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Hey! I just started with papier mache, I have been making these cool 3 dimensional abstract cityscape paintings, I take a large piece of cardboard, then glue rectangular prisms on it made of cereal box card for the buildings and I use another piece of cardboard for the ground, underneath the rectangles... then I use papier mache on it and I use a "monster bone" finish which I learned about from Creaturiste's blog, I can create lots of texture with it. Anyway then I paint it with acrylics. They look really cool, you can hang them on the wall and put a bunch of them together to make a metropolis.
Well I like them so much that I want to try making them using all non-acidic materials so that it lasts forever. My (highschool) art teacher likes them too but she said that they will ruin since I am using acidic materials and she said if you want to sell them (what? they're not that good lol) that I should use archival quality stuff. So that's what got me thinking about it. I've looked on the internet and I had a hard time finding non acidic cardboard but I did. It sure is expensive though. I also found non acidic tissue paper and I'm wondering if tissue paper would be okay to use for the papier mache strips. I use coffee filters and brown paper towel usually.
Also I'm wondering about the adhesive I use, does that have to be non acidic too? I use wallpaper paste. And I'm wondering if the monster bone finish is problematic too, which is made of joint compound, water and welbond glue. What is an alternative to these things, if they are not suitable for a lasting art piece (can I use gesso instead of monster bone - I heard it was bad for papier mache)? I am a perfectionist a bit! Actually if I do make these for real I will have to sell them otherwise I will be poor, buying all these fancy materials haha! I wish people would think of papier mache as art and not only as something to make kiddy crafts from. Anyway thanks for your help I really appreciate it!
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Please indicate what country you live in. Some brands are limited to certain countries, and you don't want knowledgeable people to assume anything.
Many/most of the acrylic gesso products seems to be of a neutral pH (neutral has a pH of 7), but you might contact the company that produces your brand and ask.
PVA glue, the same, but check.
There are three basic kinds of wallpaper adhesive: cellulose, flour, and plastic. Which one are you using? The Lineco brand has a neutral pH, but I don't know if they all do.
I think most/all of Lineco's products have a neutral pH. For other brands, contact the company.
This article http://www.ehow.com/info_8130592_differ … ounds.html says "Spackling is formulated to be pH neutral, while joint compound is not. "
But it has no other info. Other info indicates that some types of joint compound are highly susceptible to mold, which doesn't sound good with paper.
Most cardboards are acidic, as you have discovered. If they have been treated with a buffering substance, I wonder how long it lasts, and if any of your surface treatments will affect them?
Look up archival and museum-quality material sources.
Personally, I would continue with the cheaper, more available materials, refine your work and processes, and see if there is an interest in purchasing. At the same time, keep searching for high-quality materials so you can transfer your artwork to those materials. If anyone asks, just say that your initial work is 'experimental', that you're working toward archival or museum quality.
If you want to sell your current works, be sure to inform them that they are experimental works, which is why the prices are lower.
If there is enough interest to move on to high-quality materials, you will have to make the mental adjustment (difficult for most people) to value your work high enough to cover the costs of the best materials as well as profit.
IF YOU DON'T VALUE YOUR OWN WORK, NEITHER WILL ANYONE ELSE.
Sue
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I am wondering if you could spray that stuff on they sell for scrapbookers they use to make paper non-acidic / archival before using the paper in your projects? The downside I can see is that it could get to be quite expen$ive if you need a lot of paper in your projects.
Anyway, just a thought I had, for what it's worth! 
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