Cardboard Portrait

15MarquezStudent_2013smIn this project reclaimed cardboard is used to construct self portraits. The cardboard image and structure emphasize the importance of reusing and recycling materials and should provide an inspiring example of creative thought and innovation through repurposing materials.

Mission: Self Portrait

Develop a self portrait using an image of yourself, a word that reflects who you are, and cardboard. Any photo that shows a true likeness of your face can be used. A sheet of cardboard will be your canvas. The goal is to use a subtractive and additive method to develop a portrait using the layers of corrugated cardboard. The finished portrait should be a minimum of 11 x 17  inches. You may go larger.

Project Description/Outline:

  1. Begin with a photograph: A digital file will allow you to enlarge the image to fit your canvas. It will also allow you to add and compose text digitally.
  2. Prepare cardboard canvas. Sized to be fit with the chosen image. It is critical to have all image corners at 90º if you intend for the frame to be a true rectangle or square. Note: I usually refer to 90º corners as “square”.
  3. The image should be altered to black and white. This should be done to a point where the image is made up of positive and negative fields (areas). The average rendering can be made up of very little to no gray areas. This can be done by drawing or tracing the image paying close attention to these areas. You may expand the pallet to include multiple layers in accord with varying degrees of grey. Note: the image above has Three layers to develop the image: black, white and an exposed corrugated layer. Explore the possibilities.
*An alternative to this “hand and eye” design strategy is to put the image in photoshop and alter it to black and white and then the “Threshold” settings can be altered to get the image to your preference.
  4. Choose a word and font that best represents your personality. Develop them into your composition. The word or words must be at least seven characters.
  5. You will need to enlarge the image dimensions to the appropriate size.
  6. After a paper composition has been produced the image will need to be transferred to cardboard. Lightly mark the areas that separate positive and negative sections of the image. If you plan to strengthen the image quality with your own aesthetic this would be a good time to do so.
  7. Once transferred to the cardboard the image is ready to be developed by cutting, tearing and sanding away either the negative or positive areas. It may be necessary to darken the negative areas or pencil marks so they can be seen better in production. Your final image should have no pencil marks.Tearing and cutting away dark areas usually works best. What other methods can you explore and develop?
  8. Finally: Create a a frame of cardboard around your cardboard Portrait. 2 inch thick minimum. This can be done by layering strips of cardboard to create a thicker board. It is a good idea to experiment and create these strips/boards well in advance so they are ready when you are ready to complete the project. Be creative, What can be done to make the frame more interesting? Note: Exposed corrugated layers should be used as the face of the frame structure. The method demonstrated in class functions more structurally and can create an unexpected aesthetic to the project as a whole.
  9. Craft is important: Cuts and joints well executed. Clean up glue and pencil marks.

NOTE: Please refrain from cutting on table surfaces. Use a matt of cardboard or other material if you use the table. The floor works well to give one space to work and cut without damaging the table surfaces.

Research:

  • Low Relief
  • Rubber Stamps
  • Negative and Positive imagery
  • Cardboard: Material Properties
  • Texture by Exposing layers
  • Stencils
  • Screen Printing

Tools and Materials:

  • Utility Knife
  • Exacto or Hobby Knife
  • Cardboard
  • Card board paper
  • Pencils
  • Graphite
  • Adhesive (wood glue)
  • Masking tape
  • Transfer paper (optional)

Objectives:

Materials Characteristics:

  • Cardboard: Flat surfaces
  • Card board: Lamination
  • Laminated Layers
  • Skin
  • Corrugation (plains and patterns)

Concepts:

  • Elements of Design
  • Principles of Design
  • Composition
  • Texture
  • Pattern
  • Unity
  • Balance
  • Relief
  • Sensibility to form:
  • Representational Forms
  • Abstract Forms
  • Non-Objective Forms

Methods:

  • Technique
  • Cutting Safely
  • Thinking from 2-d to 3-d, layers
  • Organizing the surfaces of a corrugated cardboard plane to alternate between textures.
  • Developing Craftsmanship

Note: Use only Cardboard and Glue. No crayons, paints, chalks or inks. Factory pre-printed or pre-colored papers are fair game.

Create a label for your project with these specifics:

  • Name:
  • Dimensions: HWD
  • Materials:
  • Year Complete:
  • Course:
  • Tape your label in upper right corner of the back of your project.

Research/Inspiration: 

Project Gallery

Wood Carving: Merging Early and Contemporary Icons

FelliniwebMission:

In this project create a wood carved mask that visually merges early and contemporary icons. The mask should take on a combination of both icons chosen. The main material will be wood, other materials can be used to embellish the form. Try to use materials that are a part of our current culture. Accumulated objects or components of devices we use might be good resource. A visit to the salvage yards will be a good resource as well.

