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I have to make a life size (or bigger) paper mache Bull. I am new to PM and would appreciate any tips and advice.
It is to be used in 4 parades in different parts of the country and left outside between times - so it needs to be strong and stable for transportation and man handling and weather proof. It has to be light to move around, but strong to avoid breakage and damage.
Also what papers and glues are best for this? I was thinking of newspaper and wallpaper paste - cheap!! How many layers of paper are needed - and do i have to let them dry out between layers? If so how long will it take?
I am thinking of making a chicken wire frame and building on that - will it be strong enough?
Lots of questions form a complete novice!
Thanks!
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Make a frame out of wooden 2X2's and cover it with chickenwire. Then add strips of paper mache. One thing to note is that the hexagonal shape of the chicken wire holes can sometimes be visible through the layers of paper mache. There are ways of getting around this with plaster or lots of tape to smooth things over.
Wallpaper paste will be good but it is kind of expensive, depending on the kind you buy. You can't beat flour, water, and newspaper because they are essentially free. Paper Mache is a poor-man's art.
I would put about 5 or 6 layers, maybe even more. I would put them on all at once instead of letting them dry in between each layer. Let it dry in the sun or under a dehumidifier for at least a few days before painting...maybe three or four days to make sure it is totally dry. Make sure it is completely and thoroughly dry or it'll start to stink.
Here are a few links to some larger-scale paper mache tutrorials. He uses wood frames, wire, and newpaper.
http://www.cockeyed.com/incredible/satan/satan1.html
http://www.cockeyed.com/incredible/elvis/elvis.html
http://www.cockeyed.com/incredible/bear/bear.html
Hurry up, it's already October 2!
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Another option for an interior armature could be styrofoam packing material. Not the 'peanut', but the bulky forms that protect things like electronic equipment. They are often kind of irregular in shape, but can be broken, or cut with a serrated knife. Just glue them together.
For your bull, a basic whole-body armature of 1x2" wooden sticks should work well, then you would apply your styrofoam chunks onto that. DON'T EVEN TRY to make a PM/etc body and then attach legs to it afterward. It won't work, it will fall apart, and you will have wasted a lot of time and energy. Make kind of a basic skeleton as in the '...cockeyed...satan...' link above --- support for the body, head/neck and legs. It all has to be joined firmly together internally, or it will fall apart.
I usually use foam panelling glue in the cardboard cylinder (requires a cheap dispensing 'gun'). It isn't perfect, since it takes at least 12 hrs to set, but it doesn't melt the foam, which many adhesives do. I use spool wire and/or cheap bamboo food skewers to pin the pieces together while the glue is drying (and often leave them there, unless there's a reason to remove them).
Low-temp heat-melted glues work great, but they can be kind of expensive for a large project.
Once you've got your basic body form, you can fill any gaps by gluing small chunks of styrofoam in them, or stuffing them with wads of newspaper.
Then start layering your papier mache strips.
After it is thoroughly dry, you can paint it. See Jackie's piece under either Tutorials or Articles above. She did some experiments and found marine varnish to be the most weather-resistant. Not regular varnish, which won't stand up to weather. And you'll have to coat it very well, not leaving any small holes or cracks unprotected, or the bull will absorb moisture, and you'll have a sorry-looking mess on your hands. I would try to keep it protected from the weather as much as you can.
Sue
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