Robin Williams Handmade Design Workshop: Create Handmade Elements for Digital Design

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Tools and materials

• Substrate: canvas,

watercolor paper,

Bristol board, etc.

• Sheet of art metal

(I used copper)

• Copper topper

(I used Sophisticated

Finishes Copper Metallic

Surfacer)

• Patina

• Hole punches

• Grommets (eyelets),

grommet setting tool,

and pad

• Burnisher with

stylus tip

• Metal ruler

• Brush

• Paper piecer

• Cutting mat

• Wire brush

• Masking tape

Collage with Metal

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Collage can include all types of materials, including metals and

grommets (metal eyelets, little round things, that get inserted

into holes to fi nish the edges). Sheets of art metal are in most

hobby and art stores. You can cut it into specifi c shapes, distress

the surface, and even emboss words and designs into it. Your

project won’t be exactly like this one, but if you follow along,

you’ll learn several tips and techniques that will help in creating

your own metal work.

If you decide to work with sheets of art metal, be aware that they

have very sharp edges. I highly recommend you wear gloves

when you cut and bend the metal.

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 For this collage, I’m going to

use a variety of metallic e ects.

I’ve already created a patina

(see Chapter 8) on a piece of this

collage and now I’m going to

create a pattern for a piece of art

metal I want to incorporate.

On a piece of vellum, draw the

shape that you want to be metal.

 Cut out the shape carefully,

allowing an extra ½" all the way

around because you need to fold

the metal under by at least that

much to get rid of the sharp edges.

 Cut a piece of thin art metal o

the roll with a pair of old scissors

that you have designated for such

tasks, or use tin snips. Don’t use

your newest pair of precision

scissors because cutting metal

will dull the blades.

30:   

—continued

One of my favorite tool sets comes in handy for this kind of

project—a delightful little box for the paper artist from Making

Memories. I have the deluxe set, which costs about $40 and

comes packed in a lovely tin case. It has a craft knife, glue pen,

hammer, hole punch with three head sizes, universal eyelet

(grommet) setter, four di erent heads, tweezers, set of four

needles, paper piercer deluxe, stylus, 6" ruler, and a black setting

mat. Now you know what to ask for on Valentines Day!

As an alternative to grommets (eyelets),

there is a huge selection of beautiful

metal brads in the hobby stores. All you

need is something to poke a hole in the

metal, then use the brads to attach the

metal to the rest of the collage.

And don’t limit yourself to using these

with metal—incorporate these lovely

brads into any collage.

~

R

136

 If you want to inscribe the metal,

place it over something with a

little give, such as those thin foam

pads from the craft store (metal

crafters use pads made of suede).

I’ve placed mine over a cutting mat.

Tape all around your piece of metal

so it doesn’t move and—more

importantly—so you don’t cut

yourself on the sharp edges.

 Use an embossing stylus and draw

fi rmly into the metal (choose a

fi ne tip for delicate lines, a larger

tip for deeper, chunkier lines).

 Take o the tape and cut out the

shape. Be careful not to slice your

fi ngers. Really, you should be

wearing gloves.

 Clip the corners ½" inch diago-

nally toward the center.

 Fold the edge over towards the

back. With your burnishing tool,

rub down the edge on the back side.

 Trace your pattern onto your piece

of metal with a pencil. Press fi rmly

and make an indentation you will

be able to follow.

30:   