and resourcefulness as they sketched, painted, cut, and glued for multiple class periods until they achieved their desired composition.
Here is the process we followed as a class:
Brainstorm subject
Create a sketch of your subject, keeping composition in mind—be sure to use the whole canvas!
Paint the background. Students could choose any color and were told to use watercolor to fill the entire background of their canvas.
Paper making—once you decide the colors, textures, and patterns you would like to incorporate into your collage, begin drawing and painting on construction paper to make your collage paper. Students were encouraged to get creative with mark making and patterns in this step. I let them know they could create as much collage paper as they had time to—any left over collage paper could be shared with their classmates or kept in our class paper bin for another project.
The fun part—cutting and assembling your collage. Students used scissors and glue to assemble their collages on top of the sketches they already created. I emphasized that we were not striving for perfection. I also challenged students to break down objects into shapes and use many cut pieces of paper put together to create their image. Some students needed a nudge to break down each piece of their collage into more detail while others really enjoyed cutting and assembling many tiny pieces.
I found that each student was proud of not just their final product, but the process that went into their work. This project took many steps using different mediums and techniques, each a challenge in some way, and the result was rewarding.
I describe this project as “freeform” because students had the option to work as abstractly as they pleased and the guidelines on this project were minimal. The theme I emphasized over and over throughout the process was that we were not aiming for perfection.
Watching these students work on their collages through multiple class periods reminded me that we can find joy in the process of making, especially when we let go of perfection. No matter your age or ability, the beauty of collage making lies in its freedom and versatility.
Materials used:
Tissue paper: https://amzn.to/49FkaY6
Construction Paper: https://amzn.to/3GbHjUt
Watercolors: https://amzn.to/3QNTn3q
Glue: https://amzn.to/3RbnzH6
Scissors: https://amzn.to/3up8NDI
Canvas: https://amzn.to/3RaU6gf
Pastels: https://amzn.to/3GcqXLy
