Copper and brass are metals that can be used to produce aesthetically pleasing metal art collages.
Metal collage art techniques can be introduced in grade school or pursued as a professional career. In addition to accenting other works of art, metal collage is employed by fine artists and jewelry makers. Murals or mobiles using art made from metals can result in eye-catching works of art worthy of public display.
Preparation
Preparing for producing metal collage art starts with design. Design should take place with pencil and paper or computer design software. Consider the different types of metals you might use in your collage. You can brainstorm for a list of ideas on a specific topic, write your ideas down and use that as a basis for creating individual pieces that will make up your collage. Sketch individual elements of your collage. Your collage can be mounted to wood, which you will probably want to paint beforehand, or it can be free-standing.
Creating Elements for a Metal Collage
Sketches and computer designed elements for your metal collage can be scanned and projected onto the raw material that will be used in your collage. Use a marker directly on the metal to sketch the design for cut out, and then use an appropriate method for cutting the metal, such as hand-operated metal shears or a mechanical cutter. Your individual pieces then can be arranged and installed according to your designed plans. Copper and brass are colorful metals to work with. Cut out shapes and images from various metals. You can add color with paint to enrich the appearance.
Materials for Metal Collage
Old nuts and bolts can be used as a raw material in producing art collages made of metals.
There are also a variety of miscellaneous metal materials that you can use to create a collage such as metal buttons, balls, chains, eyelets, nuts, bolts and washers, keys, jewelry, foils, foil tapes, paper clips, sheet metal, soda cans and silverware, which can form the foundation of raw materials for the structure on your collage or which can be used to accent a collage made from more conventional materials.
Metal Collage Prints
By taking photos of your art with a camera with the appropriate settings to create high-definition photos, you can transpose the images to a computer and create prints of your metal collage, which can be sold or given as gifts.
Metal Collage Jewelry
A metal collage artist can use a variety of metal objects and materials to create unique jewelry that has an organic or rustic look. Copper, sterling silver, as well as miscellaneous metal objects, can be used to create jewelry. This is accomplished through hammering, bending and soldering metals and metal objects, as well as combining them with other materials such as leather or fabric.
