Creative Collage: Telling Stories in Layers

Get to know Ellen. Hear about how the streets of New York have influenced her work, as well as her training as an author and illustrator, and the artists and mediums which influence the designs she creates.

Ellen introduces you to the materials she works with, from scissors to cutting boards.Then, explore how to use animals to convey emotions and tell stories. Discover how to gather materials to inspire your designs, look for moments of magic in everyday life, and use your mobile phone as a sketchbook to build your own image library.

Time to create your collage! Choose a photograph and use it to tell a story. Experiment with the scale and color of an object for emphasis. Learn how to combine different materials and play around with composition and layers before adding text elements to your collage. Illustrate an animal portrait and place it into your scene.

Decide on a final layout for your collage and document different options on your smartphone. Then, paint any finishing touches before gluing down each of your elements. To finish the course, Ellen shows you how the processes you’ve learned can also work in Photoshop layers.