Collage And Mixed Media

This course is suitable for beginners and those with previous experience of collage and other art forms. No previous experience or skills are necessary. This is a series of 3 practical courses, which run consecutively over the academic year; they can be taken separately, or completed consecutively. Creative Collage and Mixed Media is aimed at those who want to explore the medium of collage and experiment with this most versatile of art forms in a creative and experimental way. Students will be encouraged to push the boundaries of collage, by combining it with painting, printing, drawing and sculpture (small scale) and to follow their own personal interests in the medium. The course will cover some basic art history of collage and will look at influential artists, along with demonstrations of materials and techniques.

The first 6 weeks of each course will cover different techniques for collage and mixed media, including painting, printing and drawing, allowing students to try these out for themselves. We will look for inspiration at modern and contemporary collage artists, both abstract and figurative and aim to replicate some of the techniques of the masters.

In Week 7 we will take a trip to see an exhibition (so there will be no class at MWC) and/or gather visual information from the landscape. From week 8 onwards, students will have the opportunity to choose a 'personal project', and explore in more depth a technique or subject matter of interest for the remainder of the term. For this 'personal project' students will be fully supported by the tutor and assisted to achieve their goals technically and practically.

In the last class of each term, there will be a review and an informal exhibition of students' finished works, to recognise and share individual achievements and celebrate successes.

By the end of the course students should be able to:

1. Know some of the history of collage and background of the artists who use it
2. Be confident working with a range of collage materials and techniques
3. Be confident to combine different techniques, such as collage, painting and printing
4. Identify and develop a personal project in collage and mixed media
5. Apply constructive criticism to their work and that of others

In addition, by the end of Term 2, students should be able to:
6. Use and create texture in own collage and mixed media artworks

In addition, by the end of Term 3, students should be able to:
6. Use photomontage or photography in their own collage and mixed media artworks

There will also be demonstrations of techniques and materials where necessary, but most of the class time will be devoted to students making their own creative collages. At the end of each class we come together as a group to review our works and reflect on what we can learn from each other. This is important in developing understanding and also helps students gain confidence.
There will be a short comfort/coffee break for those who want it during each session.

Teaching methods: Visual demonstration and verbal explanation. Written handouts with visual diagrams. One-to-one teaching. Group discussions
Learning methods: Hands-on practical activities, Reading handouts and following instructions.
One-to-one and group discussion.
How students are assessed: Questions and answers during group discussions and one-to-one teaching.
Record of students' progress and achievement on an assessment sheet as they achieve the course objectives. Practical work produced is evidence of learning.

Collage is all about ingenuity and recycling, so the bare minimum of materials are required.
Essential items are:
- a pair of sharp scissors and/or a pair of good nail scissors
- a small pritt stick
- a basic set of acrylic paints and/or watercolours
- cheap paintbrushes (for gluing and painting)
Total cost = approx. £5-£10

Other useful items would include:
- a good craft knife, carpet knife or scalpel (plus spare blades)
- a small cutting mat
- a metal ruler
- textured, coloured or patterned materials e.g. wrapping paper, brown paper, wallpaper samples, foreign newspapers, coloured card, fabric samples, sandpaper, sweet wrappers etc.
- interesting bits and bobs e.g. stamps, sweet wrappers, stickers, leaves, twigs, bits of wood, plastic packaging , beach-combing finds etc.
- images from postcards, photos, magazines or newspapers
Total cost = £0-£20

There will be no compulsory 'homework' set, but students will be encouraged and supported in continuing to explore their ideas and techniques between classes if they can. They will also be encouraged to visit exhibitions and museums to gather inspiration and source material for their work. Sometimes a relevant text or article will be given to students for them to read between classes if they are interested.

Students can progress to other art or art history courses at Mary Ward Centre, including Level 2 and 3 courses, if appropriate. This course is also suitable for aiming to build up a portfolio of diverse work for application to FE and HE programmes.


There is detailed information in Reception about all our courses at the Mary Ward Centre.
Information about other learning opportunities can be obtained from Learn Direct: www.learndirect.co.uk and from the following websites: www.floodlight.co.uk; www.hotcourses.com; www.citylit.ac.uk; www.wmcollege.ac.uk; www.morleycollege.ac.uk