All your collage questions answered – that’s what today’s video is all about. I went back through every collage video I’ve posted since 2023 and combed through over 5,000 comments to pull the 23 questions you ask me most, everything from adhesives and archival paper to laying paper flat, adding depth, and even shipping a piece this size. I’m walking through it all using my Giant Oyster Collage as the example. Jump to your question using the chapters below, or settle in and watch start to finish.
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🎨 Supplies Mentioned Today
Liquitex Matte Medium
Golden Gloss Medium
Paint Shaper
Catalyst Wedge
Medical Exam Paper (Crepe Style)
Carnival Wet Strength Tissue Paper
Plastic Sheeting
Electric Staple Gun
Caydo Projector
Saral Paper
Graphite
Open Medium
Stabilo Woody
Sash Brush
Poly Coated Paper (freezer)
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Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
0:58 What do you use to adhere your papers in collage
2:41 Why collage a giant oyster?
4:33 Is using non-archival papers a concern?
8:17 Does the medium protect against acid in newsprint, or does the piece still degrade?
10:09 How do you lay a paper down without wrinkling or buckling it?
14:41 Which papers behave best for a smooth lay-down?
16:48 When to use gloss medium vs. matte medium
19:05 How do you decide what papers to use for a collage?
22:01 Using opaque papers vs. transparent ones, and when to use each
25:38 What is medical exam paper, and why use it in collage?
29:33 What can I use to create transparency if I can’t get medical exam paper
33:25 Does which side of the medical exam paper you use matter (smooth vs. rough)?
34:48 How do you tear paper for a clean, controlled edge?
37:14 Why not use pre-primed canvas for a large-format piece?
38:48 How do you hang a large unstretched canvas while working on it?
40:00 How do you scale up from small studies to large finished pieces?
42:27 How do you physically manage a large piece while working on it
44:30 How do you design exciting backgrounds for mixed media collage?
47:12 What ratio of paint to slow-dry medium do you use?
48:43 How do you add depth and dimension to abstract collage art?
51:04 How do you adhere graphite or charcoal so it doesn’t smear or flake under collage layers?
52:52 Should you frame before collaging, or collage first and frame after?
56:27 What happens to collage layers if you roll the piece for shipping or storage later?
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📬 Join My Private Community (it’s FREE) ⭐ https://painted-paper-studio.kit.com/free-resources-community ⭐
If you’d like access to all of my Free Resources, including my Gel Plate Video Guide, the global list of medical exam paper sources, more mixed media tutorials, creative inspiration, and behind-the-scenes info from me, I’d love to have you join my private community.
Jackie you are our god and youre an inspiration to us all and your excitement is contagious and you have my best friend and I hooked on art and being joyful we literally refer to you as our hero and guiding light lol etc etc bye love you
Will the oyster have a pearl in it?
Great video, Jackie! So helpful for so many. I can't believe the number one question you get is when you're going to finish your magnificent oyster. When it's ready! Sharing your process helps all of us, especially when you take time to nourish your soul, rest and take care of you, so don't let people rush you!
What will you do with the giant oyster when it's finished,I have been watching from the beginning
Hello Mrs. Bernardi! As you started talking about the Medical Exam Paper 25 minutes and 40 seconds into your video, I thought I would share how I aquired some. I wanted to try different exam papers which is different in each doctors office. So, everytime I visited my doctors for annual check-ups I would ask for the medical exam paper after the check-up was over. As I explained to my doctors that I wanted the paper for my art work they were more than happy to give me some and more as lagniappe. I removed the paper where I sat(throwing it away) and kept the unused portion to take home. The doctors were very supportive, kind, encouraging, and wanted to be a part of my adventure as an artist.
This particular video is total gold. Thank you for unrestrained sharing. Your oyster is going to be the bomb.
Great stuff.
Thank you Jackie charing your work on the Giant Oyster Collage with all of us and answering all the questions.
Love your work
Why are you covering the beautiful color with white.?
Jackie at the risk of being a broken record, you are always doing such important work and that is modeling what a grounded art practice looks like 🙏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾. We live in such an age of rush/hurry/extract/produce/produce/produce (especially here in YT) that many folks have the blinkered idea that what’s most important is getting work out as quickly as possible and in one session. The oyster project is so important to me because I’ve been here a couple years and your process from the sketches to the studies to now the actual project underway has taught me so so much about being patient with my work, on how to be in right relationship with my process and to not get sucked into the zeitgeist that’s trying to turn all of us artists into machines. Thank you for being a light and for being a voice that models a different path ❤❤❤❤
Don't let the impatient people get you down. Your pace is fine. Lovely work!
