Sculptural Papermaking

Explore a range of techniques which take handmade paper from two- into three-dimensions. Students will learn to work with both low-shrinkage and high-shrinkage pulps, including cotton and flax, to create vessels, low-relief sculptures, and fully dimensional pieces. Pulp casting, sheet laminating, working with armatures, manipulation of high-shrinkage sheets of paper, and paper thread will be covered, as well as working with both pigmented and natural pulps.

What you will learn:

  • Learn the technical skills to create uniform sheets of handmade paper including pulp preparation, sheet formation, and the drying process

  • Discover techniques involved in creating relief and three-dimensional forms using pulp

  • Learn decorative techniques such as fiber embedding

  • Learn how handmade paper and the papermaking medium can be used for artistic expression, and how it can be used with other media

Required supplies:

  • Students should come prepared to get their hands wet and pulpy. Students with very strong skin sensitivities may wish to bring long rubber/latex/nitrile or similar gloves.

  • Students may wish to bring a plastic apron, or fabric apron and plastic sheeting (we can show students how to attach to fashion their own plastic apron in class!), to stay dry

  • A plastic container (such as large yogurt container) to hold water

  • A clean sponge

  • Later, students may wish to bring found materials for embedding and armature building. This will be discussed in class.