MONTAGE IN ILLUSTRATION

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A MONTAGE APPROACH to ILLUSTRATION

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Recently, I assembled a book of Poetry, which is about women who seek to define themselves within the culture at large, and have chosen new names which they feel help define this new identity. The cover, to be in color, was a colored pencil drawing on collaged papers and is shown above.

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I decided to include 10 illustrations, black and white images of the etchings originally in color. The illustrations do not directly illustrate any particular poem. But the relationship of metaphoric imagery to metaphoric poetry reveals both to be part of a similar process. When and if the book is published, I will announce it on this blog and on my rzwritestuff blog, as well.

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Because I am so busy arranging the poems, proofreading and polishing them, I have fallen behind on my intended schedule for blogging on four different sites. I have not included many Etchings on this blog in the past. .I thought using the etchings as images would be appropriate at this time and might help me keep up with this blog. Many of the etchings are montages of more than one element. I will include the color versions here in the coming series of posts. They are still available as giclee prints, but most etching editions were sold out. 

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The image above used collaged papers which were created by cleaning off printmaking rollers after printing color etchings, and sometimes viscosity etchings. After the background was assembled, colored pencils were used to draw the wolf, the landscape and wolf pack elements, and the woman. I tried to make the woman look like a wolf, with almost golden eyes.

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Images and text are the exclusive copyright © of Ruth Zachary.

INTEGRATING REALISM INTO ABSTRACTION

 

Alabama Patchwork ii Collage by Ruth Zachary 

The first image shows how the figure looked after layering it over the blue background, in the luminosity mode. Note that very little color change occured in the gray scale drawing of the figure. The color in the figure drawing was achieved with acrylic paints used as watercolors matching hues in the background. Some distortion occurred in the second version because the varnish deepened the color. The image was photographed. The camera also distorts the straight borders at edges.

 

INTEGRATING REALISM INTO ABSTRACTION

In the previous post a figure was layered over an abstract black and white background, with the clothed model contrasted in grayscale tones.

I keep trying these experiments with color as well as black and white, because my original vision was to integrate realistic imagery into abstract shapes and textures.The blue-toned abstraction from the “Where Visions Gather,” series was chosen to be the background for the same fashion figure used in the previous post, inspired by Natalie Chanin, an Alabama clothing designer.

The figure, in grayscale tones when tried in various modes, applied as a top layer over the blue background resulted in a primarily grayscale image in many modes, with a few areas where the colors from underneath came through the figure. (luminosity mode)

The solution for this piece was to print the figure out in gray tones and then to paint areas which were in the color palette of the blues in the abstraction. Acrylic paint was used in thinned watercolor technique. Once dry, the whole composition – background and figure could be collaged to the Masonite panel with acrylic medium. Some compositional changes were made to the background before it was complete.

The figure was thus subdued to blend with the motifs of the underlying composition.This is much different than the figure used over the bold black and white patterns of the previous illustration. Both have merits, and the artist must choose the effect wanted.

The Masonite panel was prepared with a coat of water-based Kilz on both sides, and a second coat of gesso to the smooth surface side. Usually papers are collaged to the smooth side. The paper used was Epson matte Professional paper in a medium weight. Epson inks are colorfast, but some mediums and varnishes will dissolve and deepen the colors when applied to the surface. Test the products used together to be sure how they will work.

Small areas of the design elements were briefly soaked in water and the medium was applied to the panel, carefully placing the paper on the surface. One or two coats of matte medium were applied to the finished surface of the collage.

Note to my Readers:

I have been elected as secretary of the board of my church, and have less discretionary time than I had prior to taking on that duty. I still try to produce art, to write and create or manage other projects, including yard maintenance, but I will not be able to attend my blog as often as before.

Writing and Art Images are the sole © Copyright of Ruth Zachary

Until It Is Sold, That Is.

I habitually keep making small changes to a composition as long as it is in my possession. I may put it away for a while, and then some new change seems to occur to me, and I get out the paint again. And to add another thin coat of varnish, and photograph the latest version. Again.

It is difficult to hang on to a piece until you are sure it is really finished, because there is always some place to show it before you reach that point. I am probably not going to be able to change that habit. For that reason, I tell people I do often change my work. Once it is sold, I have to let it go as is.

I don’t have any problem letting my work go out into the world. This means it is ready to give others pleasure. That is my reason for creating it. Selling work allows an artist to keep on being creative… sustains us so we can continue to buy materials and to live, and to go on being in that creative mental space.

See my blog of March 29 to see the previous version of Winter Concert. The changes were made using acrylic glazes to deepen the maroons and balance the composition. (I really do believe it is finished, this time!)

Writing and Images are the Copyright © of Ruth Zachary.

Composition with Abstract Art

 

Composition, whether it contains recognizable imagery or is limited to purely non-objective content, is much the same process. Shapes or forms of varied hues and values, lines, movement, balance, are arranged to create interest, and hopefully to keep the viewers interest for a period of time. Collage is a medium which allows moving shapes, lines and colors around within the picture plane before adhering the papers to a background.

