Fashion Collage - Artist, Workshops and more...
Blog by London Fashion Illustrator Elyse Blackshaw
A recent workshop with collage artist Polina Belenchuk reawakened something that has felt a little dormant for a while... a desire to return to collage.
Working with puppets involves assembling separate elements into a coherent, moving character. The movement of the puppet contributes to it's personality and ability to tell a story. What I loved most about creating these puppets as examples for the workshop, was the process of cutting out my illustrations and releasing them from the costraints of a piece of paper. They transform from a drawing to a object that feels alive.
Much of my work begins with looking, drawing, cutting and collecting. Thoughrought my creative career (and life in general), I find myself unable to throw away experimental ideas. What was once an unimportant fleeting thought 10 years ago, looks totally different in the eyes of the present. There is an emotional attachment to the length of time I have held on to something, which could be as simple as a quick scribble on a piece of scrap paper. When I look at it with a fresh perspective, I notice the tone of the colour, the gesture in which it was drawn. This new perspective feeds ideas and new considerations for future work.
Elyse Blackshaw Studio Wall 2025
When most people think of collage, they often think of images cut out of magazines. Whilst that is a method of sourcing materials, what I love the most is collaging from my own drawings.
Fashion illustration is often associated with drawing, but now and then, for me and my practice, the process evolves into editing, layering and construction. A collage mindset allows images to emerge through experimentation rather than certainty. I've always used collage as a way to push fashion illustration into a physical dimension, from my graduate work at Manchester School of Art, to my MA work at Royal College of Art. It was amazing to have dedicated time to explore this further. Whilst working commercially as an illustrator, I find I have less time to experiment with collage and play.
Elyse Blackshaw graduate work 2013 / 2021
Whether a large scale installation or a small series of sculptures, these acts of transformation are what continue to excite me about fashion image-making through cut outs and collage. The puppet workshop reminded me that creativity does not always begin with a finished idea. Sometimes it begins with bits and pieces, unsuccessful starting points.
From early on, I have always been less interested in creating polished illustrations and more interested in building images through accumulation. I enjoy seeing the vibrancy of layered textures and the rawness that comes with the impulsive nature of collage. There is something refreshing about working this way, especially in a busy world that is reliant on data, progress, and perfection. This feels especially relevant within contemporary fashion illustration, where the boundaries between drawing, collage, photography, printmaking and digital practice continue to dissolve. I really believe fashion illustration is an evolving art form that extends beyond traditional runway sketching and embraces diverse visual approaches.
As I return to collage, I'm interested in that space between fashion illustration and assembling a constructed object. It creates a shift from observation to invention. For inventiont to happen, you have to put trust in a collection of seemingly unrelated pieces and enable an image to emerge with its own story to tell.
I hope in 2027 I can continue exploring collage further!
Elyse x
If you fancy collaging on a project together, you can contact me directly at info@elyseblackshaw.com to chat about your proposed dates, ideas and fees.
About Elyse Blackshaw
Elyse Blackshaw is a London-based fashion illustrator and image-maker specialising in fashion illustration, creative image-making and visual storytelling. Her practice combines drawing, mixed media and contemporary approaches to fashion imagery, exploring the intersection of fashion, art and culture through both commissioned and personal work.