Beautiful Jackie! Amazing how in this huge oyster even the smallest piece of your painted papers has its place and effect! 🍀🌷💖
I loved this video! I have watched most of your videos so I have heard many of these tips in previous videos, but this was a great way to consolidate some much good information! I would certainly watch more like this too. Also, I love watching you work. I don’t need detailed explanations for this big oyster project…it’s huge, it will take time, and you talked through a lot of your concepts in the oyster studies. Now it fun and fascinating to see how you transform your small studies into this large piece. Growing up, my mom would create huge oil paintings so I saw firsthand how projects can take months or years.
Were you working on this during the early September heat wave? That just sounds exhausting. I’m also in SoCal and cannot wait for the upcoming cooler temperatures.
Thanks for all the great videos!
Jackie, I'm a big fan of your work and you have inspired me! That being said, please don't use AI. It uses up millions of gallons of water, and as a person in a severely drought-stricken area, it really worries me how quickly people have started to rely on it. Please, please, please research how bad AI and AI data centers are to our environment. My community is currently fighting against one.
Have you ever tried Workable Fixative spray to fix graphite, pastel, water color, etc? I’ve have success with it. Tip : You can take the work outside or use an exhaust fan if fumes bother you.
Magnificent video. You are the collage goddess 🎉❤❤❤❤❤. Such a glorious video that unites all the possible questions and answers regarding the delightful choices painted papers provide. I love your clarity and attention to detail. Thank you for speaking to the textures and feel of the papers in regard to results in the collage process. Then the cutting and tearing issue…delicious! Using the catalyst wedge for a clean tear was a good tip for me, because I didn’t think of that 😮. Interesting about the canvass. When you are saying primed the canvas, is it gesso? I’ll check Nova and see what they have. Thank you so much. ❤❤❤❤❤
Thank you, Jackie. This is SO helpful for this newbie to collage! Wonderful 🎉❤
Great Video. Are you making a video from start to finish, with just you painting? That would be cool to see it in a faster mode. I know it is a lot of work but that would be cool.
Loved this video. I enjoyed watching you collage away as you answered questions. The stretching issue made me think of Faith Ringgold who sewed frames around her paintings. Often she quilted them, but it started as away to roll and ship work.
Great video Jackie! Thank you… lots of tips on collage…..but all that sorting you did first with AI! Yes! Nerdie!! 😂. Also surprised to see you cover up that pinkish section of the oyster…. Will be interesting to see where it goes.
Thanks for all the info! That's a big help. That's an impressive project!
Excellent, a full course on collage, thank you!!🙏🏽♥️💐
Best video!!!!! So very helpful to address questions this way.
Hope you consider making more of the Q&A’s as new questions not addressed arise. And was fun seeing you work!
Why are you covering the colours of the center>
Paused the video in the first 2 minutes, made a coffee so I can sit down and absorb everything…..let’s goooooooo! Jackie, you are incredible for doing all that back research into all the questions.
thank you Jackie! it is beautiful! and I love your sharing.
Liquidtex sells Satin Medium? Why wouldn’t people use it rather than try to make a 50/50 blend? I am curious why Satin is never mentioned by gelli artists?
Do all of your collages have multiple layers? are there collages that have one layer? Do you typically sand your collages?
This was a fantastic episode ! Thank you so much ! I am loving this giant oyster evolution !
GREAT video, Jackie!! My back and arms started hurting vicariously for you before midway through! I have no idea how your body is holding up??!!? I CAN'T believe how anyone could ask you "What's taking so long"?? GASPING here at that question!! lol Love you, you're the GOAT! xoxoxoxo D
can you talk about how you have your gel plates hung on the wall. I solved the wrinkling on my art panel by running a hot iron over it ,but put down parchment paper first. The iron reactivates the gel. It allows the papers to fuse and bond. better. I did a wet test after to make sure it didnt' re wrinkle. the rest didn't wrinkle because I had a better bond in those areas with ironing it. oh but the gel medium under has to be totally dry first
I absolutely LOVED this video Jackie! You answered SO many of my collaging questions! I LOVE your work and teaching style! I would love to see a similar type video on gelli printing. Thanks SO much!