Cut it Out!, ep.002-Post Wook, Digital Collage Artist & Contemporary Surrealist

Post Wook Shares Her Surreal Wisdom

Post Wook is a digital collage artist and contemporary surrealist artist from California. She boasts over 240,000 instagram followers. People love her surreal landscape collages. She has worked with some big clients such as Toyota and Club Med.

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In this episode, Post Wook gives some great insight into collage and its sticky relationship with intellectual property, copyright, and derivative work.

Collage Art and Copyright Law

(this is not legal advice, I am just an ape at a computer)

Copyright is a tough subject in collage. Just like any law case, each work of art needs to be considered and addressed on its own terms and in its own context. Postwook takes copyright very seriously. She mentions that she only uses completely royalty-free images in her work. She also contacts individual photographers about the use of their work. She mentions that many of her clients ask her about the copyright status of her work. As a collage artist, this is certainly something you must consider when preparing work for a paying client.

How to Get More Followers on Social Media

Post Wook and I also discuss the arms race between Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. It has been a challenging year for some creators because these platforms are pushing short video content to their users. Natasha mentions that not all art processes are fun to watch (like a digital collage) and it can be a challenge to find new ways to create content that satisfies the algorithm overlords.

Collage and the Live Music Scene

We are both live music fans, so I was very happy to chat with her about music festivals before COVID. So far every guest on the Cut it Out Podcast has been a music festival fan. Can this be a coincidence? (In Episode 1, Max Malone shares his festival collage mural process). Is there an actual connection between collage artists and music festivals? I have no idea, but I will explore this further in the following episodes!

Please let Red Wizard know if there are any guests you would like to see on the show!

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Cut it Out!, ep.001-Max Malone, Professional Collage Artist & Graphic Designer

Welcome to the very first episode of Cut it Out! In this episode I speak with professional collage artist and graphic designer, Maximillian Malone. Max Malone shares with us how he created giant murals using collage materials, how he decorated an entire music venue, and how to get the most out of scanning your collages and other assets.

My goal with this podcast is to interview my favorite collage artists, paper crafters, and other makers. My hope is that we can elevate our favorite craft by learning from each other and sharing our insights.

Cut it Out! is available on all major podcast streaming platforms and YouTube. The audio quality is better on audio only formats, however, the YouTube version allows you to see the artwork that we are discussing. I am super happy with this episode,. and I hope you enjoy!

Bird "Tree" Collage Art Wall Mural, Buffalo, NY

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I recently made a mural in Buffalo, NY out of some old scientific illustrations of birds.

These images are interesting to me because they are vintage and painstakingly vivid. Once color photography took off, it didn’t make much sense to illustrate animals this way.

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My goal for this room was to increase the sense of well-being. Like indoor plants, images of nature in our homes can increase a sense of peace and wellbeing. Our bodies and minds love nature. When we see it and experience it, we feel better. This is even so for artificial nature. The leaves, birds, and flowers, bring a colorful burst of movement and energy into this room.

The mural is about 13 feet tall.

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I very much wish to do more projects like this. If you would like to get an estimate for a mural in your home or business please let me know. Let’s work together!

Romare Bearden: Collage and the Harlem Renaissance

Romare Bearden was born in Charlotte, North Carolina in 1911. His family moved to New York in 1914 as part of the Great Migration, and his intimate experience with the legacy of race in the United States helped define his perspective throughout his life.


Bearden’s career covered many styles and mediums, all self-taught. But it is his collage work that we remember him for today. These moving, poignant pieces pushed the form to new uses, and his work arrived alongside the widespread use of glossy paper in magazines — and it was Bearden who helped define how this new common material could be put to use in fine art.


Romare Bearden’s Inspiration

Influenced by Mexican muralists like Diego Riviera, Bearden included socially conscious themes in his work. His early pieces often depicted scenes from the American South, highlighting not only racial injustice but also the deep reservoir of strength in communities of color.

As the civil rights movement gained more momentum, Bearden pushed further into these political themes. In 1964, he presented his first series of collage work titled Projections. After that point, his collages became the center of his work. By the time he died in 1988, he was considered a leading collage artist. Let’s look at some of his pieces below.

