Still Life with Flora and Fauna

My digital Still Life with archival images from The Public Domain Review collection.

You will need:
• Adobe Photoshop ( It's optional. You can print the images and follow the tutorial just with paper, glue and scissors. 😉)
• Images from The Public Domain Review (link: https://pdimagearchive.org)

The Public Domain Image Archive is one of the best things you can find on the Internet. It is an indispensable tool for inspiration and knowledge for artists. Plus, you can access an incredible body of works available for unrestricted use under Creative Commons Zero (CC0). Which is ideal for this kind of project.
After you have selected a couple of images (between 5 and 25 is sufficient) you can decide whether to freestyle, or to pick an artwork as a reference point for a theme or subject.
Here is mine :
Vase of Flowers by Jan Davidsz de Heem, ca. 1660.

After choosing the artwork, look for replacements for the main elements independently from each other.
Keep in mind, there is a lot of freedom and many options, so it can be overwhelming to make a decision, that's why I advise you to pick every image carefully and purposely.
I have put together a board of all the artists (6 in total) that I have used in my project spanning from the 16th century to the 20th.
There are no limits, have fun!

After you saved all the images in one folder start by deciding where to place each image.
In photoshop you will need to know how to use a few tools. Below, I will show step-by-step how to use these basic tools. (1st image)

1. Create a working canvas by clicking File --> New. Select International Paper A4. Then go to Image --> Image Rotation --> 90 CW for Landscape.

2. After opening the wanted image(s), start selecting by using Ctr+A (select all) followed by Ctr+C (copy) then open the new project tab and paste it, Ctr+V.

3. To select a color and to use it as a background the easiest way is to use the Color Picker. Place it on the wished color on your image, click to select. Then, using Paint Bucket Tool, click on the white background. And voila! You have changed the background color. (2nd image)

4. The next key tool is the Eraser. This is like your real life scissors. You can adjust the size and the shape of the Eraser as you need, on the go, by right clicking.

5. Another important tool is the Quick Selection Tool (3rd image). It's like your real life craft cutter. It's for the more precise selections. You can also change its brush size as you go. After you made the selection you can copy and paste it as many times as you wish, and so, you will create layers. You can make layers invisible by clicking on the little eye icon on the left margin of the layer.

6. In the next image (4th one) we are using the Free Transform command. Now, to size it as you wish press Ctr+T and then hold Shift as you drag the corner so it does not distort.

7. In the last image (5th one) we are still using Free Transform, but we are rotating the image by holding the cursor at the edge and pressing the left click button.

Now that you have learned how to use the basic tools you just need to do the same to every image.

I will show you just another tool for editing your collage, plus a creative hack to have it up your sleeve.

1. To mirror an image simply select your layer --> Ctr+T --> right click Flip Horizontal, and there you go!
2. My creative tip is using the Clipping Mask Tool. The last gif shows you how to achieve this.
Place the layer you want as a background above the one that is going to be the shape, then right click on the layer above and select Create Clipping Mask. And just like magic, the cutout has another image on top, but keeps its own shape. You can play with it, erase more, add another image, change the transparency, and so on!

There you have it! With a little inspiration from the wonderful Internet Archives and basic photoshop skills you can make your own still life collage!