21M.735

Technote #2 (Materials)

Benjamin O’Connor

2/15/00

 

Papier-mâché

 

            Although, to some people, it may bring back memories of elementary school art class, papier-mâché has a variety of important uses in scenic design.  The low cost and ease of construction associated with papier-mâché make it a good material to consider when a shaped or sculpted piece of scenery is called for.

            The texture of papier-mâché lends itself to use when creating foliage, such as trees and bushes.  The look of papier-mâché, even relatively close up can simulate tree bark fairly accurately.  Papier-mâché can also be used to create basic sculptures on stage.  Although sculpting cannot easily be done with great detail, it is a great material to create large sculptures with quickly and economically.  Done well, papier-mâché is light, strong, fast, and non-toxic.  When done properly, it can be sanded to a smooth finish. 

Materials

 Wheat-based wallpaper paste: Wheat has glucose in it, which binds with the cellulose in paper making a much stiffer and stronger wall, so you need fewer layers.

 Brown paper bags & other paper: Don't use newspaper. The fibers are short and it has no structural integrity of its own. You do need paper that's two different colors so you can tell what areas you've papier-mâché and what you haven't. Use either leftover printer paper or scrap pages out of a notebook. As long as it's not the same color as the bags, a similar weight, and is uncoated, any paper will do.

 Tissue paper: Use Kleenex™ or toilet paper. This is used to separate the paper from the form. You don't want it to stick when it's dry.

Technique

  1. Mix your wallpaper paste in a shallow container like a pie-plate (or anything similar). Start with a small batch. Cover the bottom of the pan with cool water. Shake a small amount of the paste onto the water. Add more if you need to for the right consistency, mixing until it feels “right”, which should be like cream of wheat or a melted milkshake.
  2. Tear the paper into 6" pieces (approximately). Don't cut it with scissors. You want a soft edge on the paper so it will adhere better and more smoothly to the other pieces.
  3. Place the dry tissue paper in the mold (or on your form). After it is covered with a single layer, sprinkle it with water.
  4. Pick up a piece of brown paper bag and touch the bottom of it to the wallpaper paste so that when you pick it up it's got a couple inches covered with paste. Using too much paste is a common mistake. Smear it on both sides of the paper and crumple the piece. This is to break up the fibers in the paper and work the paste into it.
  5. Tear off a piece and place it in the mold or on the form. In a mold this is the layer that will be seen so it's the only one that has to be neat. On a form the last layer is the visible one so all layers have to be neat. Make sure that the piece is small enough that it doesn't form wrinkles. Start in the center and work out. Overlap the pieces, pressing to remove air bubbles. When you get to the edge of the mold or form, go outside by at least an inch. You'll need this to grab hold of when it's time to take the papier-mâché out.
  6. MOLDS ONLY. After the whole layer is covered in brown. Get another piece of the bag, wet it in paste, and crumple it as before. Wad it up and shove it tightly into the detail areas. What will happen is that the detailed areas will suddenly have ten layers of mache and the surface is smoother so your next layer will go faster.
  7. Repeat steps 4-6 with the other paper type, when it's covered go back to the brown bag. Do this until you have between three to five layers. IMPORTANT: Do this while the layers are wet. This is for better adhesion, and avoiding air bubbles.
  8. Let your work dry. Be patient and let it dry at room temperature, or in the sun. It can be dried in front of a space heater or baked, but this increases the risk of air bubbles.