Young Students (1964)

Image source: beardenfoundation.org/collages/

Image source: beardenfoundation.org/collages/

This early collage by Bearden shows lots of energy in the street. Faces made up of multiple images seems to nod to his past as a cubist painter. The scene is absolutely filled, with little negative space, bustling with all the energy of young black people learning and becoming.

Carolina Shout (1974)

image source: beardenfoundation.org/collages/

image source: beardenfoundation.org/collages/

Here, the skills Bearden honed as a painter are applied to collage. The use of bright color and somewhat abstracted human forms create a lively scene of togetherness. The ability to create collage that is both aesthetically daring and deeply human are trademarks of Bearden’s style.

The Block (1971)

image source: Thenation.com

image source: Thenation.com

This extensive work shows the culmination of Bearden’s experiences in Harlem. It is a sprawling epic of a collage, containing masterful storytelling with scenes-within-scenes. This video shows how Bearden would create the elements of his environment with collage:

Bearden experienced the Harlem Renaissance from a young age, a fact that influenced him to become an artist. He opened his first studio in the neighborhood, at the Apollo Theater, no less. And just as Harlem helped define him, he tried to give back with this piece of enormous dimensions (48 inches by 18 feet).

These three pieces help show us why Bearden remains one of the most important artists to ever work in collage. His style is fully his own, and his attention to his subject matter adds to their significance.

He brought a lifetime of self-education and personal experience to his practice. With these, he managed to create pieces that stand as testaments to their time and also as universal stories of humanity that will remain relevant for generations to come.

Get Your FREE Romare Bearden Collage Kit by filling out the form below. (file download)

Get Your FREE Surreal Collage Kit!

Start Collaging with this FREE five-page Surreal Collage Kit

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People often ask me where they can get cool source materials for collages. I have spoken about it at length on my YouTube channel but I always felt like I wasn’t providing the best solution for my followers. I hope this free surreal collage kit will help anyone who wants to experiment with collage making.

You can print this free collage kit at home or your favorite photo/ copy center. It is a downloadable PDF sized at 8.5 x 11 inches (US letter). To get your free kit, I just ask for your email address. Once you print your collage kit, all you will need is a pair of scissors and a glue stick. Please share your collage using the hashtag #RedWizardKit so I can see your weird creation! Get your free kit by clicking the add to cart button below.

If you would like to learn how to use this collage kit, you can watch my free collage lesson by clicking my video below.

Stay tuned, because I will be creating more collage kits soon. I am working on a “Classic Surreal Collage Kit which is inspired by Dali, Man Ray, Rene Magritte, and Max Ernst.

Have fun cutting! - The Red Wizard

Natural History Redux Poster with Coral Morphologic

I am honored to have worked with Colin Foord and J.D. McKay of Coral Morphologic. Coral Morphologic creates stunning coral and invertebrate content. I had a blast cutting up their photos to create a poster for the updated release of their film Natural History Redux. The poster can be purchased here. Anything you buy from Coral Morpholgic goes to the science and protection of south Florida’s coral reef. These guys are advocates for the colorful and strange creatures of underwater Miami.

Watch the film Natural History Redux Here:

The 18 x 24-inch finished poster can be purchased here: Coral Morphologic Store

Shoulders of Giants Wine Label

I made an awesome wine label for Liten Buffel Winery.

Pat and Zach at Liten Buffel chose one of my collages to adorn their new red wine. They also named the wine after my collage. Liten Buffel produces only natural wines. I love their wine and working with them has got me hooked on natural wines. I have a limited number of signed prints of the artwork available below:


How to Collage Part 5: Composition

In this video we learn how to compose a collage and improve the way we communicate visually.

I am excited to say I am continuing my how to collage series. As for now, this is the second last video of the series. After this video, I will make a gluing demonstration video. After the gluing video, most of my youtube videos will be time-lapse videos and Vlog posts. If you would like to see me make certain types of videos please let me know!

Virus Update

Hello Friends.

Unfortunately, just like everything else, I will be postponing my Collage workshops until May. I am the odd duck in my family, several of them are medical doctors and they urge everyone to take social distancing seriously.

