Eric Carle Inspired Collage

Eric Carle Inspired Story Book

My 4^th assignment in Art methods class was an Eric Carle Inspired Collage. Eric Carle uses tissue paper to create his story book pictures. Follow this link to see how he does this: http://www.eric-carle.com/slideshow_collage.html. The teacher asked the class to create a two page storybook layout based on the artwork of Eric Carle. I choose to use a bee and a bear near a beehive as the main characters of my story. The main idea is: “the bee works all day long to make life sweet for others.” Here is the two page storybook layout  I created.

(Click on picture to enlarge)

I did not use tissue paper for this project but construction paper instead.  Here are the steps I took to create the storybook layout.

1: First I took a sheet 12” x 18” construction paper, moistened the sheet with water, and then sprinkled 2-3 different colors of paint on the sheet. I then spread the paint all over the paper with a brush to create a nice colored page. I created designs by using several different techniques:  using either end of a brush to create wavy lines or strokes; creating a texture by pressing something with texture on the page; applying different colored brush strokes over the initial coating of paint; or by sprinkling blotches of paint on the colored page after the initial coating of paint was applied. See the picture for these effects. Paint several pages of construction paper or as much as one needs for such a project (use colors that you will need for your project). Since we did this in class, we could borrow paper that others did not need.

2. Let the paper dry.

3. Next, I created a scene for my storybook on a piece of scratch paper. Then I cut out the characters and used them for patterns to create my final product.

4. I then traced the patterns on the colored sheets that I choose to use for the scene/characters that I needed for my storybook layout. (If you do this project as a class let the students borrow paper from each other; this way it is possible to create great art).

5. I then arranged my layout and pasted the characters and the scene onto a 12” x18” sheet of construction paper.  Paste the pieces onto the page in a layered manner: First the background, then the middle ground and finally the foreground, etc. Or first the grass, then the bear, and finally the honey as I did on my storybook page.

6. Finally writer words that are relevant to the pictures on you storybook page.

Extension Activity

This activity could be used in other subject areas as well. For instance, when 1^st – 4^th graders studied “family and community” in Social Studies, they could create a book with 2-6 pages with a theme relevant to the family and community unit they are studying.  The story could be related to something that is important to the students whether in their family or community. Or the theme of the storybook could be centered on an issue that needs to be addressed in their community. Creating a book and then displaying it in the local community hall, would surely bring this issue to the attention of the community members. This activity could be done as a class or individually, depending on how much time is available.