The three images above show the steps this composition went through before the final version was chosen, and also that after choosing the final arrangement, many changes may continue to be made, using acrylic paint. (Not all the images were allowed on this post,  but the numbers will identify the order of creation)

In the first is shown the original computer concept. In the second, is the rearranged version, also on the computer. Paper textures scanned into the computer were used to come up with the layout, and printed out with colorfast inks on archival papers. The computer study was printed out as well, as a 4x6” image to work from. Working small initially helps me to overcome the difficulty I often have with larger scale proportions. The floral images were included at the end to convey the idea of a garden concert. The final image was size 18x24.”

Acrylic medium was used to adhere the papers to the canvas, and the finished image, which included tonal washes of acrylic paint to strengthen the composition, and the black border, was sealed with acrylic varnish. The final image was a photograph of the piece. I am having difficulties with my ten- year old camera, and put it on auto focus, which still comes out a little blurry.

The piece expresses a sad theme, using letters written home from soldiers in Iraq, which is why I called it Concert in Blue Flat Minor.

This piece was shown about one year ago in Greeley’s Madison and Main Gallery for the annual Garden Show.

Please note: I have a new blog site, which features Abstract Art Exclusively. Go to Google and ask for Mixed Media Abstract Art by Ruth Zachary.

This site is about the techniques of creating art, especially in photo montage, and in mixed media collage and includes the various kinds of art I have made in the past, or am creating in the present, and includes both abstract art and realistic art.

Images and Writing are the Copyright © of Ruth Zachary.

The Value of the Thumbnail Sketch

This Winter Concert played on into Spring! I can't believe it took me a whole month to show the final result of this collage. (And there still may be more minor changes) As you can see the previous stage of planning this piece was not quite satisfactory. 

Ideally, changing the initial concept of a piece as the creative urge prompts, allows the most freedom of expression.  I have a problem working directly on larger pieces, but working on the computer to make a study where I can make changes is very helpful. It is a matter of scale, and since the change in my vision occurred, I am even more grateful to be able to do some of the work, especially the initial planning, on the computer. If others who see this also have a hard time working on a large scale, planning a composition as a thumbnail sketch may help you too!

Comments are Welcome!

Images and Writing are the Copyright © of Ruth Zachary.

Creating With Collage, Part 2

Winter Concert, Views 2 &3 in Progress. Mixed Media Collage, size 24x30" by Ruth Zachary. Final Version not shown.

Process of Collage part 2 -Winter Concert

The arrangement changed from the original concept as I went along. (See the previous post)The top and bottom were darkened, while the sides were lightened with acrylic grays, and tissue paper layers were applied over that. I do not use colored tissue papers because they are not colorfast. For color, they are painted with acrylic pigments.

Not satisfied with the composition at that point, I took a photo of it, and imported it back to the computer. Having worked close up and on a small scale for quite some time, I find it difficult to see needed changes when working on a larger scale, unless I experiment first with a smaller version, as on my computer screen.

I proceeded to copy small sections from the original layout and to arrange them in the side panel areas over the gray, turning, flipping and rotating to get something I liked. Repetition helped to tie the sides to the center, and touching the edge promised to anchor the center to the whole. I copied the small sections to one document to print out for the final layout. Adhering these to the panel, I attempted to maintain the sense of movement while retaining quiet areas at the edge to separate the image from the frame.

Check out my new blog, Ruth Zachary's Mixed Media,  which is intended to focus upon my Abstract Art, Patterned Field Landscapes and Geometric Compositions. 

This blog will continue to feature my Women's Heritage Art, Symbolic Photo-montages and Vintage Photo-montages. Techniques for all of my work, explaining Mixed Media Collage and Montage Art, as well as Abstract Compositions will also continue on this blog site.

Images and Writing are the © Copyright  of Ruth Zachary.

Creating With Collage

Study for Collage, Winter Concert© Ruth Zachary

Process of Collage  - Winter Concert.

The name refers to the black and white stripes which remind me of piano keys. The other colors are deep and almost somber, like winter, but warm, like being inside on a winter evening.

Some of the papers originated years ago, when I began saving papers that were the result of cleaning my print making rollers. The papers were newsprint, something I would never use in collage because of the high acidic content. Still the patterns and textures were so intriguing I couldn’t bear to throw them out. But imported into the computer, and printed on good papers with colorfast inks, the image will retain the details and hold up over time. These textures can be seen in the background grays of the composition.

This and other patterns, both geometric and organic, were layered one over the other in Photoshop. When some rich shapes and textures emerged, I cut them apart and arranged them on the computer. The first result could be seen in the long narrow image, and I planned to work from that.

Among various gessoed panels, none were long and narrow. I picked one, sized 24x30” to leave equal space at the edges. The collage would be mounted over a pre-painted dark tone. This separated the image from the frame, even though the borders would later include more elements. The creative process continued as the papers were cut up to be rearranged and adhered to the panel, using clear acrylic medium.

This is part 1 of 2, to come later.

All images and writing are the copyright © of Ruth Zachary.