Easy Vintage Art Ideas

Vintage Drawings

I started drawing at a very young age and also had an interest in old movies. My mother and I would watch very old movies together on my school holidays. The movies dated as far back as the 1920s. I love classic music as well. There was often 50s and 60s music echoing through the house while my mother did housework. I can remember sitting at the kitchen table completing homework to the tunes of Elvis and the Everly Brothers. I was shocked just recently to hear that 80s music is now classified as ‘classic’… my childhood now seems so far away!

As a 16 year old schoolgirl I didn’t have much pocket money so making presents was something that I learned to do. I would draw portraits of old movie stars and musicians and frame them but the frames would be stained to look somewhat vintage-looking. Cool presents.

What do you need?

Drawing paper, pencils (HB, 2B & 6B I find work the best with sketches), coloured pencils (Derwent make great pencils for drawing), oil paints (if you prefer to paint), water colour paints (if you prefer this over oils), favourite vintage photos to inspire you, time and patience.

Vintage Collages

Collage is usually the term given to a form of art that uses different objects glued together, such as newspaper clippings, photos, magazine photos, ribbon, string, beads, shells and other forms of artwork, etc. Usually these bits and pieces are glued together to form a new picture.

Recently I have been creating collages from vintage photos. I’ve had old photos, my parents’ black and whites and recent photos just sitting around the house collecting dust so I thought it might be an idea to put them to good use and decorate my home. I’ve made some great black and white and coloured collages and framed them. They’re now decorating the walls of my home. They’re not only very decorative; it creates a conversation piece as well as keeping old memories alive. My father absolutely loved the collage I made for him of my recently departed mother.

Of course collages can be made through certain programs on your computer but there’s no substitute to creating something the old fashioned way! Set out the frame and the photos you want to use and think of the design. Cut away! I try to cut and order the photos before I paste, otherwise it might get a bit messy trying to rearrange everything to fit the size of the frame.

What do you need?

Vintage photographs or pictures, canvas or thick art paper, glue (ordinary white glue is fine), cutting utensils, glue spreader (small brushes work well, popsicle sticks or cotton buds), and wipe up rags. A sealer or lacquer for a glossy finish if you’re not going to frame the finished work.

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and I’m thinking of some lovely designs in the shape of a heart for my husband. Sorry, darling, I still don’t have much pocket money!

Vintage Decoupage

I find that decoupage and collage are rather similar but the difference in my opinion is the material you use to be glued and the surface you glue onto. The material to glue is usually old vintage photos or magazine pictures or cards. The surface is usually an object like furniture, boxes, old cases, plates, mirrors and the like. Again, a sealer or lacquer would work best as a finisher on furniture or boxes.

I’ve tried this once before on a box as a present. I prefer to frame collages with vintage photos mainly because I don’t feel that sticking my family on a table quite respectful.

What do you need?

Similar to collage, although a sealer or lacquer would be better for decoupage works for a nice glossy finish.