The Art of Collage

Creative Collage Process Art

Snip and Stick Sensations-Creating Joy in Every Layer

I love collage for so many reasons, but mostly because the process is so therapeutic. You can do layer after layer and it never gets old. Plus my shaky hands don't seem to affect the outcome like in drawing and painting. Gluing, snipping, cutting, tearing, and pasting, sticking, or stacking layers…whatever it takes, they all are so exhilarating to me.

However, simple collage is one of the easiest, open-ended, art activities you can offer your child. To me, a collage is a bunch of odds and ends, with a common theme, that were creatively pieced together. It is taking existing materials and putting them together in new ways and creating a "whole" new piece of art.

For toddlers, creating collage is about creating, imagining, and expressing themselves in a playful and explorative manner. There’s no right and wrong in how toddlers create and respond to art.

By taking a step back from directing your child’s play, you can encourage your toddler to explore his world in his own way. This is important for learning and development.

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Quick Tips for Sensational Snipping and Sticking

Methods for presenting art collage ideas:

~Think of the topic or theme you want the children to create art around
~Find pictures and elements around this theme. (city landscapes, fall scenes, vehicles, houses etc.) Look through books, old calendars, scraps from old projects or sites like Pinterest for inspiration.
~Show the children the pictures and the elements that you have gathered so they can add their own ideas and materials.
~Tell the children WHAT THEME they are going to use. Be it a vehicle, a city landscape or whatever else you choose.
~Make it clear that these images and materials collected are for ideas only and they can pick and choose to add what they want to their lay out
~Then give materials that SUGGEST the idea you want them to create with on a tray or in a box. For example, if it’s a winter picture give white circles and other suggestive white materials. If its vehicles, maybe circles for wheels, triangles for sailboats etc.
~Tell them that they can create their symbolic lay out in any way they like. Continued

Quick Tips for Presenting
a Drawing Project

Drawing is a fun way to develop or redevelop writing and motoric skills. But to a child drawing is not meant to be just pencil marks on paper, you have to combine it with other forms of art and give the line some flair!!

I would preface the following tips by saying that every child is different and there are a number of influences to when and how you would start out offering little ones the opportunity to draw. Crayola agrees saying "all budding artists develop at different rates so simply select the stage that matches your toddler’s current ability regardless of his or her actual age." I use their “My First” creative tools on all ages for new artists. I liked using homemade paints, glue and play dough, however they attract bugs if your not careful storing their artwork. But if I used store bought, I bought Crayola supplies. They were always safe for little hands washable, and easy to clean up. I am not being paid to say that. Hope, at 24 years old, still reaches for Crayola when she can.

• So here are my thoughts and tips on starting out with drawing with toddlers;
  In my opinion it’s a good idea to give them time to practice coloring, painting, sculpting with clay and play dough and cutting and sticking a collage together all work on getting the muscles ready to draw.

• If your child is interested in drawing there are many stage appropriate projects with scribbles in our “Making Drawing Fun” book. The section on Scribbles and what they mean to a budding artist, has several opportunities to make scribbles into wonderful projects that you can do over and over as they progress through that stage of drawing. It also covers the stages of creative development to track which projects are just right for your child on his creative journey.

• I have used this training book below on every child and student that I have tought to write. What I like is the fact that the they introduce the letters in the sequence that developmentally accurate for fine motor skills.  The letters must presented in this way for easy learning and mastery. The pre-writing skills of coloring and drawing skills included in the book are fun and and fit into clear dry erase pockets, laminated sheets or clear page protectors to wipe and reuse. I can easily copy the pages and keep the book clean from markings. Have fun. 

Coloring>Drawing>Writing Link for AMAZON

•  Choose drawing tools that make marks easily – good quality crayons, oil pastels (the more traditional kind or slick stix), chunky pavement chalk or felt tipped pens. Ensure they are non toxic. I look for well known, child friendly brands like Crayola and Ooly. “My First” Crayola products are designed to meet the early stages of a child’s creative development. Children develop the ability to use art tools at different stages of their toddlerhood—regardless of their actual age. So it’s important to provide little artists with the tools that match their readiness.

• Supervise closely, especially if your toddler is still mouthing objects. Pointy pens and pencils are really unsafe for toddlers.

• I found that Hope is most comfortable standing at a low table or using an easel to draw. Don’t limit yourself to sitting and drawing on a vertical surface. Any position assists with the development of hand and wrist strength and stability. It’s a matter of letting your child do their best work and enjoying it..

• Allow your toddler plenty of time and regular, repeated opportunities for mark making with a range of different drawing mediums. Every project can be repeated and still be different. Notice that they build a drawing from previous experiences with their supplies. The more they use them the better they get at using them independently.

• Remember, it is not about them representing any particular idea, instead they are learning to co-ordinate their body, arms, hands and fingers, and exploring what is possible when they manipulate each drawing tool. Learning to draw is a journey and your are their guide.

• NOTE- Always praise their creativity and courage to use of new supplies and tools. Then display their work proudly-scribbles and all. Remember, we all went through a scribble stage and know that they make for wonderful projects and gifts. One way to perk up a young artist, is to let them draw on one of their colorful process art paintings. They make for great backgrounds to draw on and they are doubly proud when they are finished drawing.

Drawing with Toddlers 

Open Ended Drawing & Direct Drawing

Making Drawing Fun

Drawing is a fun way to develop or redevelop writing and motoric skills. But to a child drawing is not meant to be just pencil marks on paper, you have to combine it with other forms of art and give the line some flair!!

As soon as your toddler can hold a crayon comfortably, he's ready to scribble with it. By giving him plenty of opportunities to doodle to his hearts content, you can help him develop strength and control in his fingers now — and eventually, help him understand that marks and lines can represent objects, shapes and letters. Some say that drawing allows us to take the line out on a stroll. I kind of like that because it sounds like the beginning of an adventure of exploring with drawing tools and supplies. Practicing drawing helps train the eye to see what is really there and not what you presume to be there. Drawing helps train the hand to be comfortable with using, um, drawing utensils. Drawing is easy to start and stop- it can be done anywhere, at any time. You don’t need a big space or fancy setup to draw; you just need to be willing to do it. Continued

Tracing and Drawing Worksheets

Doodling and Drawing

Easy Directed Drawing and Fingerprint Animals

Drawing with Symmetry

All you need to know about Drawing- Teachers Notes

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