Digital Collage (clipping mask)
Use textures and patterns to fill photos with the clipping mask technique, and arrange them into a dynamic composition that shows some depth/distance. You may also use the pen tool to draw shapes to clip textures into and the marquee/selection tools as "digital scissors" to cut/paste textures/patterns into different shapes.
Hint: to create depth/distance it helps to make a horizon line (where the earth meets the sky), overlap objects (put one in front of the other), vary the size of objects (big things appear closer and small things appear farther away), place larger objects toward the bottom of the page and smaller things toward the top.
Digital Collage Grading Rubric
Hint: to create depth/distance it helps to make a horizon line (where the earth meets the sky), overlap objects (put one in front of the other), vary the size of objects (big things appear closer and small things appear farther away), place larger objects toward the bottom of the page and smaller things toward the top.
Digital Collage Grading Rubric
Don't forget to leave some negative or empty space. Negative space gives the eye a chance to rest. If you fill every last piece of real estate with a pattern or texture it runs the risk of becoming too busy and becomes hard to look at. Most of the examples above demonstrate a nice balance between positive space (space occupied by the subjects) and negative space.
2019-2020 Digital Collage (clipping mask)
2017-18 Digital Collage (clipping mask)
Some more Advanced Techniques to show Depth/Distance
Linear Perspective
Linear Perspective uses the apparent convergence of parallel lines at a vanishing point on the horizon to
create the illusion of depth and distance as illustrated by the green lines overlaid on this photograph.
create the illusion of depth and distance as illustrated by the green lines overlaid on this photograph.
This is what linear perspective might look like in a more natural setting i.e. the river narrows as it recedes in the
distance. Notice how the trees and even the clouds get smaller too.
distance. Notice how the trees and even the clouds get smaller too.
Atmospheric Perspective
Atmospheric Perspective (sometimes called aerial perspective) is the apparent lightening or neutralizing of
values/colors as objects get farther away. This is due to the increasing amount of "atmosphere" and/or particulate
matter in the air between our eyes and the objects we are viewing as they recede in the distance. This phenomenon
is particularly pronounced on rainy or snowy days when there is more moisture in the atmosphere to block our view.
In the photo above, notice how the trees in the foreground are several values darker than the much lighter mountains
along the horizon.
values/colors as objects get farther away. This is due to the increasing amount of "atmosphere" and/or particulate
matter in the air between our eyes and the objects we are viewing as they recede in the distance. This phenomenon
is particularly pronounced on rainy or snowy days when there is more moisture in the atmosphere to block our view.
In the photo above, notice how the trees in the foreground are several values darker than the much lighter mountains
along the horizon.