Guidelines:

  1. Build and carve a mask which merges an icon form the past and an icon from the present.
  2. Process: The finished sculpture should be built through the use of wood lamination and carving.
  3. Wood purchased or found for this project should have No nails or Staples, If you find them in the wood remove them and have the instructor approve before cutting with saws or equipment. Non chemically treated wood only. Suggested material is two by fours, but obviously there are other sizes that may work to your advantage.
  4. Scale: A minimum of 1.5 ft in one dimension (HWD). A good starting point would be purchasing or having on hand two 8 ft two by fours.
  5. Finish: You may decorate your carved mask in accord with your selected icons.
  6. Students are strongly encouraged to combine or evolve the project using other materials and media to complete the finished form. Take chances.

Overview: 

This project should include a design that incorporates wood lamination and carving. No metal fasteners, such as nails and screws should be used in the lamination process of this project. Nails, screws and other metal fasteners can damage chisels, equipment blades and other carving tools. The design should be built in a manner that presents a relevant conclusion to the subject, two chosen icons. Your mission is to build a form that acts as a symbol in resolve of  your creativity towards the concept.

Engage, Invite, excite, challenge, your audience to react to your work.

Function, Engineering and concept: An understanding of the material, process, and concept should be a major concentration for this assignment.

Materials to purchase or acquire for this project.

2-3  two by fours: Pine or cedar is a soft wood that can be easily carved.
Ratcheting Straps (2)
Sand paper
Wood rasps, Chisels
Wood Glue
Finishing materials
Paints and Sealers

Safety:

Wear appropriate eye protection, clothing and shoes while working with wood equipment.
Wood shop tools can be very sharp.
Be aware of peers working near and where you are aiming your tools.
Do Not Use “Treated Wood” in the studio. Stay away from a treated lumber. Some lumbers have arsenic as a treatment.

 Writing Assignment:  

As a beginning level course, the student is responsible for developing and presenting a typed research paper of their work for this assignment. The final document should include a description of themes/concepts the artist is addressing, descriptions of how the artist uses imagery, materials and material qualities to address their themes, images of the artist’s works and other supportive documentation. The processes and techniques the artist utilizes to create their work may also contribute to the research.

Writing Assignment Guide Lines:
Below is a brief outline of format and what is expected in your writing assignment.

  1. Cover sheet:
    1. “Your Name”
    2. Research Title
    3. Sculpture 1
    4. “Semester and Year”
    5. “Instructor’s Name”
  2. Body: (500 words +)
    1. Introduction Paragraph
    2. Your research
    3. Images of your work
    4. Summary
    5. Bibliography: Cited text and images.
  3. Images
    1. Images can be printed within the body text
    2. Images can be printed on pages after the body text
    3. If you have trouble placing images in your Document, Please see me.

Sketch Book: Merging early and contemporary icons.

1.  Find and print- 10 images- early masks
2.  Find and print-10 images- contemporary masks
3.  Add images to sketchbook
4.  Generate 6 full pages of sketches, combining early and contemporary masks.

Processes

1.  Select sketches to model your concept in clay
2. Wood lamination with 2×4’s and other wood materials
3. Begin Carving: This may be an additive and subtractive process.
4. Design and fabricate a method to wear the mask. Welding and other methods may play a part here.
5. Paint and embellishments
6. Consider the antiquity of your form is this a new mask or does it have a sense of history.
7. Dance and Performance: Develop an interpretive performance: Solo or Group engagement

Research and Inspiration:

Anthropomorphic(having human characteristics)
Thai Masks
African Masks
Bundu helmet mask
Lewa spirit mask
Mumuye mask
Biombo helmet mask
Luba Style Mask with Brass Made in Ghana
Djibouly Mask Made in Mali
Aztec mask
Northwest Coast Masks: Native American mask
Venetian Masks
Japanese Masks
Jake and Dinos Chapman
Ron Mueck
501st Legion “TK Project” Stormtrooper Helmets
AJ Fosik

Videos:

Sharpening wood carving tools

Cardboard: Mechanical Objects to Cardboard Objects

11MarquezStudent_2013In this project you are to use reclaimed cardboard to render everyday objects. The cardboard structures emphasize the importance of reusing and recycling materials and should provide an inspiring example of creative thought and innovation through repurposing materials.

