If you use simple ingredients in the paste recipe, paper mache may be the least expensive sculptural medium you can use. Paper mache may be cheap, but it's not just for kids!
Almost every child creates a mask, volcano, or piggy bank from this cheap art medium in the early grades at school. Unfortunately, most people, even aspiring artists and sculptors, never give this inexpensive medium another chance. They don't realize that they can create beautiful sculptures and wall hangings from paper mache that will make wonderful gifts. If you use enough care and creativity, your finished piece may even fit in with the finest art at a local gallery.
I have been sculpting with paper mache for over 50 years and I always come back to the easiest paper mache recipe that uses plain old white flour and water. However, I do add a few things to this basic paste recipe for special purposes.
-Paper Mache Recipe #1:
White flour and water make a remarkably strong paste. In fact, some folks think the material created by laminating paper with flour paste is strong enough to build houses with. Of course your finished sculptures don't need to be strong enough to hold up a house, but you will be happy to know you can sand them and drill them, just like wood.
To make up the paste, just pour some white flour in a bowl and add water gradually until you have a consistency that will work well. How thick should you make your paste? It's actually up to you. Experiment with thick pastes that resemble hotcake batter, and thin pastes that are runny and watery. You get to decide which ones you prefer. Vigorously mix your paste by hand with a spoon until it has no lumps, or do it the easy way and use a mixer.
Keep in mind it is the flour, not the water, that gives strength to your paper mache sculpture. Your paste only needs to be runny enough to soak into the paper. Heavy Kraft papers need a more watery paste, while softer papers like newsprint can take thicker paste. Experiment!
Each layer of paste and paper that is added to your project must dry completely to keep it from developing mold after your project is finished. Why not use wallpaper pastes that contain fungicides? There are two reasons why I choose to use simple white flour pastes instead of ingredients that prevent mold. First, white flour is ridiculously cheap when compared to any other type of art supply. And second, I hate the idea of dipping my hands in something that contains poison. If small children were helping me with my projects, this would be even more important.
To prevent the development of mold in your projects, you just need to remember that molds cannot grow without water. Therefore, take every effort to dry out your projects completely. I usually put my small sculptures in a warm oven (not over 200 F) or place them near a radiator. Next summer I intend to build a solar dryer that will be large enough for bigger items. The main trick is to make sure the sculpture is dry all the way through - if any dampness is left inside when you apply paint or other finish, the sculpture will eventually rot from the inside out - a truly disappointing development, I assure you.
-Paper Mache Recipe #2:
I like to add a 'skin' to most of my paper mache projects. To do this, I sand the sculpture after it is completely dry (paper mache can be sanded, sawn and drilled - just like wood). I then mix some carpenter's glue into my flour and water paste. At this point I may also add coloring if I want the skin layer to show through the final finish. You can use powdered pigments for this, or add acrylic paints to this paste recipe.
The carpenter's glue adds a warm color to the paste, creates a somewhat translucent finish (unless pigments are added), and prevents the skin layer of paste from cracking when it dries. If you add several layers of this paste to the outside of your projects and sand between coats, you can create a completely smooth surface that is perfect for painting or finishing. I leave this last layer off when I want the underlying paper to show through on the finished item.
-Papers to Use for Paper Mache:
The traditional paper to use for paper mache is newspaper, which is torn into short strips. (Cut edges should be avoided, because they don't blend in.) Newspaper is cheap, and it is a soft paper that is easy to bend and mold around a sculpture. If the item is purely decorative (not a toy, in other words), you only need a few layers of paste and paper to make your final sculpture strong enough.
In addition to the usual newsprint, you can also use brown Kraft paper from paper bags, which will give your sculpture a naturally warm color if the piece is left unpainted. If you intend to make a lot of projects using this paper, you can find rolls of it in the hardware section of your local Walmart store for only a few dollars.
You can also use softer papers, like paper towels and even tissue paper. The softer papers are used to fashion delicate details, and textured paper towels can be used to add an interesting final coat. For instance, I've used a final layer of paper towels to give a dragon sculpture a realistic leathery skin.
Once your paper mache sculpture is completely dry, you can finish it with almost any type of paint or stain. You may want to give it a final coat of water-based verathane to protect it. Using these simple paper mache recipes, from ingredients you find in your kitchen or the local hardware store, you can create a wonderful variety of sculptures, piggy banks, masks and wall hangings - your imagination can go wild, and your delightful creations will cost only a few dollars in materials.
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