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Tissue Paper Collage Art
Creating tissue paper art collage in the style of Eric Carle is surprisingly easy and effective using these steps. Capturing Carle's beautiful shape, form, color and composition are not as easy as he is a master of illustration. However, with these steps you, or your children/students, can create some fantastic looking artwork. - 2
Choose Art Tissue Paper
Choose "art" tissue paper from a hobby or craft store. Regular tissue paper from the gift wrap department is too thick and will not bleed or blend the way art tissue paper does. The bleeding and blending when water and glue are applied are what give the artwork beautiful colors and effects. You will also need a pair of good, sharp scissors. Tissue paper is difficult to cut with dull scissors. If you are doing this with children, let them tear the shapes or you precut the shapes if desired. - 3
Choose Subject Matter
Choose your subject matter. Keep in mind the size and number of things to be cut out of the tissue paper when planning your subject. While adults and older children can handle cutting small shapes out of tissue paper, younger children have a difficult time with this. Things like caterpillars and still life fruits and vegetables make great subjects for younger children still working on fine motor skills. Cut out all the pieces for your composition keeping in mind that some of the colors will bleed and blend. This is part of the charm and character of tissue paper collage. - 4
Composition
Begin the tissue paper collage gluing process with a "dry run" by playing around with the composition on a spare piece of same sized paper until it is just right. This is essential to a good result as once tissue paper is placed on wet glue, it cannot be moved! Have a second piece of paper ready for the actual gluing down of your composition. - 5
Gluing the Collage
Once you are sure where every piece will go, determine a good starting point for gluing. Use plain white glue, watered down about one-third water to two-thirds glue and mixed well. Brush a thin layer of glue over about a fourth of your white paper in the area you wish to start first. Lay the tissue paper pieces onto the wet glue smoothing out as many bumps and wrinkles as possible. Remember that some wrinkling and bubbling adds to the charm of this style of art. The next step brings it all together. - 6
Tissue Paper Art Collage
The last step in making the collage is to do one light coat of the watered down glue over the entire picture. This helps to seal down any unglued edges, even out the glue coating, and once dry, gives the entire picture a look of having been lacquered. Your Eric Carle style tissue paper art collages are now complete!
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