We can do this, it is time for the world to act as a team for once. I will be busy creating online courses for my K-8th grade students and posting them to my YouTube channel. I will also be continuing my collage lessons on YouTube as well. If any of you have attended one of my workshops, or have watched one of my lessons you should already know that you can collage with things you have at home. Create new life in this time of death… you can only watch so much Netflix.

Wishing you all the best of health, strength, and creativity.

-The Red Wizard

3/17/20

Collage Art Revolution Facebook Group Has Launched

A Facebook Group for Collage Artists

Hello friends, I just created a Facebook group for collage artists. My intention is that it will help collage artists support each other in their craft and help promote collage as a valid form of art-making.

Here is a little write up I did about the Facebook Group:

Collage Art Revolution is a community of collage artists, hobbyists, and enthusiasts. We share art, tips, and inspiration. Whether you are new to collage or a seasoned artist, you are part of the revolution. 

What makes Collage Art Revolution different from other collage communities? I believe that collage is the greatest art form in the world. My hope is that we create a positive and engaging environment where we support everyone’s innovation and promote collage as a valid form of art across the globe. 

Collage should be accessible to everyone, there is no wrong way to make it. Let’s see how far we can take it!

I want this Facebook group to be a resource for new as well as experienced collage artists.

Hey, but whats a group without members, click here to join Collage Art Revolution!

How to Collage- Part 4- How to Cut With Scissors

Yes I know you have used a pair of scissors before. However, I have a few tricks that will help you get super clean and accurate cuts.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Cutting with Scissors

  1. Remove the page from the magazine: Trying to cut an image out of a book or magazine is much easier if you remove the entire page from the book first.

  2. Plan Your Cut: Before you begin cutting out the image, quickly plan how you are going to complete the cut. The last thing you want to do is be in the middle of a cut and realize you ruined a really awesome picture of Joan Rivers by cutting her head off.

  3. Cut most of the extra paper off the image: Just like removing the page from the book, your goal is to eliminate as much extra paper off of the image you want as possible. While your cutting large strips of paper may snag and pull at your scissors and will likely cause a mistake.

  4. “Scissors Cut Paper Moves”: As a K-8 art teacher, this is my golden rule of good paper cutting. Instead of ‘tracing your scissors around the perimeter of the image, keep your scissors stationary. Use your other hand to slowly rotate and feed the image into the scissors as they cut.

  5. Slightly Cut into the image to avoid a “halo”: To get a perfect cut with your scissors, you want to avoid leaving a thin layer of the background.

  6. Know Your Limits: Scissors aren’t great at cutting everything. Cutting out negative space (without damaging the image), lots of small angular cuts and very long straight cuts should be done with a craft or hobby knife. Having said that some pictures may not be worth the time to cut. Complex clusters of hair and tree canopies are some things that come to mind.

Thank You for visiting my blog!

-The Red Wizard

How to Collage- Part 2- Intro to Collage Making Tools & Supplies

The fun thing about collage is how simple the material requirements are. You can make interesting artwork with as little as a pair of scissors and a glue stick. In this post I will discuss the different tools and supplies required to make simple collages, but, don’t be fooled: these are the same materials that professional artists use as well. In this post, I will not discuss source materials (the books, photos, and magazines You will be cutting up). To find out more about where to find cool source material, read my blog post here.

First, a quick list of all the items I recommend that every beginner collage artist acquire:

  1. Scissors (regular and small)

  2. Craft Knife (small box cutter)

  3. A metal ruler

  4. “Art” knife (X-acto Style knife)

  5. Ruled Cutting Mat

  6. Acid-Free Glue Stick

  7. Bristol or Mixed- Media Paper

Scissors: You have used them before. You know what they do. A larger pair of scissors can be used as a ‘blade’ to remove pages from a book or magazine. A smaller pair of scissors can be used for fine cutting around small objects. If you haven’t splurged on a nice high quality pair of scissors I highly recommend it. You are going to be doing a lot of cutting. A nice pair or scissors turns a chore into a pleasant and intuitive experience.

Craft Knife & Metal Ruler: A craft knife is even better for removing pages out of a magazine. Paired with a metal ruler, it is excellent for making squared and straight cuts. These tools are also key for fitting your art into a frame. In my opinion, you always want to work in the standard frame sizes such as 8”x10” or 11”x14”. Your craft knife and ruler will help you trim oddly shaped collages down to these standard shapes.

