The Disney Experience · Activities for Everyone · Paper Models · The Process of a Paper Model

The process of designing and building a paper model from scratch begins with choosing a subject matter. Obviously, I can’t begin building something unless I know what I’m building—it’s kind of a no-brainer. The easiest models are ones that can be made from simple geometric shapes. Cubes, cylinders, pyramids, and planes are best; cones, spheres, and free-form shapes are nightmares! Breaking down objects into simple shapes is one of the most basic lessons that any artist is taught or should know. It helps make information easier to organize and lay out, then detail can be added later, bit by bit. Trying to organize everything at once can make any project—even a simple one—seem very daunting.

See Dead Man's Chest: A Paper Model in Progress for photo documentation of a paper model.

Oogie Boogie's dice can be simplified into basic cubes.

When analyzing basic shapes, I also have to keep in mind how everything will fit together. If I add or simplify shapes, it can make a model harder or easier to build, depending on how the pieces fit together.

For simple models, I like to use Flash. Flash is a vector-based program that is used by many site designers to create animation and interactive Web sites. Working in vector graphics means I can change the size of model parts without any image quality degradation.

More complex models/parts are designed in Blender, a free 3-D graphic/animation/gaming program. The parts are then unfolded in a program called Pepakura Designer, which translates the 3-D model parts into flat pieces. Those flat pieces are traced in Flash so that their size can be appropriately changed.

Using the trial and error technique, I determined the shape of Flash’s work area that would print onto a sheet of 8.5x11 paper.

Before I start creating the pieces, I place a small registration logo in the lower-right corner of the printing area. The logo or image is for comparing the sizes of two printed pages by overlapping and holding them to a good light source. In my early models, I had a serious problem with printing model parts at the same size until a fan and fellow model-designer suggested that I place a small crosshair in one of the corners for registration. Crosshairs are boring, so I use a black and white logo.

A series of registration logos.

If I have a good reference photo to work from, I import it into Flash and place it in the background. I can work on top of the image or simply refer to it when needed. For the most part, drawing the parts is pretty straight-forward. I did, however, discover that I’d have to re-learn some geometry, such as how to figure the diameter of a circle and how to tri-sect an angle (there are many, many methods out there, but no one true way to do it).

Tabs are added as I build the model in my head. I can see how pieces fit together, but I’m not always right; I usually forget to add a tab, add one that isn’t needed, and/or make one that’s too big. For models that have an open bottom (i.e. Sleeping Beauty Castle), I always add tabs along the base. Folding these tabs creates a simple spine that keeps pieces from bowing. They can also be used to glue the model to a permanent display base.

Once the pieces have been drawn, I take the largest piece and enlarge it as much as I can, making sure that it still fits within the printing area. I then enlarge the rest of the pieces by whatever percentage the first piece was enlarged, and place the parts on different pages. This determines the size of the model.

With the pieces drawn and laid out, I export each “sheet” as an image at 300dpi. The images then resized and sharpened (in Photoshop) into a pdf that keeps the file size small, yet holds a good amount of detail. The pages are all colorless, but since they’ll only be used for building a prototype (which will later get destroyed), it’s wise to save the ink/toner.

Building the prototype, I take note of any mistakes that need to be corrected. For parts that are duplicated, I’ll often only build one, which will save me time and leave an incomplete prototype.

Returning to Flash, I make the necessary corrections and begin the coloring process. In Flash, areas can be filled with color or an image quickly and easily. Any subtle artwork/effects are added in Photoshop before creating the final pdf file. I also label the parts and add numbers to the tabs.

Rust, water stains, and rivet highlights & shadows are added in Photoshop.

The semi-final model is printed and built very carefully and slowly. It can take me up to an hour or more to cut out and glue just a few pieces. If an error crops up, I stop building, fix the problem, print out the new pieces, and continue building. When the model is complete, I photograph it and keep it for myself. The final model that is made available to the public isn’t much different from the semi-final model that I keep for myself—usually a minor graphic change or color change.

Now that all of the fun is finished, I start on the illustrated instructions. If the model was all or mostly designed in Flash, the instructions will also be designed in Flash. The illustrations are created from the modified parts. For models that are completely designed in Blender, I use snapshots of the 3-D model, saving me the task of drawing the illustrations from scratch. Whichever way the instructions are made, they’re mostly in grayscale. This uses less color ink/toner, which is always more expensive than black ink/toner.

Flash illustration (left) & Blender illustration (right).

The instruction “pages” are exported as jpegs and imported into Microsoft Word. The file is converted into a final pdf file. The model pdfs are divided into several zipped files for easy downloading (and far less strain on bandwidth).

As one last fun act, I place the prototype model into the fireplace and set it ablaze.

Poof! The Wicked Wench disappears in a blaze of glory.

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