Mission: (Project Description)

Your mission is to build a mechanical object from the structural and aesthetic qualities of cardboard. Using cardboard, adhesives and possibly some fasteners (such as string, nails and screws) you will be building a 3 dimensional duplication of a mechanical object/device. The finished form should be at least 18 inches in one dimension. Glues are allowed on this project. Tapes or fasteners may be used as well. Hide them and use them strategically, to develop a consistently crafted object. Think: craftsmanship!. Folding, cutting, de-lamination, lamination methods and strategically placing cardboard in a consistent structural method should be a goal. Conservation of materials should be considered as well. Size and weight of the final object is a usual obstacle for sculptors.

Project Description:

Find and choose a mechanical object to model

Begin by planning and drawing: Experiment with cardboard, illustration board, foam core, or thick papers to learn how structures can be built.

Sketchbook Assignment:

Five pages of notes and drawings for this project is required: Draw at least 5 views; a top, a side, a front, a back, a bottom, and perspective views. Details should be considered, as well. One drawing per page. Printed photos can be added as well. You should consider on each of these drawings, details on how you plan to structure or put your piece together. Measuring and recording your dimensions here will also assists in your mission.

Scale:

Drawing and measuring is good research and development. The object you chose will be scaled to at least 18 inches in one dimension. Use “Multiplication” to Scale your object. Example: If your original object is six inches in its longest dimension. You will need to scale the object up three times its original size to achieve the 18 inch finished dimension. Ergo each component part’s measurement will be multiplied by three.

Maquettea:

Small maquettes with paper or illustration board as a starting point will allow you to work out a lot of unforeseen issues when you get to the building stage of your project.

Modular:

If you chose to make your form modular, assembles and disassembles for transport and storage, consider the following. While cutting openings for interlocking card board pieces make the openings large enough so that assemblage and break down are easily done without any damage to your piece.

Production:

The cutting room floor: Your task is to develop a 3-dimensional solution to this problem, with a clean approach to aesthetics (Good Design), good to excellent craftsmanship and a conservative use of materials. THe finished piece must be 18 inches or greater in one of its dimensions. A major goal is to construct the form entirely of cardboard and glue.

NOTE: Please refrain from cutting on the table surfaces. Use a matt of cardboard or other material if you use the table. The floor works well to give one space to work and cut without damaging the table surfaces.

Tools and Materials:

  • Utility Knife/ Exacto knife
  • Tape
  • Wood glue
  • Cardboard
  • Cardboard paper
  • Pencils
  • Rulers and Measuring tapes
  • The Wood shop

Objectives:

  • Material Characteristics:
  • Cardboard: Structural and Aesthetic qualities
  • Method: Planning, Cutting Safely, Building techniques and strategies
  • Sensibility to form: Good design, clean aesthetics
  • Integrity of the artist to their craft

Research/Inspiration:

 

Project Gallery

Wood Transformation

05MarquezStudent_2013

Premise:

In this project the student is asked to create a sculptural form from wood material. The form does not necessarily need to look like a specific thing. It may be non-objective if desired. If the goal is to create a representation of a real object, a model should be made available. As a basis 2×4 material may be purchased. Students are expected to acquire their own materials for the project.

Scale:

A composition of two feet in one direction is expected.

Sketchbook Assignment:

Sketches of your chosen object should be rendered before and during sculpting. A minimum of four pages should be dedicated to this sketching component. In addition, find four wooden sculptures that inspire you. Printed images of these sculpture or objects should be placed in your sketch book. Your sketch book will be graded along with your project.

Wood Shop:

Before cutting any materials in the wood shop, Make sure all staples and metals are removed from the wood material. Make an extra effort to affirm that no screws or nails remain in purchased or reclaimed wood.

Using the table saw, trim the rounded corners from each 2×4 and other milled wood. This will assist in hiding seems when wood is laminated together.

Each students must use the band saw, reciprocating saw/jig saw, table saw, drill press and compound miter saw in the forms construction. Hand tools should be used as well, files rasp, grinders etc.

Finish:

The forms may be painted. Remember, paint does not necessarily make wood look like something else. If one can see wood grain through the paint then, the form still looks like it’s made from wood. Other surface treatment method may be used with instructor approval.

Glue, nails, screws, or any other means may be used to attach the wood forms together if needed. Challenge the norm, what other material can be used to fasten this material together. Remember, make an extra effort to affirm that no screws or nails remain in wood before sawing the material.

Challenge yourself in how you might subvert the inherent qualities of the material.

What does it take to push something visually beyond what it initially begins as?

Note: Do not use other material to sculpt the object or its components. Focus on utilizing wood as the main source of material for the construction of the form.

Inspiration:

Project Examples: