Hexagon photo collages
Six straight sides, keeping three quarters of the photo. It is the shape to reach for when a collage needs a medallion and does not need it to mean anything.
A heart says something. A star says something else, loudly. A flower says softness whether or not that was intended. A hexagon says almost nothing: it is geometric without being a symbol, and it keeps 75 per cent of its cell, which is close behind a circle. That combination makes it the most useful shape here and the least interesting to write about, and both are worth saying.
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1. A shape with no message
Every other medallion carries a tone into the collage. That is a strength when the tone fits and a problem when it does not, and it is why so many shaped collages look slightly wrong for their occasion.
A hexagon has no such baggage. It suits a graduation, a business portfolio, a sports season, a travel set and a wedding equally, because it is not making a claim about any of them. When the photographs are the message, this is the shape that gets out of the way.
Its straight sides also cut cleanly. A curve crossing a photo of a building or a horizon looks like an accident; six flat edges look like a frame.
2. The honeycomb association
One thing to be aware of: hexagons in a group read as honeycomb, which is a strong association and not always wanted.
As a single medallion over a rectangular collage, it does not arise: one hexagon is just a shape. The association appears when several are tiled, which the engine can also do, and that is a different design with a different feel - decorative, patterned, and much more assertive than a single medallion.
If you want the geometry without the beehive, keep it to one.
3. What it keeps
At 75 per cent it is second only to a circle, and what it removes are six shallow corners rather than four deep ones.
A face fits. Not as comfortably as in a circle, and comfortably enough.
Two people fit, which is unusual among these shapes: the flat top and bottom leave room across the middle where a circle is already curving away.
A wide view mostly survives. The horizon crosses the flat sides rather than a curve, so it stays a horizon.
4. Make one
Questions about Hexagon collages
What is a hexagon collage?
A collage with one six-sided photo laid over the junction of the others. It keeps 75 per cent of its cell, second only to a circle, and carries almost no connotation, which makes it the shape to use when a medallion is wanted and a message is not.
Why choose a hexagon over a circle or a heart?
Because it says nothing. A heart, a star and a flower each bring a tone into the collage whether or not it suits the occasion; a hexagon suits a graduation, a portfolio, a sports season and a wedding equally. Its straight sides also cut a building or a horizon cleanly, where a curve reads as an accident.
Does a hexagon look like a honeycomb?
Only in a group. A single hexagon over a rectangular collage is just a shape; the association appears when several are tiled, which is a different and much more assertive design. Keep it to one if you want the geometry without the beehive.
What fits inside a hexagon?
A face fits, not quite as comfortably as in a circle. Two people fit, which is unusual among these shapes: the flat top and bottom leave room across the middle where a circle is already curving away. A wide view mostly survives, because the horizon crosses flat sides rather than a curve.
