How to Create an Awesome Canvas Print Collage

When people hear the word ‘collage’ they tend to image a huge chaotic cluster of images arranged in an artfully haphazard way. That’s because that’s the collage technique most of us encountered as kids in school, but the fact is ‘collage’ can mean a lot of different approaches. Four or five images, in fact, can be a collage – it’s more about shared subject matter and technique than the number of images used.

For a family photo or simply a decorative canvas print focal point in your room, the collage technique can be quite powerful. Creating a collage from just a few photos is better for large walls, as it keeps the images clear and their impact factor high. Here are the basics for creating a collage on your wall that will draw the eye and impress the spirit.

Canvas Print Collage: Vary Your Images

Your first step is to select your images. A collage that includes just four or five images is perfect for a large-scale focal point in your room – the key is to get specific shots:

• An establishing image that is wide-focus and captures the whole scene in its entirety.
• Close-ups of faces or individuals in the collage, or of the landscape aspects you want to highlight.
• Detail or macro images – if it’s a family portrait collage, get shots of feet, fingers, or other tiny details.
• Abstracts – look for colours and textures you can drill down for close ups.

Once you have a wide variety of images, you have the raw materials for your collage effect.

Background Choices

Your collage can be arranged in a variety of ways:

• A ‘cloud’ effect, with photos seeming to radiate almost randomly from a centre point.
• Along a line, curved or maze-like, with each canvas print hung at specific points along it.
• In a geometric pattern.

Whichever layout you choose, the key is to give your collage some structure by creating a background. This could be a simple square of complementary colour on which the prints are arranged, or several lines of colour – or even a larger, more abstract piece of canvas on which the other pieces are attached.

A collage is a creative endeavour, and there aren’t really any rules. One of the great aspects of canvas art is its flexibility: You can try an arrangement, and if you don’t care for it or feel that it isn’t giving you the impact you wanted, you can pull them down and start over.

When you’ve got your collage planned out, click here and we’ll handle creating those raw materials for you – and guarantee you’ll be pleased.