Paper
Collage
Inspired by
Illustrators,
Eric Carle and
Steve Jenkins
What Illustrators, Steve Jenkins
and Eric Carle Have in Common
• Went to New York City for Graphic
Design careers
• Collaborated on their first children’s
book with someone else
Eric Carle
• Illustrate and write children’s books
• Their illustrations are done as
collages with paper
• They both love and respect animals
Steve Jenkins
Steve Jenkins
1952-Present
Steve Jenkins was born in North Carolina in 1952.
He moved around a lot for his dad’s job so he had a hard
time getting close to people. He read a lot and when he
had kids of his own, he read to them and fell in love with
children’s books.
He has collaborated with his wife on books and recently
with his dad. He has 34 children’s books published. His
first book was Biggest, Strongest, Fastest
What Do You Do With A Tail Like This? Won a Caldecott
Honor in 2004
Steve Jenkins
Steve was surround by science books as a kid. His
father was a scientist and created an environment for
making discoveries.
Steve is drawn to subjects that are suitable for being
illustrated with paper. “Part of the reason I did a book
about beetles is because they lend themselves so well
to the medium–they have hard edges and interesting
patterns.”
In spite of an early interest in science, Steve is not a
scientist, “I don’t have the technical background but
that can also be a gift because it helps me to convey
the ideas in simple terms.”
How Does He Do That?
Steve Jenkins
stevejenkinsbooks.com
Eric Carle
1929-Present
– Eric Carle was born in Syracuse, NY. When Eric
Carle was six his family moved to Germany. It
didn’t take long for him to forget English and
only speak German. He learned English again in
high school.
– 1952 he moved back to the United States to be
a graphic designer
– His first book was a collaborative book with a
friend, Bill Martin Jr. Bill did the writing and Eric
Carle illustrated: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What
do you See?
When asked how he felt about the
experience, Eric Carle answered, “I was
set on fire! It was possible, after all, to
do something special that would show a
child the joy to be found in books. This
opportunity changed my life.”
Eric Carle
eric-carle.com
Eric Carle was asked, “Do you have any hobbies?”
I would have to say my work is my hobby. And my
hobby is my work. Even when I’m not working in
my studio, I might be thinking about future books.
I will probably never retire from creating books.
– The next book he wrote and
illustrated was 1, 2, 3 to the Zoo. His
third book, The Very Hungry
Caterpillar, has sold over 41 million
copies
– Eric Carle has illustrated more than
70 books
Eric Carle
eric-carle.com
About his technique in his own words...
I begin with plain tissue paper and paint it
with different colors, using acrylics.
Sometimes I paint with a wide brush,
sometimes with a narrow brush.
Sometimes my strokes are straight, and
sometimes they’re wavy. Sometimes I paint
with my fingers. Or I paint on a piece of
carpet, sponge, or burlap and then use that
like a stamp on my tissue papers to create
different textures.
These papers are my palette and after they
have dried I store them in color-coded
drawers. Let’s say I want to create a
caterpillar: I cut out a circle for the head
from a red tissue paper and many ovals for
the body from green tissue papers; and
then I paste them with wallpaper glue onto
an illustration board to make the picture.
History of Collage
The term collage (from the French verb “coller,” meaning “to glue”
or “to stick”) was used by the artists Pablo Picasso and George
Baraque during the cubist movement.
Collage was very controversial at the time. Fabrics, newsprint, and
papers incorporated in a painting was frowned upon. It was a big
boost to the modern art movement.
Other artists that used collage early on in their work include Henri
Matisse, Leo Lionni and Ezra Jack Keats.
Our Project
CORE LESSIONS
• Collage
• Layering
• Fine motor skills
• Drawing
TOOLS NEEDED
• Colored Paper
• Glue Stick
• Pencil
• Scissors
The Drawing
Step one: Draw parallel
lines on the paper in a
place that lets them
add the rest of the
goose.
PUT YOUR NAME ON YOUR PAPER
Step two: Add an oval
to the top of the
parallel lines.
Step three: Draw the
chest and flat-like base
of the goose.
Using a cotton swab to
create the dots
The Drawing
Step four: Draw the tail,
like a triangle shape.
Then add the curve
from the tail to connect
to the base of the neck.
Step five: Add the
triangle shape of the
bill and the curve for
the wing.
Step six: Add a little eye,
to get an idea of where it
will go. And add the wave
line to go over the base of
the bird.
Collaging the Colored Paper
Your goal is to fill in the
goose with colored
paper shapes.
When you cut a shape if
it doesn’t fit, cut a
smaller shape, to fill in
the white space.
For Kindergarten and
First Grade, if the
scissors are frustrating
please tear the paper to
make it fit. It will be
rougher but still look
cool.
Collaging the Colored Paper
Cut out your pieces
and parts first and see
how they fit before
gluing them down.
In this example, the
parts and pieces are
laid out roughly.
Start Gluing
– Have a scratch
paper available
so that glue
can be applied
as close to the
edges of the
paper as
possible.
– AVOID
pressing too
hard and
clumping your
glue. Be
Gentle.
Overlap Pieces to Fill the Space
– When you have completed your gluing, do the flip
test to see if everything is adhered to the paper.
Add the eye
to finish off
your
masterpiece.
Resources
http://www.btsb.com/2014/07/11/steve-jenkins-about-the-author/
http://www.ericcarleblog.blogspot.com
http://www.artspace.com/magazine/art_101/art_market/art_101_collage-5622
http://eric-carle.com
http://www.stevejenkinsbooks.com/