Collage With Stamps

• Collage originates from the French verb, coller, which means to glue. Collage includes adding many found images to paper or canvas to create a conglomeration of ideas. Visual elements such as paint, pastel, string or cut paper may be added. Stamps fit well into this style of visual creations, and if you had an access to a small supply of contemporary Chinese stamps, an assortment of these items might make for an important part of any art project. Stamps can often be removed from envelopes and then used as a collage element.
  
  

Hand-drawn Reproductions

• Since the rarity of most Chinese stamps issued before 1949 preclude their direct use in a piece of art, why not make one of the rare "Large Dragon" stamps the main subject of your drawing or realistic painting. With some careful study and good drawing technique, you can make the stamp the central figure in your drawing or realistic painting. With this method you don't need the original, for many color reproductions, blown-up to a larger size, can be found on the Internet or in print. Sit down with some colored pencils and see how close you can get to the original. More skilled draftsmen might opt for watercolor or egg tempera on white paper.
  
  

Inkjet Prints

• Take advantage of the modern age by scanning images of several Chinese stamps and then using a software program with a photo editor to place the images in a small rectangular space. The pictures can overlap and may vary in density (you will need advanced software programs like Photoshop or Fireworks to do this). Once you get the overlay finished, print the composition on an inkjet printer and admire the result. An inkjet print made with archival ink and paper will last a long time.
  
  

Color Xerox Transfer

• Step back a few years to the age of Xerox color printers and now you have a method where your single or combined photo stamp images can be directly transferred to not only paper, but also wood, canvas or cotton T-shirts. Imagine what a Large Dragon postal stamp on a "hoodie" would look like. The key to this project is locating a Xerox color copier that will print color images from digital files. Once located, you can print the images made in the last section to create a color xerox copy. Then adhere the face side of the print to your surface of choice with some acrylic medium. This method will take some further study and practice.