Design II, Week 9, 2-d to 3-d studies

This lesson is an introduction into simple techniques of working with paper to go from flat 2-d planes to 3-d forms that have depth.

A flat plane has two dimensions - length, and width. A 3-d form has three dimensions - length, width and breadth (depth).

Read Principles of Form and Design, by Wong, page 237 -240.
Watch this Shoo Rayner video about how to score paper.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaP3k0LaLNw

Paper Studies

Look through the following images to see how I explored ways of transitioning from 2-d to 3-d.

accordion folding

tab making

cutting and folding

loops and cylinder creation

using slits to interlock with other shapes

and parallel lines to make fringes.

I started these studies with one piece of paper folded vertically in half twice.

 I cut the sections to get 4 strips.

Here you can see one long flat 2-d paper strip. It is folded 3 times into 8 units.

 Unfolded, it is an accordion fold strip. I also cut up the folded strip into 8 units.

One flat strip, a 2-d plane, will create a 3-d loop, a cylinder.

Shapes are 2-d planes when drawn. To get the dimension of depth,

add a tab to the bottom, so they can stand.

A repeating shape was drawn on one strip of paper, with a tab connecting them all together.

The tab was glued to a flat strip and now the shapes stand up.

The strip with triangles was rolled into a cylinder.

Another version of giving depth to flat shapes is to cut lines and fold edges.

 If you fold the shapes to the back and flip the paper, the pencil lines won't show.

Here is an example of a repeating shape. Cutting and folding create depth. 

The strip has been made into a cylinder. 

This adds depth to the cylinder and gives interest to the surface.

A flat strip of paper can be folded into an accordion fold and then looped to create a cylinder.

These shapes have had slits cut into them, in order to interlock them together.

A piece of paper can be fringed by cutting parallel lines. The ends can be curled. 

The paper can be rolled into a cylinder.

These are examples of cylinders with variations on the surface.

Paper Studies

Now it is your turn. Try out ways of creating depth with paper. Use my ideas, but try your own too.

Materials: any paper you can find. Better to use scrap paper, paper bags, old envelopes, construction paper rather than your expensive bristol paper. You will also need a glue stick, or white glue, or clear tape. A ruler, an x-acto knife, and something to cut on are useful.

Document: Take a picture of your studies as a group or individually of you want to document the different variations.

Final Project

Now how can you explore this further to create something interesting with all of the information that you have gained while doing the studies?

I'm thinking of the word Corona. What does it mean? Make a list and let it be an inspiration for your final project. Incorporate accordion folding, cutting and folding, tab making, slit construction, fringing and cylinder making into a combined form.

Materials: Whatever paper you have available, plus the tools you used for the studies.  Color can be added but is not required. 

Craftsmanship: Because this is the final presentation, make sure the glue is not visible. Keep your hands clean. If you use tape, it shouldn't show. Remember we may see the inside too. Use a brush to put down thin layers of liquid glue.

Document: Show at least three views of your sculpture - Front, side, and top.