I’m going to show my age here, but does anyone (besides me) remember making collages? Back in the day, ahem, we’d cut out our favorite pictures both from photo’s & magazines and glue them to a board. They looked something like this:

In scrapbooking, especially in art journaling, we tend to make digital collages that use a more blended technique. Like this wonderful layout by AngeB using Jen Maddocks Designs:

Digital collages can also be more “traditional” scrapbooking by layering elements and adding subtle shadows like this layout by Kel using Jen Maddocks Designs with Heartstrings Scrap Art:

created using Being Herself

To really recreate the original, previous century, collage is very possible in today’s digital world. Check out this digital beauty featuring many gorgeous garden photo’s:

So how exactly do we accomplish this kind of digital collage? The key is the Lasso Tool. Here, let me show you!

I want to create a collage of my summer with my sister. It’d been 10 years!!!! since she’d been to Germany & we made the most of it. I’ve got a this picture I love:

While I love the background, I really want this collage to focus on just the two of us. I could easily do it using Photoshops Select Subject:

However I want that cut-out-by-scissors feel. Instead I’m going to use the Polyganol Lasso Tool:

I simply click my way around the two of us, much like clicking together scissors IRL:

With just the two of us selected, I can delete the background creating my desired cut-out-with-scissors look:

Now I can start building my digital collage. I’ve dragged (or you can copy+paste) my cut-out photo onto my background paper. I can resize, leave as is, move, etc.

FYI, I’ve used a background paper by Jen Maddocks Designs from her Bricolage December 22 collection. Sadly Jen is retiring from Designing and now is your chance to pick up her amazing art for 60% off through November 22, 2024.