GETTING INTO DIGITAL COLLAGE | THE PROCESS

How to brainstorm, find images, and a list programs to try to find your unique skill in the world of digital collage.

I started doing digital collage in March 2020, not that long ago, and I fell in love. It's a beautiful form of self expression, whether you have traditional skills in art or not.

I'll give an overview of the process, resources you can use, and some programs I've tried that have worked for me.

BRAINSTORMING IDEAS

Getting out a notebook or even just a plain sheet of computer paper is key. Write down anything that sparks visual stumulation - this can include animals, people, nature, emotions, etc. This can help you navigate an image search if you are in a rut of where to start.

Look up digital collages that inspire you. You can find many on Instagram and Pinterest. What speaks to you? What elements do you like?

IMAGE RESOURCES

Here is a great list of image resources for collage making, graphic design, illustration, and any sort of reference imagery you could possibly need for a project. Keep in mind that every site has its own particular rules as to image usage rights.

Unsplash Collections

In general this is a FANTASTIC site for wonderful high-quality images. Photographers and various archives upload photos to be used for commercial use - with modifications. I put that in bold because it's wicked important. Don't completely copy someone else's work. Make it your own! You can find you more about the specific terms of use on their about page.

• The New York Public Library - Botanical and historical imagery

• British Library - Botanical, illustration, and historical imagery

• Library of Congress - Historical imagery

• Birmingham Museums Trust - Historical imagery

• Museums Victoria - Historical imagery

• NASA - Cool space imagery

Flickr Commons

The Flickr Commons consists of several archives from various institutions, just like Unsplash but there is a grey area. There are "no known copyright restrictions" so they advise the user to read the specific usage rights for each institution. You can find out more in their rights and usage section.

Some wonderful archives include:

• Biodiversity Heritage Library - Botany and nature imagery

• British Library - Historical imagery

• National Science and Media Museum - Historical imagery

• Library of Congress - Historical imagery

• State Library of Queensland - Historical imagery

• NASA on The Commons - MORE space stuff!

Smithsonian Libraries Image Gallery

Most of the Smithsonian Library images are in the public domain or have a "no known copyright" restriction. As always, use your best judgment on each image, and be sure to read the image notes!

• Seed and Nursery Catalogs - Botany images

• Biologia Centrali Americana - Nature and insect imagery

• Le Garde meuble - Historical furniture illustrations

• Procincial Archives of Alberta - Historical imagery

PROGRAMS

There are many ways you can digital collage. I personally love using Procreate on my IPad Pro. It's extremely user friendly and I love that I can draw on my screen to get great detail. I take it everywhere, even to work and collage on my lunch break!

For desktop, there are also programs such as Photoshop and Pixelmator. I find that Pixelmator is a great and cheaper alternative to Photoshop in the long term if you want to save on a monthly subscription. It also comes with a free trial! I paid about 40 USD and I don't have any complaints. To save yourself a lot of clicking, a graphics tablet would also be a good investment.

PROCESS

First: Make sure you start a file that is 300 dpi so you can print it one day if you want!

As far as the process of collaging goes, you basically cut your images digitally and merge them together. You can do this one at a time and create files for each image so you can reuse them. Just be sure to make sure the background layer is off (transparent) and save as a PNG.

When cutting, it helps having a colored and seperate layer to help you see where you are cutting/erasing. I personally use a soft brush. This helps with blending images together.

Playing around and finding your personal style is key. You will make a lot of bad collages at first! It's the process. Embrace it.

Let me know if this short overview has helped you, you can find me on Instagram @thealtereddiary

Much love,

Jaqualine