By Tobijulo Onifade

A mosaic is a decorative art form which uses small pieces of materials placed together to create a unified whole. The apple dictionary also defines mosaic as a picture or pattern produced by arranging together small pieces of stone, tile, glass, and so much more.

Mosaics have been in existence since the 3rd millennium BC and were really popular in religious houses such as Churches and Mosques, however, there was a decline in this art form in Islam in the 8th Century. Mosaics were restricted to Architecture only but these days, this art is appreciated in different places and surfaces like Park benches, Walls, and even technology. Pixels are a form of mosaics due to the arrangements is also known as tesserae.

Different materials have been used to create mosaics and the most popular materials I have come across are beads and tiles especially here in Nigeria. Creating a mosaic is easy for a beginner as all one needs is glue, the material (bead, glass, tiles or even paper) and the surface (it could be a board).

A couple of years ago I came across a method that fascinated me, this is the use of watercolour to create that Mosaic effect. There are 2 methods of achieving this. The first method involves creating a *wash on paper, waiting for it to dry, then cutting it into different shapes and using glue to apply it on the art form.

First Method

The second method is a little complex. The first time I saw it I was impressed at the genius of this method and assumed that it would be easy and got at it right away. Turns out it was not and after a few attempts, I got the hang of it.

Works by Nancy Hartson-Miller

For this method one needs the following materials:
1. Watercolour Paper (or paper with a slightly thick density will be okay)
2. Watercolour
3. Paintbrush
4. Pencil
5. Eraser

Method:
Firstly a hand drawn image or sketch is required. Divide the sketch into sections and break into tesserae (these could be triangles, squares, or abstract shapes, depending on what one wants). Choose colours wisely (according to each section) and finally apply. To get that Mosaic effect using tint* and shades* of a particular colour is advised.
My Works:

Wash: Creating a textured background using paint
Tint: This is created by adding white to a colour on the colour wheel to create a lighter pastel of the same colour.
Shade: This is created by adding black to a colour on the colour wheel to create a darker hue.