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Photo Collages - Unique Personalized Photo Gifts

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To Create Compelling Photo Collages and Photomontage

Collage and photomontage are art forms in which multiple photos, drawn and painted images, and even 3D objects are combined into a piece of art. Although collage is an old art form, tools such as Photoshop CS2 give it a new twist. You don't need to get out paint, brushes, scissors, and glue to make art - instead, everything you need is on your computer. With a handful of photos, Photoshop, and the desire to experiment, you're well on your way to creating collage art. In this article, you'll learn how to create a collage in Photoshop using photos and other techniques and how to use some design and Photoshop tricks to make sure the result is balanced and pleasing to the eye.

Determine a Theme

A good starting point for a collage is a photo of an object or person. Choose an image that you like and that you'll enjoy working with. Statues and portraits are a good choice, as are heritage photos It helps if the subject has clean edges that will enable you to cut the object from the photo without leaving gaps that have to be covered or blended later on.

Determine the theme for your collage based on the main photo. It might be a heritage theme, a farm or country theme, or something more urban. Then locate other photos or images that are consistent with the theme and that complement it. For an urban theme, for example, consider buildings, signs, and cars. For a heritage theme, you might want to use images of flowers, lace, or vintage objects.

To manage the project files, make a folder and copy all your photos into it Assemble more photos than you'll actually need so you can choose the most suitable ones to include in the collage as you work.

Create the Background

Create a new document the size of the final piece and fill the bottom layer with a background to work on top of. Having a background saves you from the need to fill every space in the image and avoids ugly gaps.

You can make a background in a number of ways. One technique is to use an enlarged photo, such as a flower or a texture, to fill the space. If the image is too small, paste it multiple times into multiple layers and overlap them to fill the space. Use a soft or textured brush to erase the hard edges and blend the layers.

You can paint a background by filling the background layer with a solid color and painting over it with textured brushes and different colors. Keep your colors close to the palette of colors in the images you will use. Sample colors from a photo using the Eyedropper tool and use them to paint with.

You can also fill the background with a gradient by clicking the Gradient tool, choosing the gradient colors and style, and dragging to fill the background with the gradient.

Assemble Images

Cut the main image from its background by selecting around the subject using your favorite selection tool. Feather the selection using Select > Feather and invert it using Select > Inverse. Press Delete to remove it. When the subject is isolated, drag its layer and drop it into your working image where it will appear as a new layer. Size the subject using the sizing handles and move it into position.

Objects, such as portraits that are cut off at the neck, look best when anchored in the image. To do this, place the face on an object (for example, a table or inside a window frame) or place it at the bottom corner of the image. Objects that have no visual support are harder to work with because they look like they are floating.

Select the other images to use. Choose whether to remove them from their backgrounds before adding them to the collage - as you did with the main subject - or drag and drop the entire image layer into the project and work with it there. However, ensure that each object has its own layer.

To size an object on a layer, Control+click on the layer thumbnail to select it (Command+click on the Mac), and click the Move tool. Hold the Shift key as you drag on one of the corner handles to size the object in proportion. Unless you really want to distort the object, it's best to keep the ratio of its width to height consistent.

Blending Techniques

Layer the objects so those that should be behind other objects are in layers below them in the Layers palette. After all the objects are in position, start blending them into a cohesive image. One blending method is to paint a semi-opaque mask on the layer. To do this, select the layer, click the Add Layer Mask icon, and paint. Use black paint to remove the image and white to paint it back; vary the opacity to smooth the image edges.

You can also use texture brushes by clicking the Brush tool and choosing a brush shape from the Brush drop-down menu. Open other brush collections using the Load Brushes menu option in the brushes palette. Use textured brushes to paint onto masks and as brushes to use with the Eraser tool. Add a new layer and use a textured brush and a suitable foreground color to paint onto the image.

If you prefer that an item appear dimensional rather than blended into the rest of the image, add a drop shadow to it to suggest layering. Click the layer and add a drop shadow layer style, adjusting the angle of the light to match other objects in the collage.

Add Other Elements

Other elements you can add to your collage to give it visual texture include lines and text. Use the Photoshop Pen tool to draw lines on the image, configure the foreground color, and set the brush shape and size. Click the Stroke Path with Brush icon in the foot of the Paths palette to complete the line. If you want the text to be readable and the lines highly visible over the background image, duplicate the layer containing the item and recolor it to a contrasting color. For example, make one line light cream and the other dark grey. Place one layer slightly offset from the other so you get a shadow effect.

Composition Tricks

There is no right or wrong way to make a collage. There are, however, techniques that will help create a more balanced result and that you can use or not at your discretion.

Making your main image the largest image in the collage ensures that it doesn't have to fight for attention against the other images. Use repeated elements, colors, and shapes to unite the collage. You can do this by using multiple images all the same size, by repeating colors or shapes, or by using the same image more than once. When determining multiples, use 1, 3, or 5 of an item rather than 2, 4, or 6 for a more pleasing presentation. I did this with the buttons across the bottom of the final image

Keep in mind the Rule of Thirds, which suggests you place an imaginary Tic-Tac-Toe grid over the image and align items of interest along the lines or place them where the lines intersect. This avoids placing objects dead center in the image, which is less visually interesting.

Place objects over the edge of the image rather than completely inside its boundaries. For example, make a flower disappear over the edge of the collage for a more dynamic feel. Position objects that suggest movement in a particular direction (such as cars, planes, people, and signs) so they face into the image - not off the edge. When you look at an image, your eye follows the direction of movement; if that direction is off the edge of the picture, that's where you will look.

Where possible, choose and arrange elements on the collage so that they appear to share the same light source.

After you start making collages you will find ideas in everything around you. Magazine advertisements provide rich inspiration for new layouts and when you're out taking photographs, look for signs, textures, and other elements to use in your next collage.

Summary

Almost since the first photos were taken, artists have used the processes of photomontage and collage to incorporate photos into their artwork. With digital photography and programs such as Photoshop CS2, anyone can create art using photos and other painted elements.

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