How to Create a Beautiful Collage Series Using 5 Different Types of Papers

In this video I share how to create a collage series from the last five types of collage papers that I taught on YouTube. If you follow my YouTube demos, you know that we have experimented with eyedropper papers with water, rubbing alcohol papers, paint skins, thread pulling, and doodling. Today we are taking all of these mismatched papers and creating the ultimate mashup in a mini collage series.

One of my favorite things about mixed media collage art is that it allows for endless creativity and experimentation, and if you follow simple principles like using the same primary colors, you can bring together papers from opposite ends of the color spectrum and still make them go together.

Now, when you’re looking at your piles of papers, it is a little massive and a bit overwhelming. Here’s my process for narrowing papers down:

Go through each paper individually and decide if you absolutely love it. Only the ones that spark a creative fire inside of you go to the “yes” pile.

Next, I sort the “yes” papers into three piles based on color values of lights, mediums, and darks. Depending on your color palette this may come down to your best guess and it doesn’t have to be precise. We are just narrowing down our collage paper options to be less overwhelming and easier to work with.

We all know that I love my circles. Each collage wouldn’t be complete without them. Adding circles not only ties the pieces together but also provides a playful touch to the overall design. I have a whole stash of pre-cut circles, anything from small dots to larger shapes, ready to be used whenever inspiration strikes.

Once you’ve placed pieces down and you’re happy with composition, it’s time to start gluing. I prefer using matte medium and matte gel, depending on the paper thickness. Always glue on both sides—this helps to flatten out any bubbles and ensures the paper adheres well to the substrate, which is usually watercolor or mixed media paper I’ve prepped with gesso.

To finish, I made sure nothing was overly uniform—no two pieces are the same size, and a little unpredictability keeps things interesting.

I hope this helps you start thinking about composition, colors, and how pages can balance each other if placed correctly. Happy creating my friends!