For this workshop we were asked to make some sort of lamp-shade using paper by either folding, cutting or scoring. I was very confused what to do, all I knew was that the light and the design was the focus. So during the weekend I made my first one, and today (Monday 23/11) I made my second one.
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I started off with making a base for my project. I wanted it to be a paper lamp that would luminate a scenery when lit up, and just a regular paper lamp when turned off.
I made the base using wires and blue tack.
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I started off by gluing these cut up pieces from a book into my base made of wires, using PVA glue. My original idea was to weave something and use parchment paper to create a scenery, but I quickly realized that it would be too much work for me to handle.
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Whenever I had let the first base dry I started to cut out the scenery I wanted. I should have had a thicker coat of paper before I would do it, since it was very fragile with just one layer. Some parts were thicker and had 2-3 layers and they were easier to control, whilst the single layer ones tore very easily and made the project take longer since I had to make another layer on top and let it dry.
When the scenery was all finished and ready, that’s when I had to glue another layer onto the lamp to cover it and make it look like it’s nothing but made out of paper.
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Finished result!
This is the finished result of my first project for this task. I love the idea, but it was very hard to execute since I have never done it before. I think it would have been easier if I had sturdier wires and possibly chicken wire to mold it easier. Another issue I had was also that I sometimes made the layers too thin and it would break the paper very easily when I was cutting the scenery, which was very difficult to get right.
It’s not my favourite thing I’ve ever done, and I would say it’s far away from my best ones. But I’m happy how it turned out, since it was my first time doing something like that.
It got the mood I was aiming for, a warm light with a scenery to made it cozy. I would love to make something like this, but better, since the one I made, was made during one night, and it feels very rushed.
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The second one I made using a repeating design (23/11)
For my second try, my second design. I chose to experiment with a design using hooks, repeating itself
At first I had to try the design of course. I did this by creating a three piece prototype. I sketched the idea and changed it according to how it looked so I could make the pieces fit. I later cut the pieces out by taping three pieces of papers together to make them look identical.
After making sure they would fit, I put together around 35 pieces of paper together with tape to make sure they would be identical. I later sketched the prototype onto the back of the paper.
When I had the prototype sketch down on the back of the stack of paper pieces, I started cutting them together to make sure I would get even and identical pieces. It was a tough process that took around 2 hours to get through, since there were so many paper pieces.
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This was the finished cut of the pieces. They didn’t look ideal to what I wanted them to look like, but they weren’t that bad, they fit and I could build with them.
Here is the process when I pieced it together. I had to use a empty can to balance it on to make sure it would keep together, and it did!
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Here is the finished result of my lamp made with a repeating cutout pattern.
I’m incredibly happy with this design that I made because it ended up exactly how I wanted it to be.
It was hard to make it fit properly at the start and figuring out how to make it work as best as possible. But after a lot of trial and error I finally managed to get a shape and patterns I loved.
I chose this paper especially since it’s very see through and I knew it would give of a gorgeous coloured light when lit up.
What I love the most about it is the unexpected rose pattern at the top, which I noticed when I put it over light and saw.
That’s what I love with experimenting, unexpected things can happen that ends up being very positive and it might make your design better.
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I had a lot of fun during this workshop, I played with ideas I have wanted to create and made them reality. I got to finally try out techniques I’ve always been curious about and learn about them.
I feel like this workshop was really important to me, because I could finally create using these techniques I’ve wanted to try.