This spring of ‘24 I TA’d an Art & Design class at the Fab Lab of a local community college. The students had to design a mid-size sculptures from cardboard and paper tape. I developed a list of some tips, tricks and techniques I learned while watching the class in the studio, assisting and trouble-shooting, testing out various construction techniques and tools.
Before you start cutting cardboard, sketch out your sculpture design. Consider the overall shape, dimensions, and any details you want to include. Sketch your project from a variety of viewpoints - a front view, side view, a top view - just like a technical drawing in engineering. If you sketch your early drafts small, create full-size or nearly full size sketches.
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Most students find planning difficult, but just because something is difficult doesn’t mean it should be avoided.
If you are a computer person, create a CAD model in a preferred software. Programs like Adobe Illustrator or Inkscape can generate these plans in 2D space, whereas 3D CAD programs, such as On-shape, Fusion 360, Inventor, Blender, etc. can create 3D models. I generated the sketches above utilizing Fusion 360. Building a Möbius sculpture is no small feat - but the visual sketch really helps me visualize the problem and might provide some clues to its construction. Pepakura is the Japanese art of papercraft and there are several computer programs built to take 3D models and turn them into paper patterns.
Lastly, create a small to medium sized model. Again, be as neat as possible. No shortcuts. Make your construction as perfect as possible, using as many construction techniques as possible for the final project.
Not all cardboard is created equal. Choosing the right cardboard for each step can truly be the difference between a successful project and a project full of frustration.
Cardboard has a number of advantages as a prototyping/construction material. Cardboard is cheap, robust and easy to work with. Brand-new cardboard can be purchased locally, online or even sourced for free. Used cardboard can be found at nearly any grocery or large store. For free. Cardboard can be manipulated with common crafting and woodworking equipment. Cardboard can be glued with common adhesives and can be painted, shellacked and lacquered.
Cardboard has a few main characteristics: number of layers (or plys or walls), flute type, surface treatment, and grain direction.
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Walls/Faces/Ply - Cardboard comes in many thicknesses, but for most prototyping/art projects, one ply (or single wall) cardboard is the best choice. Double and triple-walled cardboard are more appropriate for very large structures or structures which need to hold weight.
Surface treatment - Some cardboard, especially work used in packaging foodstuffs and products, may have a surface coating that will feel slick and glossy. This type of coating will reject paint, glues and other surface treatments. New, bare cardboard that feels slightly rough will accept all paints/lacquers/shellacs/glues without complaint. I almost always use new cardboard.
Grain - In the graphic above, notice the fluting in between the paper walls of cardboard. The direction those flutes flow in is called the cardboard’s grain. Cardboard can bend and fold in one orientation better than it can in a different orientation. The grain causes this difference. Test out your cardboard construction techniques with different grain orientations before committing to cutting your parts out.
Sourcing cardboard can be tricky on a budget. The smaller the budget, the more compromises we make in construction. Recycled cardboard can be found at many retailers for the price of a question to the right person. The quality can be all over the place: grease, coatings, and unnecessary folds and tears all cause construction issues. Costco has large sheets of cardboard that is single wall, raw/bare paper coatings and relatively intact that it uses between pallets to protect goods.
New cardboard can be purchased from a variety of sources. I look for industrial supply companies, such as Global Industrial or Uline that specialize in packaging. Amazon sells at a decent price point from a variety of sellers. Home Depot, Lowe’s, and other big box hardware stores often have moving boxes for a few bucks. Lastly, USPS sends flat rate postal boxes to your home for free.
Sharp utility knives, scissors, and a cutting mat are essential tools for working with cardboard. Make sure your blades are sharp to achieve clean cuts without tearing the cardboard.