Mastering the Art of the Photo Canvas Collage

One of the often unspoken rules of wall art is that too much variety works against you. A single subject or a cohesive set of images and patterns that all play with the same visuals will always work better than a disparate series of images that have little to do with each other. If your guests stand there puzzling over why a certain group of images have been collected for your walls, you know you’ve gone astray in your choices.

That’s why it’s often a popular choice to create a collage or grouping of photo canvas art pieces on your wall. Not only are you guaranteed to have a cohesive colour palette, because each image is from the same scene, but you can have a lot of subtle fun with a collage. Mastering the collage technique isn’t difficult, but it does take a little bit of thought, and the leaving behind of some assumptions.

Great Photo Canvas Collage Rules

When we hear the word ‘collage’, we often think of dozens of small photos pinned together in a way that is planned but appears random. That’s a classic collage, but it’s not the only way to approach the technique. A collage can contain any number of photos – from just two or three to dozens or even hundreds. So don’t make any assumptions – the fewer photos, the more subtle the effect.

The rule of thumb is, the fewer photos you use in your collage, the closer in composition and subject they must be. Three or four photos? They should basically be from the same moment in the same place, with subtle variations. Three or four hundred? Mix them up and think more in terms of matching the palette than about the subjects.

Ideas for Collage Effects

When working with a smaller number of photos, consider taking pictures just a few moments apart from subtly different angles. For example, an amazing beach sunset you witness on holidays, blues and yellows and pinks – ideal for your office at home. Walk slowly in a semicircle, snapping photos.

At home, you can select three or four and have them made into high-quality photo canvas pieces online, and then arrange them in a tight cluster on the wall at slightly different heights – the effect is mesmerising.

Or, consider the collage effect on a self-portrait: A moody black and white close shot of your loved one’s face, captured over the course of a few seconds, each one just slightly different, arranged in chronological order as a high-impact art piece on your wall.

The power of the collage isn’t necessarily in the sheer volume of the photos used, but in the overall sum of effect that so many different shadings can have. When thinking about a collage installation, take a step back and think about using fewer, larger pieces instead of a multitude of smaller ones. The impact is often larger as well. When you’ve got a solid idea and the raw materials, click here and let us bring your collage wall art to life.