Art Knife: X-Acto stye knives do most of the fine cutting work. This means these tools will help you cut small details and negative space. Many collage artists do most of their cutting with these tools for a reason.

Ruled Cutting mat: If you have never used a cutting mat, you are missing out. Cutting mats protect your blades while giving you additional control over your knives. They are also ruled so you can easily cut things to specific sizes and angles.

Acid-free glue stick: Acid-free glue sticks should prevent your photos from discoloration over long periods of time. In the art word we call this “archival” quality. You don’t want to use just any type of glue stick. Many of them are cheap and ineffective.

Bristol & Mixed Media Paper: Finally, you are going to want a thick and sturdy piece of paper to adhere your cuttings to. The most important thing you want to avoid is paper that curls or warps when gluing. Generally speaking, the more layers of cuttings you are gluing, the tougher your paper should be. Don’t over think it, just get some nice bristol paper, it would work perfectly.

Putting it all together

Done right, collage should be a wildly inexpensive hobby. Like I said, you can make your first collage using just a pair of scissors and a glue stick. All of the supplies I mentioned above will broaden your abilities and enhance your experience. All the tools I mentioned should last forever. The only thing you will spend money on are replacement blades, glue, and paper. If you are thinking of purchasing any of these items, please visit my amazon affiliate store below. I use all of these items every day and I stand by them. Also if you make a purchase, Amazon throws me some change and it helps support this content!

Thanks so much!

-Red Wizard 2/4/20

Buy Me a Coffee

I hope you enjoyed the free tips. When I have time, I try to make resources for people who wish to learn. They take a lot of time to create. Any donations are welcome!

Donate

What is a Collage Workshop, and Why Are They So Much Fun?

Many of us have been to a craft workshop or a “paint party”. At best, You imbibe some wine and paint a tropical sunset. Don’t get me wrong, there are some really cool arts and crafts workshops out there, but I believe collage workshops are the best.

What is a collage Workshop?

Generally speaking, a collage workshop is an event that includes a collage lesson and all the necessary materials to create a collage is provided. At the end of the workshop, you bring home a completed collage, some new skills, and a smile. What makes collage workshops different from the same old paint parties you see on Facebook?

First, let’s think about why people like arts and craft workshops in general:

  1. You learn a fun new skill.

  2. You get out of the house on a weekday and mix things up.

  3. You attend the workshop with a friend and have a good chat.

  4. You leave with something tangible that you made yourself.

  5. You have a glass of wine and hum a Bob Dylan song.

These are all things that make you feel great. So How is a collage workshop even better?

You can make impressive artwork with zero artistic talent.

OK, I got that out of the way, here are some more subtle reasons you may not have thought of:

  1. Collaging is a cheap and accessible hobby: Learning how to make a collage is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Its a bold statement but that's how I feel. Why? because collage art is a hobby that anyone can do. You most likely already have all the things you need to make a collage at home. Which brings me to my next point:

  2. Other workshops often require special equipment. Great, you learned how to make a melted glass wind chime. How are you going to make that at home?

  3. You can enhance your own hobbies with collage: Almost everyone has ephemera saved up from their other interests. This is something I learned while hosting one of my own workshops. I always provide all the materials necessary for collage, but one of my ‘students’, Nelly Marie (@nellster on instagram), brought in her own vintage hotrod magazines and made this fantastic collage:

4. Your finished artwork is entirely your own vision. Everybody Leaves with something different. As I said before, most people leave a “paint party” with the same looking painting. At a collage workshop, everyone’s artwork looks totally unique.

A collage workshop is a guided lesson in collage making.

A collage workshop is a guided lesson in collage making.

I am sure that there are many other reasons why collage workshops are a blast, and I am sure I will discover many more reasons as I continue to host them. If you are a workshop host, please share with me what you like about hosting workshops and what works for you!

At the end of the day, a collage workshop is all about learning something new and sharing your vision!

If you would like to up to date on my blog or attend one of my workshops, feel free to sign up for my email list, and I will keep you updated! I host about 2-3 a month in the Buffalo and Western New York region.

Thanks so much for actually reading this!

-The Red Wizard