Personal Abstract Mosaics
grades: 3-12
Objective: Students will create an abstract mosaic
collage from a source photograph using magazine
clippings in order to emphasize the atmosphere
(color, textures, patterns) rather than specific
details.
Reference artwork:
- Jennifer Ogden
- Parker Snowe
State Standards:
Content Standard 1—Students create, perform/exhibit, and respond in the Arts.
Content Standard 2—Students apply and describe the concepts, structures, and
processes in the Arts.
Content Standard 3—Students develop and refine arts skills and techniques to
express ideas, pose and solve problems, and discover meaning
Content Standard 4—Students analyze characteristics and merits of their work and
the work of others.
Content Standard 5—Students understand the role of the Arts in society, diverse
cultures, and historical periods.
Content Standard 6—Students make connections among the Arts, other subject
areas, life, and work.
Materials:
- Bring in 8” x 10” printed color photo of your
choice on plain paper (no specialty paper)
- Magazines
- Glue
- Scissors
- heavy paper
- tape
- sharpies, colored pencils, sharpeners
Vocabulary:
- collage
- mosaic
- source photograph
- texture
- pattern
- angle
- similar
- inch
- hierarchy : a method,
a set of rules to place
things in order. How
do you organize your
clothes? A library?
- overlap
- representational
- abstract
How to choose a good source photograph:
- Look for a photograph with large color fields. Small details will be difficult to
represent.
- Avoid faces unless they are close ups
- Pattern, texture, and a variety of colors will make for a more visually
interesting collage.
-
Steps:
1. Look closely at your source photograph. What colors, patterns, and textures
do you see?
2. Share with the class and make a list of descriptions. (skin tone, red, blues,
coarse materials, wet, etc.).
3. Start collecting pages from magazines and cutting into 1” pieces. How big is
one inch? (a little bigger than a quarter)
4. Cut your pieces into varying angular pieces and keep them separated into
similar piles.
5. Lightly trace your picture frame onto your drawing paper.
6. Lightly spread glue inside the box.
7. Start laying down the clippings according to the hierarchy of your source
photo. Don’t re-cut any shapes, just layer and overlap. You can pick and
choose which colors to emphasize. Colors in the background should be
glued first and then work your way forward. This will help to create a logical
depth to layers.
8. Don’t be concerned about trying to accurately represent your photo. Your
collage will begin to look very abstract but should still have a similar color
palette. It will look more like a blurry version of your photo.
9. When finished laying down all the pieces. Brush on a layer of modge podge
or acrylic gel to protect all the pieces.
Take a few steps back and squint your eyes….Can you see parts of your
photograph in your collage?! How have they changed or stayed the same?
Reflection:
- What is abstract? collage? mosaic? hierarchy?
- What is the value in translating a representational photograph into an
abstract collage?
- What are the differences and similarities between your photograph and
artwork?
Extension (optional):
- Draw a frame around your collage using colored pencils.
- Use a sharpie to outline and emphasize some of your cut pieces. Try to draw
some specific details back in. Be very careful not to cover everything in
black!
- Make a representational collage of the same picture by gluing your mosaic
tiles directly onto the photo.