- a camera, cameraphone
- Polaroids or other images
- substrate - canvas, board, poster board, journal
- adhesives
Do:
- Gather some old Polaroid photos or print out small pictures from your phone, computer, the web.
- If you don't use Polaroid-style images, at least make sure all the images are the same size.
- Lay your images out on the substrate in a manner that suits you.
- Adhere the images to the substrate using a glue stick, gel medium, or decoupage medium.
- It's best to avoid wet glues here, because they can more readily damage your images or the substrate.
- Optionally add some decorative frames, borders, or other decor.
You could:
- Experiment with image orientation by rotating some images or flipping them.
- Combine the images with other materials like paper scraps, fabric, or natural elements (e.g., leaves, flowers).
- Consider leaving some areas of the substrate blank to create negative space, which can help guide the viewer's eye and manipulate focus.
- Curate your images to illustrate a specific story, represent a particular time or date, evoke a specific mood, or concentrate on a specific palette of colours.
- If making a specific palette on decorative papers, you could contrast the colours of images to the substrate, complement them, or go monochromatic.
- Add interactivity by adding flaps, pockets, or hidden compartments. This would be better in a journal that's meant to be touched and handled.
- Create a group version where multiple people contribute.
- Try using unique or unconventional substrates, like wood, cardboard, found objects, or decorative papers.
- Experiment with different layouts, like laying the images out in a non-traditional patterns such as spirals, a diagonal line, or a random arrangement.
- Instead of using smooth, glossy images, consider using images with different textures, such as matte finishes, images with a bit of wear and tear, tearing or ripping the paper to create rough edges and add more texture.
- Apply paint, ink, or markers to the images to add further colour and interest.
Notes:
- Sometimes minimalism is best.
- This can be adapted to be done large-scale on canvas or small-scale in a journal.