Cut or buy a piece of wood for a backing. Choose a size. Choose from 11 by 14 inches to 20 by 24 inches. The smaller sizes are probably better. If you purchase a primed canvas or piece of wood from an art supply store, you can skip the next step.
Wipe the surface of the wood with a clean cloth and apply the gesso with the polyethylene brush. Apply a thin coat and let the primer dry.
Sand the previous coat of gesso. Apply a second coat of gesso with the same brush. Let the second coat dry and then sand again. These two steps can be repeated as many times as possible until you have a solid white coat of gesso. Each coat of gesso should be applied with brush strokes going in the same direction.
Choose or mix a color of acrylic paint that you wish to use as a background for the collage elements. If you wish to have a pure white background (not recommended), then add a coat of titanium white. Better yet, use the titanium white as a base for adding color, then add the mixture on top of the gesso-painted board.
Cut out various pictures with the scissors and lay them out on the painted surface. Use magazines, newspapers, advertising brochures, old photos and old books.
Attach each picture one at a time. Brush acrylic medium to the back of the picture and then stick the picture to the wood. Then take an ink roller and remove any wrinkles by moving the roller over the surface of the glued objects.
Let the glued pictures dry. Then cover the front of each picture or scrap of paper with a thin layer of acrylic medium. Let the artwork dry.
Add swaths of color to the collage with wet acrylic paint. Do this first to the areas between the paper pieces, and you can cover portions of the collage elements as well. Let some of the background color, applied in step 4, show through.
Let the paint dry.
Cut some short pieces of string or colored yarn with the scissors. Glue pieces to the surface of the collage to add some texture as well as some minimal elements of bas relief. The string and yarn are best employed in small amounts, as linear elements.
Use these oil pastel drawing sticks to enhance the painted areas. You can also draw on top some of the collage elements. If you try this, it is best to go lightly.