Collaged Clothes

Author: Sarah Clowe, Director of Art Programs

Materials: pencil, paper, scissors, glue

Combine drawing with collage for fun fashion art!

This is the second blog project to take inspiration from artist, Elizabeth Zunon. The museum has held a close relationship with Elizabeth Zunon as not only an artist within its collections but also as a teaching artist, and presenter. Much of Zunon's illustration work combines painting and collage. We'll use a combination of drawing and collage today to test out what it's like to work in her style.

Step 1: Sketch a face

If you would like you may follow the Drawing Portraits tutorial from our first blog inspired by Zunon's work for some assistance in drawing a face.

Step 2: Create an outline of a shirt & cut it out

Draw an outline of a simple item of clothing like a t-shirt or a plain dress design. Carefully cut out the inside of the shape.

Step 3: Hold the empty space in front of a variety of backgrounds to find a match

Take out found papers like magazine images, colorful wrapping paper, gift bags or other interesting papers and hold the cut out form in front of them. You may want to photograph what the image looks like with the different found "outfits."

Once you have found your favorite design for the shirt glue the papers together to make it permanent.

Step 4: Add the final touches

Now's the time to polish the picture up. Would you like to add details like buttons, zippers, or pockets to the collaged clothing? Draw it in! You may also experiment with combining drawing and painting with collage in the background of your picture.

Free Ebook!

Free ebook! At the time this blog was published Amazon.com is offering a selection of Kindle ebooks for free, including Elizabeth Zunon's first illustrated picture book, My Hands Sing the Blues: Romare Bearden's Childhood Journey, written by Jeanne Walker Harvey. Books are available for up to 31 days.

Collections Connection: Wanting to be Free Like the Wind Blows Through a Tree

Wanting to be Free Like the Wind Blows Through a Tree

Elizabeth Zunon

Oil paint and collage on watercolor paper

Albany Institute of History & Art Purchase, 2014.22

Wanting to be Free Like the Wind Blows Through a Tree appeared in a children's book published in 2011 called "My Hands Sing the Blues: Romare Bearden's Childhood Journey".

Published April 30, 2020