How to Make Mixed-Media Collages - Popping With a Focal Point!

The focal point is what can make your work pop or be more meaningful and memorable. Without a focal point, the viewer’s eye has nowhere to land and it is then more challenging for the viewer to read the “story” that is your art.

The viewer is mostly likely making up what they think the story is from your art. As much as we think we are creating a story and statement in an art piece, my experience from talking with viewers of my art is that that they have their own interpretations. These are always to interesting for me to hear, and usually very different from what I was thinking when I created the piece. That is the magic of art - where that interpretation will transport us.

Definition: A focal point is the element in a painting that pulls in the viewer's eye, that is the center of attention or the main subject. You can emphasize a focal point through the painting's composition, through color, and through the range of tones you use.

I like this discussion by visual arts teacher Diane Mize about focal points titled “The Focal Point Debate: Should Every Painting Have a Focal Point?” on the Empty Easel art magazine. Diane says not every painting may need a focal point - it is up to the artist to decide when creating a composition, whether to include a focal point.

My opinion about focal points, as an artist, is that a focal point helps the viewer begin to understand your piece. Frustrated viewers may not “get” your art and then may not be as likely to purchase it. Even if they get it “wrong,” the focal point gets the viewer started on their interpretation, which is a more comfortable place for most people than hanging in the unknown. Of course, there are a good number of viewers of art who enjoy the unknown and undefined.

This was not intended to be a discourse on art composition, because I am not fully qualified to discuss that. What I wanted to do in this blog was introduce the topic of the focal point and show you how to put one in your mixed media collage art, should you choose to do so.

For my simple mixed-media collage pieces, whether in two dimensions or three, I choose my focal point first. I go through images in old magazines, or on postcards, and find something that tugs at me. I like the composition, or the colors, or maybe it is just a word with a font that strikes my fancy.

I take either the original of my selection, or if it is precious or something I may want to use again, I scan and print it on regular or cardstock paper, observing all copyright limitations of course. You can find more information on copyrighting for artists at the RIGHTS website.

I then go back and look through my stash of background papers created using techniques discussed in in this series (). I pick a background that harmonizes with the colors of my focal point. I leave it at that - harmonizing the colors - and trust that the magic of the piece will emerge.

I generally place my focal point near the middle of the piece, usually slightly above or below the midline. I use the same tips photographers use for composition when selecting where to put my focal point piece. I avoid placing it exactly in the middle as that is too expected. Just off to the side or up/down from the middle makes a subtle statement and forces the viewer to continue to explore the rest of the piece, where they will find curious things hidden in the background paper.

I put background papers onto a canvas, canvas board or paper for two dimensional pieces, or a sturdy box (cigar, gift, jewelry, music) using gel matte medium. I tend to not use a glue stick because I find the paper will lift later. I use a brayer to roll over the background papers to get out any bubbles. Then, I put the focal point image down in my selected spot using the same gel matte medium applied with a brush and I run the brayer over that again to get out all the bubbles.

I usually let the piece dry for a few hours. If you are in a hurry, you can put the piece into a low (150F) oven* for an hour, or use a blow dryer to speed things up.

Next is the fun part! Embellishing your piece with more layers of artistic goodness!

* For safety's sake and yours, don't use the oven if your piece was constructed with any flammable materials such as oil paints, turpentine, oil-based varnishes, etc.

*Where to get good art supplies locally? and — both located right by the intersection of 92 and Highway 1 — are your go-to places in Half Moon Bay.