Paper Collage

This week, I answer the question: “I want to draw, but don’t know how or what! How to start?” My suggestion is to start with patterns. So, draw repeated shapes and make a collection of patterned papers that you can use for collage art, for example.

The No-Pencil Approach

I usually start my line drawings with a black thin-tipped drawing pen or a blue ball-point pen.

If you say you can’t draw, say goodbye to the pencil era. Don’t be one of those who sketch many parallel lines and erase all the time! A pencil is a crutch that might feel helpful, but trust that you can walk and pick up a pen. The first steps may be scary, but when you risk more, you draw better. Your line is not just a vague and neutral curve, but one that expresses your existence.

Let’s draw four patterned papers!

Paper #1 – Small Flowery Shapes

Pick a tiny piece of paper and a pen, not a pencil. When you can’t erase, you focus more and draw better. Small paper doesn’t need anything grand, so clusters of tiny flowery circles are enough, and if not, you can add some leaves.

I colored my pattern with colored pencils. The fun thing with colored pencils is that you can use an eraser to add more patterning. I have a precision eraser pen that is handy for small dots. If you use a bigger eraser, color the dots smaller after erasing.

I love colored pencils because it’s easy to layer the colors to get a variety of tones.

People may say: “It’s just a pattern, not a picture.” Or: “Tiny scraps mean nothing.” But I think it’s a packet of seeds, ready to grow and expand. The first paper may be a secret thing, something you glue on your notebook or planner, to freshen up all the mundane words like “To do” or “Meeting at 9 AM.”

Paper #2 – Big Nested Shapes

Let’s get bolder and pick a bigger paper! The shapes should now be so big that most of them are only partly visible.

Draw nested shapes. The first lines define the inner shapes, and the second lines are the outer shapes that group them. These are fun to color! I used felt-tipped pens and strong contrasts.

Then I added circles, stripes, and some color variation with colored pencils.

When the motifs are big and the colors bold, the shapes can be quite simple. The Finnish design company Marimekko has produced great patterns over the years. See inspiring examples here at Marimekko’s site!

Paper #3 – Dynamic Strokes

Pick a pen with a brush tip. You can also use ink or watercolors with a paintbrush. Draw clusters of three intersecting strokes. Then draw curvy lines that travel around the strokes. The result is dynamic and looks like flying trees or the sight when looking up at the trees. You can add small, flowery shapes and circles too.

I also played with the background and added a free-form low-contrast grid that is like a city map or a tiled wall. The more you draw patterns, the more you will cluster and layer. This way, you will gradually move towards making expressive art rather than staying in the area of surface design.

Paper #4 Traveling Line

Now let your line travel more freely. Repeat what you have learned in the previous exercises, but do it in a more relaxing way, without too much care about what comes on paper. Think about the line being just a foundation for coloring.

When the first lines are just a foundation, you can add decorations like swirls and small dots, which are often seen in surface patterns. Some motifs might be more decorative than others, and the result becomes more like scenery than a design.

I used a regular ball-point pen for the first lines, then colored the paper with watercolors, and finally added decorative details with colored pencils.

To Draw Freely? – What It Is

Drawing means letting your pen take the lead. It means guiding it forward, meandering, and turning. It means traveling your own paths, daring to go back, and driving over and past them. When drawing freely, you don’t really care about the destination, but you want to enjoy the ride.

Your pencil should be firmly on the road, but not so heavily that it’s hard to move. A person who travels with their pencil and focuses on the line knows how to draw, unlike those whose line merely flits across the paper before fleeing. Drawing isn’t about the line representing something, but about the line having someone who treasures it.

Extra – From Hand-drawn Paper to Digital Kaleidoscope Pattern

If you can use image processing software like Adobe Photoshop, scan or photograph your design and duplicate it several times. Flip some copies vertically and some horizontally to build a continuous kaleidoscope pattern.

Draw and Use Patterned Papers -More Inspiration

Use your papers! See this project: Painterly Collage in Rut Bryk’s style
Create more paper and make collages: See the class Collageland
Draw freely: See the classes Intuitive Coloring, Joyful Coloring, and Mystical Minis