Easy Beginner Collage Art with Fruits & Veggies

If you’re looking for a super simple, beginner-friendly collage painting project, you’re going to love this one. This is the same loose, playful demo I created with my kids to make artwork for our kitchen. It’s low-pressure, colorful, and perfect if you want to explore collage without overthinking the details.

This lesson is part of my beginner collage series, where I share easy ways to loosen up, paint more freely, and enjoy the process. Everything you’ll see here can be scaled up, scaled down, themed for a room in your house, or adapted to any subject you love.

Want to go deeper with collage & mixed media?

👉 Explore the Mixed Media Hub
👉 Browse Collage Painting Ideas
👉 Dive into the Garage Collage Barrage

Materials I Used for This Collage

Nothing fancy here. I keep it simple so anyone can follow along. See all my mixed media supplies below.

• Pre-painted collage paper (made from leftover acrylic on drawing paper)
• Scissors or an X-acto knife
• Glue or gel medium
• A sheet of mixed-media or watercolor paper
• A small set of acrylics for touch-ups

At the end of most painting sessions, I’ll smear leftover paint onto scrap paper until I have pages filled with textures and random brushstrokes. Later, I cut these into shapes to build collages. It’s a quick way to create a ton of variety without buying special paper.

How I Built the Fruits & Veggies Composition

In this demo, I kept the shapes loose and painterly—nothing too tight. This is all about embracing imperfections.

Here’s the basic flow:

1. Cut simple shapes for fruits, veggies, and a few stray leaves
2. Arrange everything loosely before committing
3. Glue pieces down so they overlap naturally
4. Add a few painted marks to tie everything together
5. Let the white background breathe (this makes the colors pop!)

My kids and I made a bunch of these for our kitchen—peppers, peas, tomatoes, mushrooms—really anything goes. You can theme yours too: tacos, drink bottles, coffee mugs, or anything that fits your space.

Supplies I Use All the Time

These are my go-to materials for almost every mixed media project I create. Do I add new ingredients occasionally? You betcha! But these are the go-to materials I rely on most. I know how they behave, how they layer, and how to get the best results from them.

• Acrylic Paints – I only buy heavy body for their thick texture and thin them with water for fluid glazing and washes. See my favorite set →
• Watercolors Paints – Great for transparent layers and unexpected color effects. Exact colors are below.  Shop my watercolor picks →
• Acrylic Inks - Excellent way to add transparent layers to mixed media artwork. Mixes well with everything! See the inks →
• Synthetic Acrylic Brushes - You need a variety and I have listed my go-to's below. I use Princeton brands, very dependable! See the brushes →
• Watercolor Brushes - Get a decent grade but avoid all-natural as synthetic blends have come a long way. Shop my picks →
• Collage Papers – A mix of pattered, and printed paper you see me use is from Hobby Lobby, and it's usually found in the scrapbook section. Browse paper packs →
• Palette Knives – Good to have around for scooping paint and smearing techniques. See what I use →
• Blick Super Value Canvas Packs - Comes in many small and medium sizes up to 20x16". Love em'. Best bulk stretched canvas →
• Mixed Media Paper – Sturdy enough to handle wet and dry techniques. Strathmore is the way to go! Best paper for mixed media →
• Watercolor Paper - Top choice is 140 lb. cold press by Fabriano Artistico. Cost effective and crispy white. Best watercolor paper →
• Caran d'Ache Water-Soluble Crayons – Perfect for adding scribbles and linear interest to mixed media art. Check them out →
• Gator Board - Best firm boards you can find! Buy a large sheet and cut out down. These are used as backing for my paper when I paint. Check it out →
• Mod Podge - Reliable and affordable adhesive for paper, thick and thin. And get the Matte! View the glue →

My preferred hues; Cadmium Yellow, Yellow Ochre, Alizarin Crimson, Cadmium Red Light (or Medium), Ultramarine Blue, Cobalt Blue, Burnt Sienna, Titanium White

My preferred acrylic brushes; #12 Large round, 2x Medium rounds, 2x Detail, or liner brushes, Large and medium fan brush, a few medium size bristles and old, small house painting brush for glue.