Key facts about Brianna McCarthy
Brianna McCarthy is an artist who works and lives in Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean.
She makes An artwork made up of different materials which are cut up and stuck to a surface. often of imaginary faces.
She uses different types of paper to create portraits of women.
The different pieces of paper are When one thing is put on top of another..
The collages have different How something feels when you touch it. on them.
Watch: Brianna McCarthy - the collage artist
Find out about the life and work of Brianna McCarthy
Narrator: Brianna McCarthy was born in Trinidad and Tobago, in the Caribbean, in 1984.
She was an energetic child and loved to draw.
She looked at how black, West Indian girls and women are seen in art.
She was inspired by magazine covers designed by the famous illustrator Erté.
Brianna loved Erté's use of bright colours and the way he drew people in his designs. She has always loved drawing people.
Brianna uses a range of colours and patterns in her portraits as she wants to show people are all different.
She builds up the image with layers of fabric, paper, painting and drawing. This is called a collage.
Even though the collages are made from different materials, textures and patterns, they come together to make one beautiful image.
Brianna McCarthy is inspiring people in many different countries to express their own identity and beauty, through art.
In the words of Brianna, we're all made up of these bits and pieces.
Brianna McCarthy's factfile
Tools and materials Brianna uses in her collages
Brianna McCarthy's artwork
Sketching
Brianna often A quick drawing, often done to show what something will look like before it's made with other materials. her ideas before she starts to make her collages.
She doesn't always stick to her sketch, but it helps her to imagine what she's going to make.
Once she starts making her collages, she chooses and tries out different pieces of paper until she is happy with her work. Then she can stick the pieces down with glue.
Patterns, colours and textures
Have a look at the way Brianna has used different types of paper.
The paper has patterns on it and sometimes the paper has textures.
Brianna uses brightly-coloured paper. She started using bright colours when she was young. Brianna used scrap fabric of different colours and patterns to create clothes for her dolls.
Reality and imagination
Although the face has some True to real life. parts, the colours and the shapes are not realistic.
Brianna uses her imagination to create the made-up parts of the portraits.
Watch how to make a collage with found materials
Find out how to create a piece of art using leftover and found materials
Laura Hopkinson: A collage is made by sticking things together to create a piece of art. And it can be made of things we find at home or in nature.
Let's have a go! You will need: A piece of paper or card to build your collage on, objects you've gathered to stick on, glue,scissors (and a grown-up to help use them).
My collage is going to be inspired by my local park.
I've gathered lots of different things I can use.
Before I get started, I've done a quick drawing of how I think my park could look.
Now, I'll set everything out to make sure I'm happy with it.
This leftover blue card will be great for the sky.
I'm using this old wool for grass. It's nice and soft.
And this shiny foil will make a great duckpond.
These pieces of cardboard will be good for tree trunks.
A few fluffy clouds made of cotton wool and real leaves for bushes.
I think this looks like a lovely park! Full of texture and colour. I'm ready to stick it down.
So here it is! My found materials collage. What a fun way to give old things a new life.
Activity
Did you know?
Brianna taught herself how to be an artist. She didn’t go to a special art school or university to learn.
She thinks that we should celebrate all types of beauty and tries to show this in her art.
Brianna has also made illustrations for books and designed album covers.
Her favourite fruit is passion fruit. Her motto is: “More fruit, more passion, more life.”
Quiz
Glossary
Here are the meanings of some important words.
Collage - An artwork made up of different materials which are cut up and stuck to a surface.
Layering - When one thing is put on top of another.
Realistic - True to real life.
Sketch - A quick drawing, often done to show what something will look like before it's made with other materials.
Texture - How something feels when you touch it.
BBC Bitesize newsletter. External Link
Sign up to our BBC Bitesize newsletter to receive monthly news, stories and updates on latest Bitesize content.
More on Collage
Find out more by working through a topic
- count1 of 2
