An 8 by 11, white flimsy processed item.. or leaf? Mm, nothing really out of the ordinary upon first inspection. Of course it can be used to draw and paint on, tear up, spill on, and familiarly, to type 6 page papers with the right word count while pulling all-nighters. Now, when it comes to copy paper crafts, many of you could consider it child’s play. If ask you to make a flower, you trace and cut- simple. If I asked for it in 3-D – cool, layer the insides or add other object. If I said you could only use one piece of paper, would it still be that of a breeze?
In my Three Dimensional Design class, our first project was to create 10 sculptures out of 1 piece of paper for each sculpture. Needless to say, the sculptures were rather small. It was quite a challenge cutting and folding the right pieces together to make the shape However, the final products turned out to be something very abstract clean, and unexpected. Here are just a few of my best works in comparison to varying perspective and color:
I didn’t just craft a sculpture. It was the essence of shadows and lighting that created its own atmosphere. It allows the viewer to see and appreciate the sculpture for what it is. Here is a piece derived from the final boss in the game Little Nightmares. In other words, a vein geisha that hated herself ,and was so grimly obsessed with her being more beautiful ,that she wanted to kill everyone else. My story for this paper being is of similar content, yet she is a bit more considerate of others. The fact that she has no hands adds a more mystery to her as a delicate character. I started with small narrow cones for the body, then sketched and cut out her hair, face, and flowers.
The koi fish below was by far the most precision and intricate detail I crafted in all my works here. I remember sitting in my room, with this large uneven cone on my desk. I was quite unsure on how to make a good fish from that, until I remembered subtractive sculpting. This involves removing material to reveal a shape. I was very surprised and pleased at myself with this being my first attempt. I used an exacto knife for the designs of the body and tail, then worked my way to improve the fins and eyes. Its tells the tale of being a lucky and vibrant koi. Whoever caught it but kept it as a pet would receive good luck and wealth.
The lotus flower is one of my favorite creations of nature that also fits with the Asian theme I presented. This was the simplest sculpture for me to make. I cut a circle out of the center of the paper, then used the remaining piece to carve the petals. Finally, I folded the bottoms and glued them in a circular format to help the petals stand and fan out, for a very beautiful look. This lotus is also the key to better beauty for the geisha.
*The photo here reminds me of a default home screen of a cell phone.
Goro, the sun dragon guardian, began as a little boy of the sun village, who solely thrives on the sun’s existence. When the sun was threatened to be kidnapped, the child ascended into the skies as a mighty protector of the village forever. This paper depiction followed a well selected pattern of cut and fold-out triangles, following a head , tongue, arms, and tail.
Akiro’s Voyage was a young man’s quest to find his father, who was lost at sea many years before. Unfortunately Akiro went missing as well, but when the sun rises above the waves, Akiro is guarding the ocean. This was a sketched and carved scenery , with the ship crafted out of the remains.
The following images consists of abstract images with heavy color and or contrast. They represent elements in nature including grass, water, cherry blossom trees and bamboo The process of each consists of twisting, shearing and curling main parts of the sculpture.
It’s amazing how photography skills, color, shadows, and lighting could intensify a cut piece of paper in both soft and dramatic ways. Strongly encourage you all to try this. Now, is something bold and beautiful with one sheet of paper so challenging? Can u build a story?